Bengal Guitarfish
CR

Bengal Guitarfish

Rhinobatos annandalei

Declining

Photo: Photo: (c) shaili johri, all rights reserved, uploaded by shaili johri

Overview

A detailed profile for this species is sourced from the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species as assessments become available.

Rhinobatos annandalei faces severe population decline primarily due to intensive fishing pressure across its Indo-Pacific range. The species is particularly vulnerable to bottom trawling and gillnet fisheries that target shallow coastal waters where it feeds and reproduces. Habitat degradation from coastal development and pollution further compounds these pressures, while its slow reproductive rate limits population recovery potential.

Threat summary

Habitat

This guitarfish inhabits shallow coastal waters, estuaries, and sandy or muddy bottoms in the Indo-Pacific region, typically at depths less than 60 meters. It prefers areas with soft substrates where it can bury itself and hunt for benthic invertebrates and small fish.

Marine neritic· major

Conservation measures underway

Species recoveryAwareness & communicationsCompliance and enforcement

Other threatened species in RHINOBATIDAE

CR

Smoothback Guitarfish

Rhinobatos lionotus

Declining
VU

Gorgona Guitarfish

Pseudobatos prahli

Declining
VU

Speckled Guitarfish

Pseudobatos glaucostigmus

Declining
EN

Greyspot Guitarfish

Acroteriobatus leucospilus

Declining

Threatened in Bangladesh

Long-nosed CrocodileCR

Long-nosed Crocodile

Gavialis gangeticus

Increasing
Capped LangurVU

Capped Langur

Trachypithecus pileatus

Declining
Bangladeshi GuitarfishCR

Bangladeshi Guitarfish

Glaucostegus younholeei

Declining
Humped BladderwortCR

Humped Bladderwort

Utricularia gibba

Unknown

Frequently asked questions

Why is Bengal Guitarfish classified as Critically Endangered?
Bengal Guitarfish is classified as Critically Endangered — facing an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild — because population sizes are very small, declining sharply, or restricted to a tiny range. Rhinobatos annandalei faces severe population decline primarily due to intensive fishing pressure across its Indo-Pacific range. The species is particularly vulnerable to bottom trawling and gillnet fisheries that target shallow coastal waters where it feeds and reproduces. Habitat degradation from coastal development and pollution further compounds these pressures, while its slow reproductive rate limits population recovery potential.
Where does Bengal Guitarfish live?
Bengal Guitarfish occurs in Bangladesh, India, Iran, Myanmar (Burma), Oman, and Pakistan (plus 3 other countries). Country-level distribution data is sourced from the IUCN Red List and cross-referenced with GBIF occurrences.
What are the main threats to Bengal Guitarfish?
The main threats to Bengal Guitarfish are 5.3, 5.4, 7.3, and ai-1. The full IUCN-classified threat record for this species is detailed on the species page.

Get weekly conservation intelligence

One short digest a week of the most striking species and country data we ship, plus breaking conservation news paired with our database where it matters.

Free, no spam. One-click unsubscribe in every email.