English Name: Bow mouth guitarfish
Local Name: Kalhu madi miyaru
Size: Max. 2.7 meters (8.9 feet)
Family: Rhinidae
Order: Chondrichthyes
Distinctive Characters: this species has a unique appearance with a wide, rounded snout, large shark-like dorsal and tail fins, and a W-shaped mouth. Its body is grayish-brown with white spots and thorny ridges along the back and head.
Colour: grayish-brown with white spots and thorny ridges along the back and head.
Habitat and Biology: Found primarily near the sea floor at depths ranging from 3 to 90 meters, the bowmouth guitarfish prefers sandy, muddy, or rocky areas near underwater structures like reefs and shipwrecks. It feeds on bony fish, crustaceans, and mollusks.
Distribution: Circumtropical.
Remarks: Despite its rare status, it is heavily targeted by commercial fisheries for its fins and meat. Due to overfishing and habitat degradation, it is critically endangered