Atlantic Guitarfish

Atlantic guitarfish are found in tropical coastal waters but also in estuaries and even fresh water. They are found to inhabit sandy soils and their wild, sometimes near patch reefs, but also along the beaches of the coast to a depth of about 30 m. They are usually found buried in sand or mud when not actively hunting.Their range is the western Atlantic Ocean from North Carolina, USA to the northern Gulf of Mexico and Yucatan, Mexico.

Kingdom:    Animalia
Phylum:    Chordata
Class:    Chondrichthyes
Order:    Rajiformes
Family:    Rhinobatidae
Genus:    Rhinobatos

Species:   Rhinobatos lentiginosus

Atlantic guitarfish  are one of the approximately 41 known existing types of guitar fishes, many of whom are threatened with extinction. This amazing and rare fish more than a ray of shark and fish have the typical guitar body, somewhere between the sharks and rays. They have flattened elongated body with triangular or "spade-shaped" heads and small ray like wings instead of two dorsal fins and pectoral fins.

They are ashy gray to olive brown or chocolate brown. Their upper surface is thick "freckles" with hundreds of tiny white dots. The underside is pale yellow to white, with their fins slightly darker in color. As with all guitar fishes, they swim like sharks usually do, by moving their tail from side to side. Atlantic fishes guitar usually swim with their head slightly higher than their tails. Atlantic guitarfish have 56-80 dull teeth in their upper jaw and 51-82 teeth in their lower jaw. Their teeth are rectangular with rounded corners on their base and are closely aligned.

Atlantic guitarfish feed on benthic (bottom-dwelling) creatures like molluscs such as clams, crustaceans (like shrimp), and a variety of small fish. Larger predatory sharks are likely to prey on Atlantic guitar fish. Atlantic guitarfish reproduce by ovoviviparity with up to six pups in a litter. These fish reproduce through internal fertilization and bear live young that are fully developed and measures about 20 inches in length. The males were to mature at 48 to 51 cm in length due to the development of their claspers at that stage. 

Atlantic guitarfish are known to be vulnerable to population depletion due to their limitation of life-history traits and severe declines have been documented where they are heavily fished. Given that demersal fishing pressure is very intense throughout the southern part of the species range and the limitation of life-history traits, it is given a precautionary assessment of the Near Threatened based on inferred declines due to continued high levels of exploitation.