Bowmouth guitarfish

Description

The bowmouth guitarfish (Rhina ancylostoma),also called the shark ray or mud skate,is a species of ray and a member of the family Rhinidae.Its evolutionary affinities are not fully resolved,though it may be related to true guitarfishes and skates.This rare species occurs widely in the tropical coastal waters of the western Indo-Pacific,at depths of up to 90 m (300 ft).Highly distinctive in appearance,the bowmouth guitarfish has a wide and thick body with a rounded snout and large shark-like dorsal and tail fins.Its mouth forms a W-shaped undulating line,and there are multiple thorny ridges over its head and back.It has a dorsal color pattern of many white spots over a bluish gray to brown background,with a pair of prominent black markings over the pectoral fins.This large species can reach a length of 2.7 m (8.9 ft) and weight of 135 kg (298 lb).