Shovelnose Guitarfish
Pseudobatos productus
The shovelnose guitarfish are common from the west coast of California to Mexico and the Gulf of California. Due to their distinctive shape, they are sometimes mistaken for sharks. This type of ray does not have a stinger, so it relies on camouflage and burying itself in the sand for protection.
SPECIES IN DETAIL
Shovelnose Guitarfish
Pseudobatos productus
CONSERVATION STATUS: Near threatened
CLIMATE CHANGE:
At the Aquarium
Ray Pool
Geographic Distribution
From the northern coast of California south to Baja and within the Gulf of California. They have a very distinctive shovel-like shape due to their triangular head and pectoral fins. They use their elongated, thick caudal fin and two equally sized dorsal fins toward the rear for propulsion. Their light tan with a slight marbling skin helps them blend in with the sandy bottom for protection. Small holes called spiracles are located behind their eyes and are used to pump water over the gills for oxygen. Since their gills are underneath them, this allows them to continue to breathe as they lie still at the bottom. Their rows of blunt teeth help them crush their food such as crabs and snails. They have a series of sensors known as a lateral line along the side of the body that detect water movement and pressure changes. This can aid in finding food sources and alert them to approaching predators. The ampullae of Lorenzini, additional sensors under their nose and mouth, can detect very low levels of electrical current. This can alert them to food sources by sensing the hidden prey’s muscle movements.
Habitat
Shovelnose guitarfish reside in sandy or silty areas in the intertidal zone, estuaries, wetlands and around kelp forests. They are shallow water animals, generally found in depths from 1-12m (3 - 39ft.) with occasional reported sightings in depths up to 91m (300ft).
Physical Characteristics
They have a very distinctive shovel-like shape due to their triangular head and pectoral fins. They use their elongated, thick caudal fin and two equally sized dorsal fins toward the rear for propulsion. Their light tan with a slight marbling skin helps them blend in with the sandy bottom for protection.
Small holes called spiracles are located behind their eyes and are used to pump water over the gills for oxygen. Since their gills are underneath them, this allows them to continue to breathe as they lie still at the bottom.
Their rows of blunt teeth help them crush their food such as crabs and snails.
They have a series of sensors known as a lateral line along the side of the body that detect water movement and pressure changes. This can aid in finding food sources and alert them to approaching predators.
The ampullae of Lorenzini, additional sensors under their nose and mouth, can detect very low levels of electrical current. This can alert them to food sources by sensing the hidden prey’s muscle movements.
Size
The maximum size recorded is 1.56 m (5.1 ft) for females. Males are smaller with the maximum size recorded at 1.14 m (3.7 ft). Adults weight range can be between 18 kg and 21 kg (40 lb. – 47 lb).
Diet
Shovelnose guitarfish feed on small invertebrates, crustaceans, mollusks, worms and insects. Their mouth is on the underside of their body with rows of blunt teeth that are used for crushing their food. They are nocturnal feeders.
Reproduction
They reproduce yearly through aplacental viviparity, in which the females carry eggs internally until they hatch. They can produce 1 to 16 pups. The gestation period is from 4 to 5 months. They are typically a solitary species. Shovelnose guitarfish use their pectoral fins to cover their body with sand and lie in wait for food. They are bottom feeders, and rarely move high in the water column. They swim with their large caudal tail and can generate high speeds when necessary. At birth pups are about 24 cm (9.5 in). Males reach sexual maturity at approximately 7 years of age, and females at 8 years.
Northern populations of shovelnose guitarfish migrate to southern California and Mexico to spawn in warmer waters. Females move into shallow water to spawn and birth their pups.
Behavior
They are typically a solitary species. Shovelnose guitarfish use their pectoral fins to cover their body with sand and lie in wait for food. They are bottom feeders, and rarely move high in the water column. They swim with their large caudal tail and can generate high speeds when necessary.
Adaptation
The shovelnose guitarfish has developed several adaptations to aid in their survival. Their body exhibits countershading with a marbled light top and an almost white bottom that can blend into the background to hide them from predators.
Their eyes are located to the top of their flattened (depressed) body. Like sharks, they have developed a strong sense of smell. A neurological sensory system known as a lateral line runs down the outside of their body and allows them to sense water movement and pressure changes around them. This allows them to find food sources and detect possible predators. They are bottom feeders and use additional sensors known as the ampulla of Lorenzini to detect electrical impulses, allowing them to locate potential food sources as they swim over them.
Their teeth are flat and set in rows which allows them to crush food such as shellfish, mollusks, and invertebrates.
Longevity
They live for approximately 9 years.
Conservation
In 2014, the IUCN listed the Shovelnose Guitarfish as Near Threatened. They are mainly threatened by direct recreational fishing and commercial bycatch in their breeding grounds. Females move into shallow water during spawning and birthing which increases their exposure to these threats. In Mexico, lack of protective regulations in these areas are having a negative impact on the population.
The specific impact of climate change on this ray species in general is not widely understood at this point. They are important to their ecosystems as they control the populations of many species of crabs, and some mollusks that can otherwise become invasive to the habitat.
