SHOVELNOSE

GUITARFISH
Laura Walker

Location
They live in the Pacific Ocean from the Central California Coast to the southern gulf.

Is it a Shark or Ray?

It was thought originally to be a

shark.

Shovelnose Guitarfish has a shark-like

body.
Swim using their shark like tail rather
than flipping their pectoral fins like
most rays.

Later it was thought to be something

in-between.

Recently it has been proven that it is in

fact a ray.

Life Span

A Shovelnose Guitarfish
becomes mature

7 years for females

8 years for males

They can live to be at least 11 to

16 years old.

Feeding Behavior

They feed on bottom-dwelling

invertebrates

Molluscs, crustaceans and worms and

small fish.
Benthic Feeder

Guitarfish lie in ambush buried in the

sand with only their eyes sticking out,
waiting for an unwary crab or flatfish to
wander by. Suddenly the sand erupts,
and the guitarfish gulps down its meal.
At night, they leave the sand to actively
cruise the seafloor to feed on crabs,
worms, clams and, perhaps, fishes.

Scientific Article
1.

a laboratory analysis of the vertebral

bands and their outer margin state
(translucent or opaque in order to
assign ages)

2.

a study of growth in captivity to verify

estimated growth from the laboratory
analysis;

3.

a determination of age at sexual

maturity.

The main focus of this age and growth

study is based on an examination of
vertebral centra and their use in ageing
guitarfish.

Observations

Reproduction

Internal Fertilization, give birth to live

young

Female shovelnose guitarfish will

gather in the shallow waters from June
to October to give birth. In midsummer
Males will move in to mate with the
females and around that time both will
leave.

The female has a gestation period of 11

to 12 months

May give birth to as many as 28 pups

Young are around 15 to 24 centimetres

Kolette Grobler

Human Impact

Only one reported case of a

guitarfish attacking a diver.

Although not a highly prized

commercial catch, it is edible and is
often found in fish markets labeled
as generic "shark steak" and sold on
piers in Santa Barbara, California, as
fish n' chips.

Listed as Vulnerable in the Red List

Species

Sources

Google Images

Scientific Source:

http://fishbull.noaa.gov/952/timmons.pdf?origin=publication_detail

Other Sources:

http://marinebio.org/oceans/red-list-species/
http://www.arkive.org/shovelnose-guitarfish/rhinobatos-productus/image-G59824.html
http://oceana.org/marine-life/sharks-rays/shovelnose-guitarfish
https://www.montereybayaquarium.org/animal-guide/fishes/shovelnose-guitarfish
https://www.catersnews.com/stories/animals/no-water-birth-for-me-thanks-localsgroup-together-to-save-premature-guitarfish-babies-after-mother-gives-birth-onbeach/