Date:Thu 7/25/2024 11:14 AM
Happy Wednesday, everybody! Today's fish of the day is the shovelnose guitarfish!
The shovelnose guitarfish, scientific name Pseudobatos productus, is a common ray. Named for the guitar-like shape of their body and the particularly pointed nose, this fish can be found along the Pacific coast. From San Francisco, to the gulf of California, and possibly as low as Mazatlan, Mexico. These fish live in subtropical-temperate regions spending their time along the sea bed and away from large animals. Found around rocky reefs and soft or sandy bottomed areas, the depth range is anywhere from 1-91 meters, but they prefer to live 1-13meters.
The diet of the shovelnose guitarfish is dependent on their benthic lifestyle, as animals living exclusively on the seabed. They prey on crabs, worms, clams, and small fishes also living along the seafloor. During the day this fish lies in wait until prey comes close enough to it, at which point it will lunge out swallowing prey whole. But, during the night the shovelnose guitarfish actively hunts the sea floor, looking for unsuspecting animals. They tend to hide during the day as they are regularly predated on by seals, sharks, whales and large fish.
Some of the more interesting biological realities of the shovelnose guitarfish is in the gills and eyes. The gills are particularly delicate, and as such this guitarfish pumps water in through spiracle holes on the top of the head, running water over the gills. Filtering through the openings and out. This allows them easy breathing despite their stationary ways hiding on the sand. On the other hand, the eyes of the shovelnose are more extensive than most other cartilaginous fishes, as they have many larger than average projections connected into the brain. This gives them a better ability to see than most rays and sharks.
Shovelnose guitarfish give birth to live young, as embryos will feed on the yolk of the egg within the womb. Breeding takes place in shallow bays and estuaries, and after this gestation will take anywhere between 10-12 months. Then, they'll give birth to anywhere between 6-28 pups, and are born during the pupping season of June-October, in the same shallow water breeding takes place in. At their full adult size, they'll get as large as 1.7meters in length, just around the time they reach sexual maturity. These fish will sexually mature by 7-8 years old, and only live around 11-16 years, living through anywhere from 3-9 breeding seasons.
That is the shovelnose guitarfish, have a wonderful day!