Bowmouth Guitarfish

Rhina ancylostomus

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Elasmobranchii
Order: Rhinopristiformes
Family: Rhinidae
Genus: Rhina
Species: Rhina ancylostomus

The bowmouth guitarfish (Rhina ancylostomus), also called the shark ray, is a large, heavy-bodied ray reaching about 2.7 m. It has a broad, rounded head with a wavy, bow-shaped mouth, shark-like dorsal and tail fins, and rows of thorny ridges over the head and back. Its grey-brown body is dotted with white spots, with dark bars above the pectoral fins.

It lives near the bottom on sandy and muddy areas close to reefs and shipwrecks, feeding on crustaceans, molluscs and bony fish. The species is listed as Critically Endangered because of fishing for its valuable fins.

In the Philippines the bowmouth guitarfish is rare, with occasional sightings by divers near reefs and in coastal waters. It is related to the bottlenose wedgefish, and both are among the most threatened rays in the region.

Photo: shahar chaikin, CC BY 4.0, via iNaturalist