Rhinopristiformes

Rhinopristiformes is an order of rays, cartilaginous fishes related to sharks, containing shovelnose rays and allied groups.

Families

 * Family Glaucostegidae (giant guitarfishes)
 * Family Pristidae (sawfishes)
 * Family Rhinidae (wedgefishes)
 * Family Rhinobatidae (guitarfishes)
 * Family Trygonorrhinidae (banjo rays)

Two additional families are associated with the order but their phylogenetic relationships have not been fully resolved: The following fossil genera are also possibly rhinopristiforms, but phylogenetic relationships are uncertain:
 * Additional families
 * Family Platyrhinidae (thornback rays)
 * Family Zanobatidae (panrays)


 * †Britobatos Claeson, Underwood & Ward, 2013 (Santonian of Lebanon, likely a stem-platyrhinid)
 * †Stahlraja Brito, Leal & Gallo, 2013 (Albian of Brazil, likely a stem-trygonorrhinid)
 * †Tethybatis Carvalho, 2004 (Campanian of Italy, likely a stem-trygonorrhinid)
 * †Tingitanius Claeson, Underwood & Ward, 2013 (Turonian of Morocco, likely a platyrhinid)
 * †Tlalocbatos Brito, Villalobos-Segura & Alvarado-Ortega, 2019 (Albian of Mexico, likely a stem-trygonorrhinid)

The spathobatids, an extinct group of rays from the Late Jurassic of Germany, convergently evolved to closely resemble guitarfishes, but are not thought to be related to rhinopristiforms.

Characteristics
Species in the order Rhinopristiformes generally exhibit slow growth, late maturity, and low fecundity. Alone or in combination, such features cause fishes in this group to be susceptible to extinction.

Threats
Rhinopristiformes are more prone to being caught in many different types of fishing equipment. These include the following:


 * trawl
 * gillnet
 * seine net
 * hook-and-line

They are caught for their meat but most importantly their fins. While the meat is mostly consumed locally the white fins are a delicacy and highly sought after. They are the most valuable part of Rhinopristiformes therefore their fins are in high demand. Both the combination of overfishing and the high desire for their fins has caused the Rhinopristiformes population to rapidly decline.