Appearance and lifestyle:
Giant guitarfish (Rhynchobatus djiddensis) are a grey to brown and their body shape is half shark and half stingray. They have are impressive slow-growing fish that can reach 3m long and can weigh more than 220kg. They have pavement-like teeth that they use to crush mussels, crabs, squid and small fish. Around South Africa these fish give live (ovoviviparous) birth to litters of 4 to 10 pups during the summer. The fins of these fish are highly sought after for sharkfin soup.
Habitat:
Giant guitarfish were previously thought to be wide-spread, but research has shown that this is probably the combined distribution of four related species. Giant guitarfish are now thought to occur only in the Red Sea and western Indian Ocean as far south as South Africa’s east coast. They are bottom-dwelling and are found around sandy and muddy areas in estuaries, lagoons and near coral and rocky reefs, down to 50m.
Diet:
Giant guitarfish eat mussels, crabs, squid and small fish.
Threats:
They are critically endangered due to habitat destruction and heavy fishing pressure.