Southern Banded Guitarfish

About the Southern Banded Guitarfish

The southern banded guitarfish (Zapteryx xyster), also known as the witch guitarfish, is a species of fish in the Trygonorrhinidae family found at reefs and other habitats from shallow water to a depth of 150 m in the tropical East Pacific. It ranges from Mazatlan, Mexico, to Colombia, but it likely also occurs off Ecuador and Peru. It is threatened by habitat loss. It is closely related to the more northernly distributed banded guitarfish (Z. exasperata).

As the name implies, southern banded guitarfish possess a flat, depressed body form that is reminiscent of a guitar. Their anatomy resembles other members of the elasmobranch subclass including fused pectoral wings and an asymmetrical caudal fin characteristic of rays and sharks respectively. Individuals are brown or black in color with dark bands formed by many continuous blotches. Both large and small thorns are present throughout the dorsal surface of the body, beginning at the nape and ending at the first dorsal fin.

They may be confused with northern banded guitarfish (Z. exasperata) with which they share many phenotypic and genetic traits. Southern banded guitarfish typically can be differentiated by the presence... Wikipedia →