[1] In 1836, Georg zu Münster briefly mentioned a fragmentary specimen comprising the posterior part of the animal.

Subsequent reviews by Arthur S. Woodward in 1889 suggested that the larger specimens referred to "Aellopos", as well as those in the genera Euryarthra and Spathobatis, were effectively identical to Rhinobatus in all aspects except for size, which he deemed as insufficient to distinguish them.

Their research identified the large morphotypes of Spathobatis as belonging to a distinct taxon based on significant differences in anatomy and body shapes.

As such, they described Aellopobatis bavarica as a new genus and species of rays in the extinct family Spathobatidae based on these fossil remains.

They also found support for the assignment of these taxa to a basal clade of other Jurassic European batomorphs outside of the crown group, which they named Apolithabatiformes.