Rajidae - Skates
![](https://media.australian.museum/media/dd/images/Melbourne_Skate_Spiniraja_whitleyi.width-1600.cde8052.jpg)
Skates can be separated from the stingrays by their bi-lobed pelvic fins and lacking a stinging spine. They differ from the stingarees by the aforementioned characters and also by lacking the characteristic leaf-like lobe on the end of the tail.
Rajidae - Skates
1 Fact Sheets in this sectionRajidae images
![Melbourne Skate, Spiniraja whitleyi](https://media.australian.museum/media/dd/images/Melbourne_Skate_Spiniraja_whitleyi.width-1600.cde8052.jpg)
Melbourne Skate, Spiniraja whitleyi. The Melbourne Skate differs from other Australian species of skates by lacking orbital thorns (spines just in front of the eyes) and having a uniformly spiny lower surface in individuals over about 20 cm in disc width.
Image: Ken Graham© Ken Graham @ DPI Fisheries