http://psrc.mlml.calstate.edu at Moss Landing Marine Laboratories Fri, 06 Nov 2009 00:42:01 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en Photo Credit: John Carlson NOAA Fisheries, Copyrighted Bignose Shark Carcharhinus altimus (Springer 1950) Family Carcharhinidae (Requiem Sharks) Identification: A large, heavy-bodied cylindrical shark with a long, wide, and bluntly pointed snout, prominent nasal flaps, a distinguishingly prominent interdorsal ridge, pectoral and dorsal fins that are long and straight; the ... http://psrc.mlml.calstate.edu/2009/11/featured-elasmobranch-bignose-shark/ Photo Courtesy of Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute 2003 Eastern Pacific Black Ghostshark October 2009 Hydrolagus melanophasma Family Chimaeridae Identification: A chimaera of the genus Hydrolagus, which lack an anal fin, it has a fairly large, torpedo-like body, tapering from its blunt snout to a short whip-like tail filament. It has large, triangular pectoral fins, ... http://psrc.mlml.calstate.edu/2009/10/featured-elasmobranch-eastern-pacific-black-ghostshark/ Photograph Courtesy of Maria del Pilar Blanco Banded Guitarfish September 2009 Zapteryx exasperata (Jordan & Gilbert, 1880) Family Rhinobatidae (Guitarfishes) Identification: A guitar-shaped ray with a broad disc that is about twice as wide as it is long. The dorsal surface is covered with numerous, small to large, scattered, stellate ... http://psrc.mlml.calstate.edu/2009/09/featured-elasmobranch-banded-guitarfish/ August 2009 Bathyraja abyssicola (Gilbert, 1896) Family Arhynchobatidae (softnose skates) Identification: A softnose skate with a moderately triangular anterior disc margin, a broadly rounded posterior disc margin, and a disc width slightly greater than its length. Disc dorsal surface with 1-5 nuchal thorns separate from a row of 21 ... http://psrc.mlml.calstate.edu/2009/08/featured-elasmobranch-deepsea-skate/ July 2009 Pacific White Skate Bathyraja spinosissima (Beebe & Tee-Van, 1941) Family Arhynchobatidae (softnose skates) Identification: A softnose skate with a disc that is slightly wider than long, broadly rounded pectoral fin apices, a disc surface evenly covered with numerous, small prickles above and below, giving it ... http://psrc.mlml.calstate.edu/2009/07/featured-elasmobranch-pacific-white-skate/ June 2009 GOLDEN COWNOSE RAY RHINOPTERA STEINDACHNERI EVERMANN & JENKINS, 1892 FAMILY RHINOPTERIDAE (COWNOSE RAYS) Identification: A diamond-shaped ray with a head distinctly protruding from the disc.  The anterior face of the cranium is concave with a bilobed subrostral fin.  Width of the disc is about 1.7-1.8 times its length.  The tail is extremely long ... http://psrc.mlml.calstate.edu/2009/06/featured-elasmobranch-golden-cownose-ray/ May 2009 Pacific Starry Skate Raja stellulata (Jordan & Gilbert, 1880) FAMILY RAJIDAE (Hardnose Skates) Identification: Known as the spiniest of eastern North Pacific hardnosed skates, the Pacific starry skate is covered with prickly spines and abrasive dermal denticles. Its dorsal surface has rows of thorns along its mid-back, groups of orbital thorns, up to six large ... http://psrc.mlml.calstate.edu/2009/05/featured-elasmobranch-pacific-starry-skate/ April 2009 Bentfin Devil Ray Mobula thurstoni (Lloyd, 1908) FAMILY MOBULIDAE (Manta and Devil Rays) Identification: Like other Mobula species, the bentfin devil ray is recognized by its paired, flat head fins, large, angular pectoral disc, subterminal mouth with teeth in both jaws, and slender, “whip like” tail that has a single dorsal fin ... http://psrc.mlml.calstate.edu/2009/03/featured-elasmobranch-bentfin-devil-ray/ March 2009 LONGNOSE CATSHARK APRISTURUS KAMPAE TAYLOR, 1972 FAMILY SCYLIORHINIDAE (CATSHARKS) Identification: A small, moderately slender catshark with a long, broad snout, large gill slits, small eyes, lower labial furrows longer than upper, and a continuous supraorbital sensory canal. The first dorsal fin base is about equal in length to the ... http://psrc.mlml.calstate.edu/2009/03/featured-elasmobranch-longnose-catshark/ February 2009 BULL SHARK CARCHARHINUS LEUCAS (VALENCIENNES, IN MÜLLER AND HENLE, 1839) FAMILY CARCHARINIDAE (REQUIEM SHARKS) Identification: A large, heavy set-bodied shark with a broad snout, relatively small eyes, a large, ... http://psrc.mlml.calstate.edu/2009/02/285/