Banded Guitarfish
Zapteryx exasperata
Giant Guitarfish
Glaucostegus typus
About
The giant guitarfish is a large, shark-shaped ray that can grow to 2.7 metres long. It cruises sandy coastal bottoms across the Indo-Pacific, from shallow flats down to about 100 metres.
Also known as: common shovelnose ray, giant shovelnose ray
- Length
- 2.7 m
- Depth
- up to 100 m
How to tell it apart
Several similar shovel-nosed guitarfish share these waters and its size and shape. Its paler snout, standing out against the darker brown body, is the easiest mark to spot from a distance.
Appearance
Its flattened, wedge-shaped body tapers into a shark-like tail, giving it the shovel-nosed shape typical of guitarfish. It is greyish-brown to yellowish-brown on top, with a noticeably paler snout.
Did you know?
This species gave scientists the first solid behavioural proof that any shark or ray can see in colour, after it passed brightness-controlled choice tests designed to detect colour vision.
Log it in Into the Blue
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