One of the most interesting creatures you’ll ever encounter while diving, the Guitar Fish, which is sometimes called the Guitar Shark or referred to as the Violin Fish, can be found in a variety of fairly shallow habitats in many places throughout the world. Usually preferring to stay in sandy bays, seabeds where sea grass is prevalent, and in river estuaries, they are normally found in less than forty feet of water. Rarely encountered in some places, and commonly found in others, these amazing fish are worthy of a closer look.
Guitarfish: The Basics
With a long, pointed snout, and a body that reminds one of a guitar, wide at the base and slender behind, it’s easy to see how this fish got its name. In colors that range from a light, sandy brown to a deeper almost olive green shade on their dorsal sides, which allow them to blend in with their surroundings, their ventral sides are white.
Originally thought to be a shark because of its cartilaginous body as well as the shape of its fins and the fact that it propels itself along with a lateral tail motion rather than flapping its pectorals like rays do, the guitarfish has many features that make it more similar to members of the ray family, which are close relatives of sharks, providing even more confusion. The fish’s mouth is located on the bottom of its disc shaped body, which allows it to prey easily on crustaceans and small fish from the bottom of the seabed.
To hunt during daylight hours, the fish often lies disguised, buried in the sand with only its eyes protruding, waiting for its prey to wander past. If you’re lucky enough to see a guitarfish make a catch, then you’ll witness an eruption of sand and a flash of motion as the fish devours its lunch. After dark, the fish leave their sandy hiding places behind, actively cruising to feed on smaller creatures like marine worms, clams, and crustaceans.
Instead of opening its mouth to facilitate respiration as many other fish do, the guitarfish has a pair of holes called spiracles which are located on top of its head. It pumps water in through its spiracles, and down through its gills, which are located on either side of its disc bottom.
Like many other rays and related sharks, guitarfish give birth to live young, called pups. They court and mate in bays, with females arriving first, during the spring months. After giving birth during the summer, the females wait for the males to arrive, after which mating takes place; then, all the guitarfish move on until the following spring.
Completely harmless to divers, the fish have flat teeth that look almost like pebbles. Although some very large guitarfish have been caught, weighing as much as 100 kilograms and being about two meters long, most males are about a meter long and weigh around 50 kilograms. Females are slightly smaller, but can be heavier, particularly toward the end of their gestation cycles.
Unfortunately, the guitarfish has earned a spot on IUCN’s red list as an endangered species. Partly because of pressure from fishing, and partly because of loss of habitat, it is becoming more difficult to find these animals while diving. The majority of the population is centered around the California coast down to the Sea of Cortez, with additional populations in the Mediterranean and the East Atlantic. If you’re lucky enough to encounter one of these amazing creatures, be sure to give it space; and treasure the experience. Unless we are careful, the species may not be around for future generations to admire.