Guitarfish are sometimes also called Fiddler Rays or Banjo Sharks.

They belong to an order (Rhinobatiformes) of fish closely related to the rays.

The order contains some 47 to 50 species arranged in three families

(Platyrhinidae, Rhinobatidae, and Rhynchobatidae).

Guitarfish evolved over 100 million years ago.

They have flattened forebodies with their pectoral fins

fused to the sides of their heads.

Their hindbodies resembles those of sharks,

with two dorsal fins and a well-developed caudal fin.

Unlike rays, which swim by flapping their pectoral fins,

guitarfish swim like sharks by lashing their long, thick, muscular tails.

The largest guitarfish reach a length of 6.5 feet and have litters

of up to 29 pups. Smaller guitarfish may be about 2.5 feet long

and have only 6 pups per litter. They are ovoviviparous.

Guitarfish live in temperate to tropical zones,

usually in shallow waters near continental coastlines,  and feed upon crabs, clams, worms and fish. They are considered harmless, although

there is a documented case of a male guitarfish biting a diver

who interrupted its mating ritual -- so look out!

The species most likely to be found in the San Francisco Bay Area is

the shovelnose guitarfish Rhinobatis productus –

from the Latin rhin (meaning shark with a rough skin),

Greek batis (meaning skate or ray),

and the Latin product (meaning a lengthened form) in reference to its shape.

The shovelnose guitarfish allegedly has a taste and texture similar to scallops

but only a heartless wretch would even consider eating one,

as they have the “most soulful, woebegone eyes you have ever seen”

according to eminent marine biologist Dr. Robin Milton Love in the book

Probably More Than You Want to Know About the Fishes of the Pacific Coast.

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