Rhinobatos rhinobatos
Photo: Wikimedia Commons (CC) via https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_guitarfish
Overview
A detailed profile for this species is sourced from the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species as assessments become available.
The Common Guitarfish faces severe population declines primarily due to intensive fishing pressure across the Mediterranean Sea and eastern Atlantic. This species is particularly vulnerable to bottom trawling and gillnet fisheries due to its benthic lifestyle and coastal habitat preferences. Bycatch mortality in commercial fisheries targeting other species represents the most significant threat, with many populations experiencing local extinctions in heavily fished areas.
Habitat
The Common Guitarfish inhabits shallow coastal waters, sandy and muddy bottoms, and seagrass beds from the intertidal zone to depths of approximately 100 meters. This species prefers temperate and subtropical waters of the Mediterranean Sea and eastern Atlantic Ocean, often found in estuaries and near-shore environments.
