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Sharks & rays

Giant Shovelnose Ray

Glaucostegus typus

Also known as: Australian Guitarfish, Bennet's Shovelnose Guitarfish, Brown Shovelnose Ray, Common Shovelnose Ray, Giant Guitarfish, Shovelnose Ray, Shovelnose Shark

CRCritically EndangeredIUCN Red List, 2019
Add a photo
Adult
@greatwhite · Sydney Aquarium, Australia · April 20121 / 4
01

Overview

Found singly, resting on mud and sand bottoms, close to shorelines and off-shore over the continental shelf.
They feed on benthic fish and invertebrates.
Juveniles found over inshore sand flats, mangroves and around atolls.

Guitarfish catch their prey by using a suction method called "jumping jacks" when jumping out of the water.

02

How to identify

COLOURS
Behaviour
bottom dwellingsolitary

Tap any trait to see other fish that share it.

03

Habitat & where to find it

  • Range · Indo-West Pacific
  • Exact location · 2
  • Country only · 2
LIVES IN

Found singly, resting on mud and sand bottoms, close to shorelines and off-shore over the continental shelf.

RANGE
04

Adult photos 4

05

Discussion

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    ALL STAGES
    FOR THE MARINE-BIOLOGY CURIOUS

    Deep dive

    Taxonomy

    1. kingdomAnimalia
    2. phylumChordata
    3. classElasmobranchii
    4. orderRhinopristiformes
    5. familyGlaucostegidae
    6. genusGlaucostegus
    7. speciesGlaucostegus typus (Anonymous [Bennett], 1830)

    SourcesWoRMSFishBase

    06

    More in the family

    Rhinopristiformes

    Atlantic Guitarfish

    Pseudobatos lentiginosus

    1 photo

    Blackchin Guitarfish

    Glaucostegus cemiculus

    3 photos

    Bowmouth Guitarfish

    Rhina ancylostomus

    1 photo

    Giant Guitarfish

    Rhynchobatus djiddensis

    6 photos

    Grey-spotted Guitarfish

    Acroteriobatus leucospilus

    2 photos

    Smalltooth Sawfish

    Pristis pectinata

    6 photos

    Southern Fiddler Ray

    Trygonorrhina dumerilii

    1 photo