Bowmouth guitarfish
Rhina ancylostoma
Rhina ancylostoma, also known as the bowmouth guitarfish, shark ray or mud skate, is a species of ray and a member of the family Rhinidae. Its evolutionary affinities are not fully resolved, though it may be related to true guitarfishes and skates.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons (CC) via https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhina_ancylostoma
Taxonomy & Classification
Kingdom
Animalia
Phylum
Chordata
Class
Elasmobranchii
Order
Rhinopristiformes
Family
Rhinidae
Genus
Rhina
Bowmouth guitarfish belongs to the family Rhinidae, order Rhinopristiformes, within the Elasmobranchii class.
Species Profile
Rhina ancylostoma, also known as the bowmouth guitarfish, shark ray or mud skate, is a species of ray and a member of the family Rhinidae. Its evolutionary affinities are not fully resolved, though it may be related to true guitarfishes and skates. This rare species occurs widely in the tropical coastal waters of the western Indo-Pacific, at depths of up to 90 m (300 ft). Highly distinctive in appearance, Rhina ancylostoma has a wide and thick body with a rounded snout and large shark-like dorsal and tail fins. Its mouth forms a W-shaped undulating line, and there are multiple thorny ridges over its head and back. It has a dorsal color pattern of many white spots over a bluish gray to brown background, with a pair of prominent black markings over the pectoral fins. This large species can...
The Bowmouth guitarfish faces severe population declines primarily due to intensive fishing pressure across its Indo-Pacific range, where it is targeted for its valuable fins and meat. Habitat degradation in coastal waters and extremely low reproductive rates make recovery difficult, while inadequate fisheries management has failed to prevent overexploitation of this slow-growing species.
Key Facts
Habitat & Distribution
While uncommon, Rhina ancylostoma is widely distributed in the coastal tropical waters of the western Indo-Pacific. In the Indian Ocean, it is found from KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa to the Red Sea (including the Seychelles), across the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia (including the Maldives), to Shark Bay in Western Australia. Its Pacific range extends northward to Korea and southern...
Threats
IUCN Red List: Critically Endangered
The Bowmouth guitarfish faces severe population declines primarily due to intensive fishing pressure across its Indo-Pacific range, where it is targeted for its valuable fins and meat. Habitat degradation in coastal waters and extremely low reproductive rates make recovery difficult, while inadequate fisheries management has failed to prevent overexploitation of this slow-growing species.
Bycatch in commercial fisheries
Fin trade demand
Low reproductive rate limiting recovery
Overfishing and targeted exploitation
Coastal habitat degradation
Community Sightings
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Sources & Attribution
How to Cite
IUCN: IUCN (2025). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2025-1. Available at: https://www.iucnredlist.org. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2025-1.RLTS
GBIF: GBIF.org (2025). GBIF Home Page. Available at: https://www.gbif.org
This page: SpeciesRadar (2025). Bowmouth guitarfish (Rhina ancylostoma). SpeciesRadar: Intelligence for Earth's Biodiversity. Available at: https://speciesradar.org/species/bowmouth-guitarfish