Kingdom Animalia Phylum Chordata Order Rajiformes | Scientific name Rhynchobatus Rank Genus | |
 | ||
Family RhynchobatidaeGarman, 1913 Lower classifications Giant guitarfish, African wedgefish | ||
Smoothnose wedgefish rhynchobatus laevis at cook island australia
Rhynchobatus is a group of rays commonly known as wedgefishes, and the sole genus in the family Rhynchobatidae. They are found in the tropical and subtropical Indo-Pacific with a single species (R. luebberti) in the eastern Atlantic. All species in this genus are assessed as Vulnerable or Endangered by IUCN.
Contents
- Smoothnose wedgefish rhynchobatus laevis at cook island australia
- White spotted guitarfish rhynchobatus djiddensis
- Species
- References
The species are superficially similar and have often been confused. The various species can generally be separated by a combination of snout shape, vertebral count and exact colour (distribution of white spots, and presence/absence of a black spot at the base of the pectoral fin). The largest species can reach about 3 m (9.8 ft) and are among the largest species of rajiforms, but the smallest only reach around half that size.
White spotted guitarfish rhynchobatus djiddensis
Species
There are currently seven recognized species in this genus: In the past all the Indo-Pacific species have been confused with R. djiddensis, which as presently defined is restricted to the western Indian Ocean.
An additional species is known, the roughnose wedgefish (Rhynchobatus sp. nov. A or 1), but it is still undescribed.
