(Rhynchobatus djiddensis)

Class: Chondrichthyes
Order: Rhinopristiformes
Family: Rhinidae


Distribution and Habitat

  • It is a large species of guitarfish restricted to the Western Indian Ocean from the Red Sea to the Eastern Cape in South Africa.
  • It is a shy fish, found from 2–50 m depth, inhabiting areas with sandy sea floor like coastalreefs or reef flats, but they will sometimes venture into the brackish waters of estuaries.

About the fish

  • Maximum size – 3.1 m;  Weight 227 kg.
  • It is brownish or greyish above with a variable pattern of white spots, white below.
  • Snout is pointed and there is a dark, bar-like pattern between the eyes, which separates it from the other Rhynchobatus species in its range.
  • Mouths small and contain flattened, pavement-like teeth.
  • A large guitarfish has large black eyespots on the pectoral bases.
  • Lower caudal lobe is short.
  • It is ovoviviparous, and a female can give birth to litters of up to 10 young.
  • The giant guitarfish feeds on bivalves, crabs, lobsters, squid and small fish.
  • In the IUCN red list, it is listed as  Vulnerable.
  • The fish population have been declined significantly due to the high levels of exploitation for its flesh and fins.
  • Its low fecundity and presumed slow growth rate make it highly vulnerable to unsustainable exploitation.