Widenose Guitarfish

Fascinating facts about the Widenose Guitarfish

• Its name comes from its distinctively broader and blunter snout.
• A 2018 IUCN assessment placed the species in the critically endangered category.
• You can find this ray along both the western and eastern coasts of India, from Maharashtra to West Bengal, and even see it near bustling ports like Mumbai, Kochi, and Chennai. Its presence in such busy waters shows that even heavily used coastlines can still host rare marine life, if we look closely.
• The fish lives on sandy or muddy bottoms from the tide line down to 60 m (about 197 ft), hugging intertidal zones and continental shelves alike.
• Endemic to the northern Indian Ocean, its range includes India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Iran, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Indonesia, Myanmar, Thailand, and possibly the Persian Gulf.

At a glance

About the Widenose Guitarfish

The widenose guitarfish (Glaucostegus obtusus) is a cartilaginous ray distinguished by a broad, blunt snout that tapers into a long, slender body resembling a guitar. It is endemic to the northern Indian Ocean, occurring in India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Iran, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Indonesia, Myanmar, Thailand and possibly the Persian Gulf. It inhabits shallow, inshore waters, coral reefs, estuaries and open seas, preferring sandy or muddy substrates in intertidal regions to continental shelves with depths up to 60 m (196.8 ft). Although generally uncommon, it can be locally abundant where suitable habitat is present.

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