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Myliobatidae (eagle ray)

Chondrichthyes - Myliobatiformes - Myliobatidae

Taxonomy
Myliobatidae was named by Bonaparte (1838) [also attributed to Muller and Henle]. It is extant.

It was assigned to Masticura by Hay (1902); to Tectospondyli by Eastman (1904); to Selachii by Woodward (1889), Ameghino (1901), Andrews (1906), Woodward (1916); to Elasmobranchii by Leriche (1942); to Masticura by Jordan (1963); to Dasyatiformes by Cassier (1966); to Myliobatoidea by Jonet (1968), Thurmond and Jones (1981); to Dasyatoidei by Case (1979), Case (1981), Case and Schwimmer (1988); to Rajiformes by Herman (1977), Underwood (2006); to Myliobatoidei by Nelson et al. (2016), van der Laan (2019), Ebersole et al. (2019); to Myliobatoidea by Adegoke (1977), Cappetta (1986), Kriwet et al. (2007), Popov et al. (2025); and to Myliobatiformes by Cappetta (1987), Kumar and Loyal (1987), Cvancara and Hoganson (1993), Purdy et al. (2001), Silva et al. (2002), Tabuce et al. (2005), Cahuzac et al. (2007), Buchanan et al. (2007), Cicimurri and Knight (2009), Carnevale et al. (2014), Szabo et al. (2017), Kent (2018), Villafaña et al. (2020), De Pasqua et al. (2025), Cicimurri et al. (2025), Cantalice et al. (2025).

Synonymy list
YearName and author
1838Myliobatidae Bonaparte
1889Myliobatidae Woodward p. 109
1901Myliobatidae Ameghino p. 82
1902Myliobatidae Hay p. 319
1904Myliobatidae Eastman p. 73
1906Myliobatidae Andrews p. 317
1916Myliobatidae Woodward p. 19
1942Myliobatidae Leriche p. 17
1963Myliobatidae Jordan p. 605
1966Myliobatidae Cassier p. 92
1968Myliobatidae Jonet p. 253
1977Myliobatidae Adegoke p. 298
1977Myliobatidae Herman p. 283
1979Myliobatidae Case p. 85
1981Myliobatidae Case p. 71
1981Myliobatidae Thurmond and Jones p. 75
1986Myliobatidae Cappetta p. 187
1987Myliobatidae Cappetta p. 170
1987Myliobatidae Kumar and Loyal p. 68
1988Myliobatidae Case and Schwimmer p. 295
1993Myliobatidae Cvancara and Hoganson p. 11
2001Myliobatidae Purdy et al. p. 93
2002Myliobatidae Silva et al. p. 4
2005Myliobatidae Tabuce et al. p. 387
2006Myliobatidae Underwood p. 234
2007Myliobatidae Buchanan et al. p. 35
2007Myliobatidae Cahuzac et al. p. 28
2007Myliobatidae Kriwet et al.
2009Myliobatidae Cicimurri and Knight p. 639
2014Myliobatidae Carnevale et al. p. 41
2016Myliobatidae Nelson et al. p. 93
2017Myliobatidae Szabo et al.
2018Myliobatidae Kent p. 127
2019Myliobatidae Ebersole et al. p. 123
2019Myliobatidae van der Laan p. 45
2020Myliobatidae Villafaña et al. p. 743
2025Myliobatidae Cantalice et al. p. 17
2025Myliobatidae Cicimurri et al. p. 64
2025Myliobatidae De Pasqua et al. p. 532
2025Myliobatidae Popov et al.

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RankNameAuthor
kingdomAnimalia()
—Bilateria
—EubilateriaAx 1987
—Deuterostomia
phylumChordataHaeckel 1874
subphylumVertebrata
superclassGnathostomata
RankNameAuthor
classChondrichthyes
infraclassElasmobranchii(Bonaparte 1838)
—Batomorphi()
orderMyliobatiformesCompagno 1973
suborderMyliobatoideiCompagno 1973
familyMyliobatidaeBonaparte 1838
familyMyliobatidaeBonaparte 1838

If no rank is listed, the taxon is considered an unranked clade in modern classifications. Ranks may be repeated or presented in the wrong order because authors working on different parts of the classification may disagree about how to rank taxa.

