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are not active swimmers like sharks. Skates, lying mostly half buried in
the sand or mud, are considered as less active than rays; the only active
members of this group are saw-fishes. The food of all these fishes consists
of almost all types of animals found on the sea-floor.
SKATES
GUITAR FISHES (FAM. Rhinobatidae)
This family is represented by three genera in the Maharashtra water : (1)
Rhina ancylostomus the Mud-skate, with upper surface of the body
marked with a number of round white spots, (2) Rhynchobatus djiddensis
the Plough-head skate, and (3) the genus Rhinobatus the true Guitar fish.
All these are widely distributed in the Indian Ocean and have acquired the
name because of their somewhat guitar shaped bodies.
SAW FISHES (Genus Pristis)
The basic anatomical peculiarity of these fishes is that the ' nose' is
produced into a double-edged, saw-toothed sword. The saw fish is a ray, as
is shown by the position of the gills on the underside of the pectoral fins.
These fishes are represented in our waters by two species, Pristis
cuspidatus and P. microdon, which are readily distinguishable by the
number of teeth, the former having 23-25 pairs and the latter only 17-20
pairs. These fishes grow to a size of 18 to 20 feet in length. The saw of
these fishes, specially of younger fish, is considered a popular article of
curio with lovers of marine life. Liver of these fish yields oil rich in
Vitamin A.
RAYS
The marine waters off the coast of Maharashtra abound in rays such as the
sting rays, the eagle rays, the cow-nosed rays, the devil rays and the
electric rays, all represented by 22 species belonging to five families. The
principal feature of the sting rays is the presence of one or more spines
with jagged saw-like edges, as formidable weapons on the tail, the length
FAUNA 95