Ken Schultz's Field Guide to Saltwater Fish - Macaw Pets store

Guitarfish, Atlantic
Rhinobatos lentiginosus
OTHER NAMES
French: poisson-guitarre
tacheté; Italian: pesce violino;
Spanish: guitarra.
Distribution. Atlantic
guitarfish extend from
North Carolina to the Gulf
of Mexico, although they
are not reported in the
Bahamas or the Caribbean
and are uncommon in
Florida and the Yucatán.
The Brazilian guitarfish
(R. horkeli) and the
southern guitarfish
(R. percellens) are two
closely related species that
range from the West Indies
to Brazil.
Habitat. Inhabiting sandy
and weedy bottoms,
Atlantic guitarfish are found
near small reefs, usually
buried in seagrass, sand, or
mud at depths of 1 to 45
feet.
96 Guitarfish, Atlantic
A cross between a skate and a shark in appearance, the
Atlantic guitarfish is a member of the Rajiformes family,
along with the skate and the ray. It is occasionally encountered
by anglers but is not a targeted species.
Identification. The head and the pectoral fins of the
Atlantic guitarfish form a triangular disk at the front of the
body. The rear of the body is thick and tapered like a
shark’s, and it has two large dorsal fins and a well-developed
caudal fin. The Atlantic guitarfish varies in color from gray
to brown, with several pale spots on its body.
Size. This species is normally 1 to 2 feet long and can
attain a maximum length of 2 1 ⁄2 feet. Females are somewhat
larger than males.
Life history. Atlantic guitarfish are ovoviviparous, which
means they bear live young, with up to six in a litter. At
birth they are 20 centimeters long.
Food. Small mollusks and crustaceans form the diet of the
guitarfish.