Fm. Myliobatidae Bonaparte 1838 [eagle ray]
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G. Aetobatus Blainville 1816
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†Aetobatis arcuatus Agassiz 1843
†Aetobatis marginalis Dixon 1850
†Aetobatis profundus Cope 1867
†Aetobatis subarcuatus Agassiz 1843
†Aetobatis sulcatus Agassiz 1835
†Aetobatus aragonis Jordan and Hanibal 1923
†Aetobatus arcuatus Agassiz 1843
†Aetobatus irregularis Agassiz 1843
+
Invalid names: Aetobatis perspicuus Leidy 1855 [synonym]
†Aetobatus narinari Euphrasen 1790
†Aetobatus omaliusi Delfortrie 1872
†Aetobatus omaliusi curtidens Delfortrie 1872
†Aetobatus poeyi Fernandez de Castro 1871
Invalid names: Aetobates Richardson 1846 [synonym], Goniobatis Agassiz 1858 [synonym], Stoasodon Cantor 1850 [synonym]
G. Aetomylaeus Garman 1908
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†Aetomylaeus cojimarensis Iturralde-Vinent et al. 1998
†Aetomylaeus cubensis Iturralde-Vinent et al. 1998
†Aetomylaeus dixoni Agassiz 1843
+
Invalid names: Myliobates heteropleurus Agassiz 1843 [synonym], Myliobates obesus Leidy 1855 [synonym], Myliobates rugosus Leidy 1855 [synonym], Myliobatis copeanus Clark 1895 [synonym], Myliobatis glottoides Cope 1870 [synonym], Myliobatis rectidens Cope 1870 [synonym]
†Aetomylaeus maculatus Gray 1832
†Aetomylaeus striatus Agassiz 1843
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Invalid names: Myliobates serratus Leidy 1855 [synonym], Myliobates transversalis Gibbes 1850 [synonym], Myliobatis leidyi Hay 1899 [synonym]
G. †Aktaua Case et al. 1996
G. †Amtaaguar De Pasqua et al. 2025
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†Amtaaguar crassus Gervais 1852
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Invalid names: Myliobatis magister Leidy 1876 [synonym]
G. †Apocopodon Cope 1885
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†Apocopodon sericeus Cope 1885
G. †Brachyrhizodus Romer 1942
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Invalid names: Brachyrhizodus Romer 1942 [objective synonym]
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G. †Garabatis Tabuce et al. 2005
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†Garabatis atlasi Cappetta 1993
G. †Hypolophites Stromer 1910
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†Hypolophites mayombensis Leriche 1913
†Hypolophites thaleri Cappetta 1972
G. †Igdabatis Cappetta 1972
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†Igdabatis indicus Prasad and Cappetta 1993
†Igdabatis marmii Blanco 2018
†Igdabatis sigmodon Cappetta 1972
G. †Leidybatis Cappetta 1986
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†Leidybatis granulosus Cappetta 1986
G. †Lophobatis Cappetta 1986
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†Lophobatis phosphaticus Cappetta 1986
G. †Meridiania Case 1994
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†Meridiania convexa Case 1994
G. †Mesobatis Leidy 1877
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†Mesobatis eximius Leidy 1855
†Myliobates acutus Agassiz 1843
†Myliobates americanus Bravard 1858
†Myliobates canaliculatus Agassiz 1843
†Myliobates dixoni Agassiz 1843
†Myliobates goniopleurus Agassiz 1843
†Myliobates gyratus Agassiz 1835
†Myliobates jugalis Agassiz 1843
†Myliobates lateralis Agassiz 1843
†Myliobates marginalis Agassiz 1843
†Myliobates micropleurus Agassiz 1835
†Myliobates owenii Agassiz 1843
†Myliobates punctatus Agassiz 1843
†Myliobates regley Agassiz 1835
†Myliobates sternbergii Agassiz 1843
†Myliobates stokesii Agassiz 1843
†Myliobates suturalis Agassiz 1835
G. Myliobatis Cuvier 1816
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†Myliobatis affinis Chapman and Cudmore 1924
†Myliobatis altus Davis 1888
†Myliobatis aquila Linnaeus 1758
†Myliobatis arcuatus Davis 1888
†Myliobatis bilobatus Dartevelle and Casier 1943
†Myliobatis bisulcus Marsh 1869
†Myliobatis bothriodon White 1926
†Myliobatis dimorphus Delfortrie 1872
†Myliobatis dispar Leriche 1913
†Myliobatis fastigiatus Leidy 1876
†Myliobatis faujasi Agassiz 1843
†Myliobatis foxhillsensis Hoganson et al. 2019
†Myliobatis frangens Eastman 1904
†Myliobatis funiculatus Delfortrie 1872
†Myliobatis gigas Cope 1868
†Myliobatis girondicus Pedroni 1844
†Myliobatis holmesii Gibbes 1849
†Myliobatis intermedius Dartevelle and Casier 1943
†Myliobatis jugosus Leidy 1876
†Myliobatis kummeli Fowler 1911
Myliobatis latidens Woodward 1888
†Myliobatis leognanensis Delfortrie 1872
†Myliobatis merriami Jordan and Beal 1910
†Myliobatis microrhizus Delfortrie 1872
†Myliobatis monnieri Cappetta 1986
†Myliobatis moorabbinensis Chapman and Pritchard 1907
†Myliobatis mordax Leidy 1877
†Myliobatis nzadinensis Dartevelle and Casier 1943
†Myliobatis oligocaena Leriche 1910
†Myliobatis pachyodon Cope 1868
†Myliobatis pachyrhizodus Fowler 1911
†Myliobatis plicatilis Davis 1888
†Myliobatis prenticei Chapman and Cudmore 1924
†Myliobatis raouxi Arambourg 1952
†Myliobatis sulcidens Dartevelle and Casier 1943
†Myliobatis tennicaudatus Hector 1877
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Invalid names: Myliobatis australis Macleay 1881 [synonym]
†Myliobatis toliapicus Agassiz 1843
†Myliobatis wurnoensis White 1934
Invalid names: Holorhinus Gill 1862 [synonym], Palaeomyliobatis Silva et al. 1960 [synonym]
G. †Pseudaetobatus Cappetta 1986
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†Pseudaetobatus belli Cicimurri and Ebersole 2015
†Pseudaetobatus casieri Cappetta 1986
†Pseudaetobatus undulatus Cicimurri and Ebersole 2015
G. Pteromylaeus Garman 1913 [bull ray]
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†Pteromylaeus bovinus Geoffroy St.-Hillaire 1817
G. †Rhizochlatrus Silva et al. 1960
Invalid names: Aetobatinae [empty], Myliobates brongniarti Agassiz 1843 [nomen nudum], Myliobates nitidus Agassiz 1843 [nomen nudum], Myliobatina [empty], Myliobatinae [empty]
Diagnosis
No diagnoses are available
Measurements
No measurements are available
Composition: phosphaticsubp
Environment: marinesubp
Locomotion: actively mobileo
Life habit: nektobenthico
Diet: carnivoreo
Created: 2009-07-21 07:05:51
Modified: 2009-07-21 09:05:51
Source: o = order, subp = subphylum
References: Wagner 2023, Hendy et al. 2009, Carroll 1988

