Rhynchobatus djiddensis, Giant guitarfish : fisheries, gamefish, aquarium

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Rhynchobatus djiddensis (Forsskål, 1775)

Giant guitarfish
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Rhynchobatus djiddensis   AquaMaps   Data sources: GBIF OBIS
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Image of Rhynchobatus djiddensis (Giant guitarfish)
Rhynchobatus djiddensis
Picture by Modder, T.

Iran territory information

Common names: Saus-e-bozorg
Occurrence: native
Salinity: marine
Abundance: | Ref:
Importance: | Ref:
Aquaculture: | Ref:
Regulations: | Ref:
Uses: no uses
Comments: Reported from the Persian Gulf and Oman Sea (Ref. 47533).
National Checklist:
Territory Information: https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/resources/the-world-factbook/geos/ir.html
National Fisheries Authority:
Occurrences: Occurrences Point map
Main Ref: Anonymous, 1993
National Database:

Common names from other countries

Poisson paille à pois, Pez cuna manchado, سمك تِبن حِمصيّ, ... more

Classification / Names Common names | Synonyms | Catalog of Fishes(genus, species) | ITIS | CoL | WoRMS | Cloffa

Elasmobranchii (sharks and rays) > Rhinopristiformes (Shovelnose rays) > Rhinidae (Wedgefishes)
Etymology: Rhynchobatus: Greek, rhingchos = snout + Greek, batis, -idos = a sting ray (Raja sp.) (Ref. 45335).
More on author: Forsskål.

Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range Ecology

Marine; brackish; reef-associated; depth range 1 - 75 m (Ref. 106604). Tropical; 35°N - 35°S, 22°E - 83°E

Distribution Territories | FAO areas | Ecosystems | Occurrences | Point map | Introductions | Faunafri

Western Indian Ocean: restricted to the Red Sea and the tropical western Indian Ocean to South Africa. Also reported from Persian Gulf (Ref. 68964). Apparently misidentified with closely related species in the northern and eastern Indian Ocean and western Pacific (however, Ref. 5978 seems to present a reliable record from western Indonesia).

Length at first maturity / Size / Weight / Age

Maturity: Lm ?, range 177 - ? cm
Max length : 310 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 5578); max. published weight: 227.0 kg (Ref. 3919)

Short description Identification keys | Morphology | Morphometrics

A large guitarfish with large black eyespots on the pectoral bases, a distinctive black cross between the eyes, and rows of small white spots on the upper body; snout pointed and lower caudal lobe short (Ref. 5578). Olive-green above, white below (Ref. 5578). Mouths small and contain flattened, pavement-like teeth.
Body shape (shape guide): elongated.

Biology     Glossary (e.g. epibenthic)

Occurs inshore and in shallow estuaries (Ref. 5578). Feeds on crabs, lobsters, bivalves, small fishes (Ref. 5578) and squids (Ref. 37816). Ovoviviparous (Ref. 50449). Takes crayfish and pilchard bait. Meat and fins sought after in Asian markets (Ref. 30573).

Life cycle and mating behavior Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae

Exhibit ovoviparity (aplacental viviparity), with embryos feeding initially on yolk, then receiving additional nourishment from the mother by indirect absorption of uterine fluid enriched with mucus, fat or protein through specialised structures (Ref. 50449). With 4 young, about 43-60 cm in length (Ref. 37816), born in the summer (Ref. 3919).

Main reference Upload your references | References | Coordinator | Collaborators

Compagno, L.J.V., 1986. Rhinobatidae. p. 128-131. In M.M. Smith and P.C. Heemstra (eds.) Smiths' sea fishes. Springer-Verlag, Berlin. (Ref. 3919)

IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435: Version 2025-2 (Global))

  Critically Endangered (CR) (A2bd); Date assessed: 03 December 2018

CITES

Appendix II: International trade monitored

CMS (Ref. 116361)

Not Evaluated

Threat to humans

  Harmless





Human uses

Fisheries: commercial; gamefish: yes; aquarium: public aquariums
FAO - Fisheries: landings; Publication: search | FishSource | Sea Around Us

More information

Trophic ecology
Food items (preys)
Diet composition
Food consumption
Food rations
Predators
Ecology
Ecology
Home ranges
Population dynamics
Growth parameters
Max. ages / sizes
Length-weight rel.
Length-length rel.
Length-frequencies
Mass conversion
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Abundance
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Reproduction
Maturity
Maturity/Gills rel.
Fecundity
Spawning
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Eggs
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Larvae
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Distribution
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References
References

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Special reports

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Summary page | Point data | Common names | Photos

Internet sources

AFORO (otoliths) | Aquatic Commons | BHL | Cloffa | Websites from users | Check FishWatcher | CISTI | Catalog of Fishes: genus, species | DiscoverLife | DORIS | ECOTOX | FAO - Fisheries: landings; Publication: search | Faunafri | Fishipedia | Fishtrace | GloBI | Google Books | Google Scholar | Google | IGFA World Record | National databases | OneZoom | Open Tree of Life | Otolith Atlas of Taiwan Fishes | Public aquariums | PubMed | Reef Life Survey | Socotra Atlas | TreeBase | Tree of Life | Wikipedia: Go, Search | World Records Freshwater Fishing | Zoological Record

Estimates based on models

Preferred temperature (Ref. 123201): 24.5 - 29.3, mean 27.1 °C (based on 304 cells).
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref. 82804):  PD50 = 0.5024   [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.00372 (0.00166 - 0.00830), b=3.11 (2.91 - 3.31), in cm total length, based on LWR estimates for this (Sub)family-body shape (Ref. 93245).
Trophic level (Ref. 69278):  3.6   ±0.6 se; based on diet studies.
Resilience (Ref. 120179):  Low, minimum population doubling time 4.5 - 14 years (Fec assumed to be <100).
Prior r = 0.28, 95% CL = 0.18 - 0.42, Based on 1 data-limited stock assessment.
Fishing Vulnerability (Ref. 59153):  Very high vulnerability (90 of 100). 🛈
Climate Vulnerability (Ref. 125649):  High to very high vulnerability (71 of 100). 🛈
Price category (Ref. 80766):   High.
Nutrients (Ref. 124155):  Calcium = 7.69 [1.43, 29.34] mg/100g; Iron = 0.324 [0.076, 0.901] mg/100g; Protein = 19.9 [17.7, 22.1] %; Omega3 = 0.0794 [, ] g/100g; Selenium = 43.4 [12.2, 120.5] μg/100g; VitaminA = 20.3 [6.7, 58.7] μg/100g; Zinc = 0.733 [0.359, 1.509] mg/100g (wet weight);