skates are cartilaginous fish belonging to the family rajidae in the superorder batoidea of rays. more than 150 species have been described, in 17 genera. softnose skates and pygmy skates were previously treated as subfamilies of rajidae (arhynchobatinae and gurgesiellinae), but are now considered as distinct families. alternatively, the name "skate" is used to refer to the entire order of rajiformes (families anacanthobatidae, arhynchobatidae, gurgesiellidae and rajidae).