Age range

Maximum range based only on fossils: base of the Early/Lower Albian to the top of the Holocene or 113.20000 to 0.00000 Ma
Minimum age of oldest fossil (stem group age): 110.1 Ma

Collections (491 total)

Oldest occurrences

Time interval Ma Country or state Original ID and collection number
Early/Lower Albian113.2 - 110.1France (Champagne-Ardenne) Myliobatidae indet. (55335)
Cenomanian100.5 - 93.9Brazil (Maranhão) Myliobatidae indet. (67225)
Late/Upper Cretaceous100.5 - 66.0Brazil (Pernambuco) Apocopodon sericeus (167994)
Middle Turonian93.9 - 89.8USA (Kansas) Brachyrhizodus mcnultyi (35365)
Late/Upper Santonian - Middle Campanian85.7 - 72.2USA (Georgia) Brachyrhizodus wichitaensis (35289)
Campanian83.6 - 72.2USA (Maryland) Myliobatis obesus (127194)
Campanian83.6 - 72.2USA (Georgia) Brachyrhizodus wichitaensis (70720)
Early/Lower Campanian - Middle Campanian83.6 - 72.2USA (North Carolina) Brachyrhizodus wichitaensis, Protamia sp. (57918)
Late/Upper Campanian83.6 - 72.2USA (South Carolina) Brachyrhizodus wichitaensis (79363)
Late/Upper Campanian83.6 - 72.2USA (New Jersey) Brachyrhizodus wichitaensis (14455 32181 221052)
Late/Upper Campanian83.6 - 72.2USA (Delaware) Brachyrhizodus wichitaensis (27570)
Late/Upper Campanian83.6 - 72.2Angola Brachyrhizodus wichitaensis (275709)
Middle Campanian83.6 - 72.2USA (Texas) Igdabatis indicus, Brachyrhizodus wichitaensis (240801)
Middle Campanian83.6 - 72.2USA (North Carolina) Brachyrhizodus wichitaensis (128412)
Middle Campanian - Late/Upper Campanian83.6 - 72.2USA (Delaware) Brachyrhizodus wichitaensis (126600 126810)
Middle Campanian - Late/Upper Campanian83.6 - 72.2USA (Texas) Myliobatis sp. (212186)
Campanian - Maastrichtian83.6 - 66.0USA (Texas) Brachyrhizodus wichitaensis (132656)
Late/Upper Campanian - Early/Lower Maastrichtian83.6 - 66.0USA (New Jersey) Brachyrhizodus wichitaensis (14504 46617 57916)
Early/Lower Maastrichtian72.2 - 66.0USA (Maryland) Myliobatis sp. (125950)
Early/Lower Maastrichtian72.2 - 66.0Spain (Lleida) Igdabatis marmii, Igdabatis indicus (242246)