Demersal trawl by-catch in the North Andhra coastal waters includes skates and rays. They are particularly sensitive to heavy fishing and are unavoidable components in the by-catch. The life history of the skates and rays makes them vulnerable to over exploitation. Provided key to thirty three species of skates and rays (Super order Batoidei) belonging to families Rynchobatidae, Rhinobatidae, Dasyatidae, Gymnuridae, Myliobatidae, Mobulidae, Torpedinidae and Narkidae, represented in the catches of the fishing area, latitudes lSON -21°N; longitudes 80°E - 88"E of the north east coast of India