RETINAE were removed from dark adapted ratfish, Hydrolagus colliei; Pacific dogfish, Squalus suckleyi; and big skate, Raja binoculata, obtained by bottom trawling near Friday Harbor, Washington. Retinal extracts were prepared by a standard procedure and analysed with a Cary 14 spectrophotometer by the method of partial bleaching1. The bleachings were with λ640 nm, λ610 nm and dim white light for six ratfish extracts; and λ660 nm, λ640 nm and λ610 nm for three dogfish and two skate extracts. For each extract of a species, a plot of the three difference spectra, expressed as δDmax=100 per cent, resulted in three congruent curves indicating the presence of a single visual pigment. In all extracts, the λmax of the product of bleaching was 367 nm (indicative of retinene1 oxime), so the visual pigment of each species is based on retinene1. The λmax of the visual pigment of each species was estimated from a nomogram2 and a chart3 for determining the λmax of visual pigments based on retinene1. The visual pigment of the ratfish has λmax = 484.0 nm; that of the dogfish has λmax = 497.5 nm; and that of the skate has λmax= 497.0 nm.