The shovelnose guitarfish, Rhinobatos productus, is a ray in the family Rhinobatidae. 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. The coloration of this species ranges from olive to sandy brown[14] which aids in the species' ability to camouflage in the sand. Other identifying features of the R. productus include a depressed body shape with a dorsoventrally flattened opaque snout, no gap between the pectoral and pelvic fins, and protruding eyes. Also, this species has two dorsal fins closer to the posterior end of its body and caudal fin. Shovelnose guitarfish have around 102 to 112 small round teeth. Sexual maturity is reached in females at an estimated age of 8 years and 7 years in males.
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).
Aptychotrema is a genus of guitarfish which belongs to the family Trygonorrhinidae. They were formerly classified in the family Rhinobatidae. They are found off the coast of Australia.
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 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 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 banded guitarfish, mottled guitarfish, prickly skate or striped guitarfish is a species of fish in the Trygonorrhinidae family. Originally Z. exasperata was placed in the Rhinobatidae family, however recent mitochondrial DNA analysis shows their placement into the new family of Trygonorrhinidae. They are found from shallow water to a depth of 200 m (660 ft) in the East Pacific from California, United States, to Mazatlan, Mexico, including the Gulf of California. The species has also been recorded further south, but this likely involves its close relative, the southern banded guitarfish.
Tarsistes philippii is a taxonomically dubious species of guitarfish, family Rhinobatidae. It is known only from a dried head from the Juan Fernández Islands off Chile. The head had a long, thin, flat snout, rounded at the tip like that of the goblin shark, and the underside covered with small stellate prickles except for the base. The head was covered with larger spinules, with six still larger ones forming a curve around the eye.
Batomorphi is a clade of cartilaginous fishes, commonly known as rays, this taxon is also known as the superorder Batoidea, but the 5th edition of Fishes of the World classifies it as the division Batomorphi. They and their close relatives, the sharks, compose the subclass Elasmobranchii. Rays are the largest group of cartilaginous fishes, with well over 600 species in 26 families. Rays are distinguished by their flattened bodies, enlarged pectoral fins that are fused to the head, and gill slits that are placed on their ventral surfaces.
Wedgefishes are rays of the family Rhinidae, comprising eleven species in three genera. Classified in the order Rhinopristiformes along with guitarfishes and sawfishes, they have also been known as giant guitarfishes or sharkfin guitarfishes.
Glaucostegus, also known as giant guitarfishes, is a genus of large Indo-Pacific rays, with a single species, Glaucostegus cemiculus, in the East Atlantic, and Mediterranean. They were formerly classified in the family Rhinobatidae but are now recognized as a distinct family, Glaucostegidae.
Rhinopristiformes is an order of rays, cartilaginous fishes related to sharks, containing shovelnose rays and allied groups.
Trygonorrhinidae, the banjo rays, is a family of rays, comprising eight species in three genera. They were formerly classified in the family Rhinobatidae.
The panrays are a genus, Zanobatus, of rays found in coastal parts of the warm East Atlantic Ocean, ranging from Morocco to Angola. It is the only genus in the family Zanobatidae, which is included in the Myliobatiformes order, but based on genetic evidence some authorities place it in Rhinopristiformes or a sister taxon to Rhinopristiformes.
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.
Pseudobatos 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 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.
