UNDER THE SEA

Hello ladies and gents this is the Viking telling you that today we are talking about

Shovelnose Guitarfish 

What type of animal is a shovelnose guitarfish?

The shovelnose guitarfish (Rhinobatos productus) is a type of fish that is a member of the Rhinobatidae family. They resemble a blend between sharks and rays in appearance.

What class of animal does a shovelnose guitarfish belong to?

Shovelnose guitarfish belong to the class of Chondrichthyes. They are also commonly known as the shovelnose shark or sand shark.

How many shovelnose guitarfish are there in the world?

There is presently no information on the number of shovelnose guitarfish present in the world due to a scarcity of population data. However, it is well known that their population is quickly diminishing as a result of Mexican fisheries in northern and central California, as well as shrimp farming along the Pacific coast of northern Mexico.  

Where does a shovelnose guitarfish live?

This species can be found around the range of southwestern North America, especially from Guerrero to San Francisco and Mexico, the Gulf of California, and the Baja California.

What is a shovelnose guitarfish's habitat?

The usual habitat of this species is in the range of shallow coastal waters and the surf zone. They cannot go too deep in the ocean and usually remain in the range near soft, sandy shores, rocky reefs, estuaries, and seagrass beds with an average depth of 42 ft (13 m).

Who does a shovelnose guitarfish live with?

This species, also known as the shovelnose shark, is usually a solitary creature. However, during the breeding season, they are seen with their mating partner. They camouflage themselves on the seafloor to avoid being attacked by predators.

How long does a shovelnose guitarfish live?

Shovelnose guitarfish (Rhinobatos productus) are estimated to live in the water for 11 years. However, some have been observed to live up to 16 years.

How do they reproduce?

The mating season of the monogamous shovelnose shark is in the summer season. During this time, the males arrive in the shallow waters and estuaries of the ocean and the females follow after a while. The females are ovoviviparous, just like most sharks and rays. This means that fertilization takes place inside the females where the embryos receive all the nutrition from the yolk sac and after nine to 12 months of gestation, they give birth to six to 28 well-developed young ones. The females return to the mating area which is usually along the coasts of Baja and southern California to give birth from June to October.

The juveniles tend to look after themselves and receive no parental care after taking birth. The sexual maturity of shovelnose guitarfish is usually reached when they are seven to eight years old.

And as always have a chilled day from the Viking