Latin name

Rhinobatos lentiginosus

Other names

French: poisson-guitarre tacheté; Italian: pesce violino; Spanish: guitarra.

Identification

The head and pectoral fins form a triangular disk at the front of the body. The posterior part of the body is thick and conical, like a shark. It has two large dorsal fins and a well-developed tail fin. The color varies from gray to brown, with a few pale spots on the body.

Distribution

It is common from North Carolina to the Gulf of Mexico, although it is not reported in the Bahamas and the Caribbean. In Florida and Yucatán it is rare. Brazilian fish (R. horkeli) and southern fish (R. percellens) are two closely related species that occur from the West Indies to Brazil.

Habitat

Inhabiting sandy and weedy bottoms, Atlantic guitarfish are found near small reefs, usually buried in seagrass, sand, or mud at depths of 1 to 45 feet.

Size

This species is normally 1 to 2 feet long and can attain a maximum length of 21⁄2 feet. Females are somewhat larger than males.

Life history and Behavior

They give birth to live young, up to six in a litter. At birth, they reach a length of 20 centimeters.

Food and feeding habits

Their diet is small mollusks and crustaceans.

Reproduction

Atlantic guitarfish are oviparous.