Africa’s east coast, Australia, Indonesia, India, and north to Korea and Japan

Although they have been recorded as deep as 90 m (295 ft), bowmouth guitarfish prefer shallow water fairly close to shore in or near coral reefs. They are primarily bottom dwelling animals preferring sandy or muddy substrates.

The bowhead guitarfish‘s flat, broad, blunt, arc-shaped head spreads into two flat, distinct triangle-shaped pectoral fins. The nostrils, mouth, and gill slits are located on the underside of the head and the eyes and spiracles on the upper surface of the head. There are sturdy ridges of heavy, sharp thorns next to the eyes, in the middle of the back, and above the pectoral fins. Behind the head the body tapers into a more streamlined shape, much like that of sharks. There are two large, triangular dorsal fins, the second smaller than the first. The body terminates in a small but powerful caudal fin with an upper lobe that is larger than the lower. Dermal denticles cover the body giving the rough skin a velvety appearance.

The color of bowmouth guitarfish changes with age. Young fish have brown bodies, pale ring-shaped spots covering their pectoral fins, and black bars between the eyes. .Adults have charcoal or pale grey bodies with small white spots. Their face bars fade to dark gray as they age, becoming faint and indistinct. Some adults have a bluish coloration. The ventral side of both adults and juvenile phases is creamy white, protective countershading.

The largest bowmouth guitarfish on record was 2.9 m (9.5 ft) long. However, animals above 2.44 m (8 ft) in length are rare. One captured male guitarfish weighed 135.0 kg (297 lbs), but most of these fish weigh much less.

These guitarfish primarily feed on crustaceans and mollusks they find on the ocean floor and in the sediment. Since their eyes are located at the top of the head, bowmouth guitarfish locate their prey primarily through smell. Once an animal finds a potential meal, it first restrains it with its broad, blunt head and pectoral fins, and then manipulates it into its mouth with a series of short sharp thrusts. They have several rows of flat, heavily ridged, and tightly packed teeth that are used to crack the shells of hard-shelled invertebrates.

Fertilization in bowmouth guitarfish is internal. Fertilized eggs are retained in the female’s body nourished by both the egg yolk and by uterine milk. Reproduction in bowmouth guitarfish is called aplacental viviparity with histotrophy. This is one of three forms of live birth in which no placenta is involved that were formerly called ovoviviparity. In its early developmental stage, the embryo receives its nutrition from the egg yolk. Then it breaks and sheds the thin membrane of the egg capsule and receives its nourishment from a fluid called histotroph or ‘uterine milk’ which is secreted from villi, appendages in the wall of the female’s uterus. These uterine extensions also provide the embryo with oxygen and remove its waste.

Usually four to five pups are born live. The newborn pups are about 45 cm (18 in) in length. They disperse immediately after birth to live independent lives without parental care.

Some scientists believe bowmouth guitarfish use the unusual spiked ridges over their eyes, nape, and pectoral fins to “head-butt” potential attackers, however, this theory has not been proven.

Their broad spines prevent larger animals from biting vital parts of a bowmouth’s head and body.

These rays are not common and their life span is not known.

The IUCN Red List labels these animals as vulnerable. Since they reproduce slowly, they cannot recover quickly from the multiple threats facing them.

They are fished for as a targeted species in some areas and also caught as bycatch in commercial fisheries utilizing trawl nets, gill nets, and hook and line techniques. Some turtle exclusion devices have minimally reduced their capture. Although not generally considered a good food fish they are popular in some areas and are found in fish markets.

They are specifically hunted for their pectoral fins. In a process called finning, fishers cut off the fins, usually while the animal is still alive. The rest of the animal is thrown back into the water, where it starves or bleeds to death. Once dried or salted, the fins reach the market, where they bring very high prices as the primary ingredient in sharkfin soups. Finning is illegal in the United States and in many of the areas where this fish is caught, but enforcement is difficult and there is probably a lively black market in this lucrative practice.

Pollution, near shore development, silting, and global climate change are destroying the coral reefs these fish use for habitat. This species is also a victim of dynamite fishing for other species.

Bowhead guitarfish are considered by some researchers to be the ‘missing link’ between sharks and rays based on the ray-like placement of their mouth and gill openings and the shark-like appearance of their streamlined body and powerful tail.