The guitarfish, also referred to as shovelnose rays, are a family, Rhinobatidae, of rays. The guitarfish are known for an elongated body with a flattened head and trunk and small, ray-like wings. The combined range of the various species is tropical, subtropical, and warm temperate waters worldwide.
The shovelnose guitarfish is a ray in the family Rhinobatidae. P. productus was first described by ichthyologist William Orville Ayre in 1854 as Rhinobatos productus, with the genus derived from the Greek word rhinos, meaning nose, and the Latin word batis, meaning ray. It was later placed in the genus Pseudobatos following reconsideration of many species placed in Rhinobatos. As its common name suggests, this species possesses a pointed shovel-shaped snout and a body similar to that of a guitar with a larger head and long, slender body. The shovelnose is considered to be a primitively developed ray, with many features of both sharks and rays. The shovelnose guitarfish was first considered to be a shark because of its dorsal fins' shape. Fossils of P. productus ancestors have been recovered, dating back over 100 million years.
Trygonorrhina, also known as the fiddler rays or banjo rays, is a genus of guitarfish, family Rhinobatidae. The two species are found along the eastern and southern coasts of Australia. They are benthic in nature, favoring shallow, sandy bays, rocky reefs, and seagrass beds. The eastern fiddler is found to a length of 120 cm and the southern fiddler to a length of 180 cm.
Rhina ancylostoma, also known as the bowmouth guitarfish, shark ray or mud skate, is a species of ray and a member of the family Rhinidae. Its evolutionary affinities are not fully resolved, though it may be related to true guitarfishes and skates. This rare species occurs widely in the tropical coastal waters of the western Indo-Pacific, at depths of up to 90 m (300 ft). Highly distinctive in appearance, Rhina ancylostoma has a wide and thick body with a rounded snout and large shark-like dorsal and tail fins. Its mouth forms a W-shaped undulating line, and there are multiple thorny ridges over its head and back. It has a dorsal color pattern of many white spots over a bluish gray to brown background, with a pair of prominent black markings over the pectoral fins. This large species can reach a length of 2.7 m (8.9 ft) and weight of 135 kg (298 lb).
The thornback guitarfish is a species of ray in the family Platyrhinidae, and the only member of its genus. Despite its name and appearance, it is more closely related to electric rays than to true guitarfishes of the family Rhinobatidae. This species ranges from Tomales Bay to the Gulf of California, generally in inshore waters no deeper than 6 m (20 ft). It can be found on or buried in sand or mud, or in and near kelp beds. Reaching 91 cm (36 in) in length, the thornback guitarfish has a heart-shaped pectoral fin disc and a long, robust tail bearing two posteriorly positioned dorsal fins and a well-developed caudal fin. The most distinctive traits of this plain-colored ray are the three parallel rows of large, hooked thorns that start from the middle of the back and run onto the tail.
The lesser guitarfish or lesser sandshark is a species of fish in the Rhinobatidae family.
Rhinobatos is a genus of fish in the Rhinobatidae family. Although previously used to encompass all guitarfishes, it was found to be polyphyletic, and recent authorities have transferred many species included in the genus to Acroteriobatus, Glaucostegus, and Pseudobatos.
The bluntnose guitarfish or fiddlefish is a species of fish in the Rhinobatidae family. It is found in Namibia and South Africa. Its natural habitats are shallow seas and estuarine waters. It is threatened by habitat loss.
The brown guitarfish is a species of fish in the Rhinobatidae family. It is found in western Pacific of Taiwan and the Philippines. Its natural habitats are open seas, shallow seas, coral reefs, and estuarine waters. The Taiwan guitarfish was formerly considered a distinct species, but is now considered a junior synonym.
The sharpnose guitarfish also known as the granulated guitarfish is a species of ray in the Glaucostegidae family. They belong to the subclass Elsamobranchii which are cartilaginous fish that include sharks, rays, and skates as shown in their morphology. They have a flattened ray-like body and shark-like elongated snout. This species was first described by Georges Cuvier in 1829, and despite their appearance, they don't pose any threat to humans. As of April 2022, the IUNC has classified the sharpnose guitarfish as critically endangered.
The Brazilian guitarfish is a species of fish in the family Rhinobatidae. It is endemic to Brazil, where its natural habitat is coastal waters on the continental shelf. This fish is viviparous and has a long gestation period, concluding with the birth of live pups in February. At this time the fish are subject to intense fishing activity but catches have been dwindling in recent years as a result of overfishing. Because so few breeding-size fish remain, the International Union for Conservation of Nature has assessed the fish's conservation status as being "critically endangered".
The bareback shovelnose ray or nakedback guitarfish, is a species of fish in the Rhinobatidae family. It is found in Seychelles and Mauritius. Its natural habitat is open seas.
The common shovelnose ray, giant shovelnose ray or giant guitarfish is a species of fish in the Rhinobatidae family found in the central Indo-Pacific, ranging from India to the East China Sea, Solomon Islands and northern Australia. It is found in shallow coastal areas to a depth of at least 100 m (330 ft), including mangrove, estuaries and reportedly also in freshwaters. It reaches up to 2.7 m (8.9 ft) in length, and is greyish-brown to yellowish-brown above with a paler snout.
Rhynchobatus australiae, also called the white-spotted guitarfish, white-spotted wedgefish or bottlenose wedgefish, is a species of fish in the Rhinidae family. It is found from shallow waters to a depth of at least 60 m (200 ft) in the Indo-Pacific, ranging from the East African coast and the Red Sea, to Taiwan, the Philippines and Australia. It is part of a species complex that also includes the giant guitarfish, the broadnose wedgefish and possibly the smoothnose wedgefish.
The common guitarfish is a species of cartilaginous fish in the family Rhinobatidae. It is native to the eastern Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. It is a bottom-dwelling fish feeding on crustaceans, other invertebrates and fish. The females give birth to live young. Its lifestyle makes it vulnerable to trawling and other fishing methods, populations seem to be declining and it has disappeared from parts of its range.
The blackchin guitarfish is a species of cartilaginous fish in the family Rhinobatidae. It is native to the eastern Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. It is a bottom-dwelling fish feeding on crustaceans, other invertebrates and fish. The females give birth to live young. Its lifestyle makes it vulnerable to trawling and other fishing methods, populations seem to be declining and it is subject to intensive fishing pressure, with its fins being sold into the Asian market. The International Union for Conservation of Nature has assessed its conservation status as being "critically endangered".
Acroteriobatus is a genus of fish in the Rhinobatidae family. Although its constituent species were previously assigned to Rhinobatos, recent authors treat it as distinct.
The stripenose guitarfish is a species of fish in the Rhinobatidae family endemic to the eastern coast of India, and Sri Lanka. Its natural habitat is in the neritic zone.
Acroteriobatus omanensis, the Oman guitarfish, is a type of guitarfish of the family Rhinobatidae found in Gulf of Oman and Arabian Sea. There has only been a handful of specimens discovered in fish landings in Muscat. Therefore, its population and potential threats are not specifically known to scientists.
The Philippine guitarfish, known formally as Rhinobatos whitei, is a critically endangered species of cartilaginous fish in the genus Rhinobatos. The species has been documented in the Pacific Ocean near the Philippines. The documented sizes of Philippine guitarfish specimens ranges between 556-720 mm for male adults and female adults exceeding 720 mm. The observed characteristics of the guitarfish is the difference of morphological features, coloration, pelvic and caudal features. The observation of the species is rather rare due to the lack of sightings, capturing of the species, or mixing the taxonomic features with other species of guitarfish.
