All fish / Rhinobatidae

Atlantic Guitarfish

Pseudobatos lentiginosus

Also known as atlantic guitarfish, freckled guitarfish, guitarfish, shovelnose ray, rhinobatos lentiginosus, 大西洋犁头鳐

A flattened, shark-like ray with a wedge-shaped head and a sandy brown back covered in small pale freckles. It is kept mainly by public aquariums and very dedicated hobbyists who want a calm bottom-dwelling elasmobranch that buries itself in sand.

Care at a glance

Care level

Hard

Temperament

Peaceful

Adult size

60 cm

Temperature

20 to 27 °C

pH

8 to 8.4

Smallest tank

4000 litres

Keep as

Singly or a pair in a very large system

Diet

Carnivore: shrimp, squid, clams, crab and fish pieces

Swims

Bottom of the tank

Lifespan

10 to 15 years

Water

Marine (saltwater)

Wild range

Western Atlantic: North Carolina to Yucatán, Gulf of Mexico

Breeding

It gives birth to live young after the embryos develop inside the mother. Captive breeding is rare and is almost always limited to public aquariums with large systems.

Good to know

Grows to around 75 cm and needs a huge tank with a wide open sand bottom, so it is unsuitable for most homes. Listed as Vulnerable by the IUCN, and it is sensitive to copper and other medications.