Special Notes
Sometimes they are confused for their distant cousins the sharks, but they are a member of the ray family.
These rays do not have stingers.
The nearby Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve is a common area to view shovelnose guitarfish in the wild.
SPECIES IN DETAIL | Print full entry
Shovelnose Guitarfish
Pseudobatos productus
CONSERVATION STATUS: Near threatened
CLIMATE CHANGE:
Ray Pool
From the northern coast of California south to Baja and within the Gulf of California. They have a very distinctive shovel-like shape due to their triangular head and pectoral fins. They use their elongated, thick caudal fin and two equally sized dorsal fins toward the rear for propulsion. Their light tan with a slight marbling skin helps them blend in with the sandy bottom for protection. Small holes called spiracles are located behind their eyes and are used to pump water over the gills for oxygen. Since their gills are underneath them, this allows them to continue to breathe as they lie still at the bottom. Their rows of blunt teeth help them crush their food such as crabs and snails. They have a series of sensors known as a lateral line along the side of the body that detect water movement and pressure changes. This can aid in finding food sources and alert them to approaching predators. The ampullae of Lorenzini, additional sensors under their nose and mouth, can detect very low levels of electrical current. This can alert them to food sources by sensing the hidden prey’s muscle movements.
Shovelnose guitarfish reside in sandy or silty areas in the intertidal zone, estuaries, wetlands and around kelp forests. They are shallow water animals, generally found in depths from 1-12m (3 - 39ft.) with occasional reported sightings in depths up to 91m (300ft).
They have a very distinctive shovel-like shape due to their triangular head and pectoral fins. They use their elongated, thick caudal fin and two equally sized dorsal fins toward the rear for propulsion. Their light tan with a slight marbling skin helps them blend in with the sandy bottom for protection.
Small holes called spiracles are located behind their eyes and are used to pump water over the gills for oxygen. Since their gills are underneath them, this allows them to continue to breathe as they lie still at the bottom.
Their rows of blunt teeth help them crush their food such as crabs and snails.
They have a series of sensors known as a lateral line along the side of the body that detect water movement and pressure changes. This can aid in finding food sources and alert them to approaching predators.
The ampullae of Lorenzini, additional sensors under their nose and mouth, can detect very low levels of electrical current. This can alert them to food sources by sensing the hidden prey’s muscle movements.
The maximum size recorded is 1.56 m (5.1 ft) for females. Males are smaller with the maximum size recorded at 1.14 m (3.7 ft). Adults weight range can be between 18 kg and 21 kg (40 lb. – 47 lb).
Shovelnose guitarfish feed on small invertebrates, crustaceans, mollusks, worms and insects. Their mouth is on the underside of their body with rows of blunt teeth that are used for crushing their food. They are nocturnal feeders.
They reproduce yearly through aplacental viviparity, in which the females carry eggs internally until they hatch. They can produce 1 to 16 pups. The gestation period is from 4 to 5 months. They are typically a solitary species. Shovelnose guitarfish use their pectoral fins to cover their body with sand and lie in wait for food. They are bottom feeders, and rarely move high in the water column. They swim with their large caudal tail and can generate high speeds when necessary. At birth pups are about 24 cm (9.5 in). Males reach sexual maturity at approximately 7 years of age, and females at 8 years.
Northern populations of shovelnose guitarfish migrate to southern California and Mexico to spawn in warmer waters. Females move into shallow water to spawn and birth their pups.
They are typically a solitary species. Shovelnose guitarfish use their pectoral fins to cover their body with sand and lie in wait for food. They are bottom feeders, and rarely move high in the water column. They swim with their large caudal tail and can generate high speeds when necessary.
The shovelnose guitarfish has developed several adaptations to aid in their survival. Their body exhibits countershading with a marbled light top and an almost white bottom that can blend into the background to hide them from predators.
Their eyes are located to the top of their flattened (depressed) body. Like sharks, they have developed a strong sense of smell. A neurological sensory system known as a lateral line runs down the outside of their body and allows them to sense water movement and pressure changes around them. This allows them to find food sources and detect possible predators. They are bottom feeders and use additional sensors known as the ampulla of Lorenzini to detect electrical impulses, allowing them to locate potential food sources as they swim over them.
Their teeth are flat and set in rows which allows them to crush food such as shellfish, mollusks, and invertebrates.
They live for approximately 9 years.
In 2014, the IUCN listed the Shovelnose Guitarfish as Near Threatened. They are mainly threatened by direct recreational fishing and commercial bycatch in their breeding grounds. Females move into shallow water during spawning and birthing which increases their exposure to these threats. In Mexico, lack of protective regulations in these areas are having a negative impact on the population.
The specific impact of climate change on this ray species in general is not widely understood at this point. They are important to their ecosystems as they control the populations of many species of crabs, and some mollusks that can otherwise become invasive to the habitat.
Sometimes they are confused for their distant cousins the sharks, but they are a member of the ray family.
These rays do not have stingers.
The nearby Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve is a common area to view shovelnose guitarfish in the wild.