The shovelnose guitarfish, ''Rhinobatos productus'', is a ray in the family Rhinobatidae. It becomes mature at an estimated seven to eight years old. Males are between 90 and 100 cm long, while females are around 99 cm at that age.Timmons, M and Bray, R. Age, growth, and sexual maturity of shovelnose guitarfish, Rhinobatos productus. ''Fishery Bulletin'' 95:349–359 (1997).
The ray can live up to 11 years, and full-grown sizes are around 120 cm for males, and females reach 137 cm. They range from central

California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...

south to the

Gulf of California The Gulf of California ( es, Golfo de California), also known as the Sea of Cortés (''Mar de Cortés'') or Sea of Cortez, or less commonly as the Vermilion Sea (''Mar Bermejo''), is a marginal sea of the Pacific Ocean that separates the Baja C ...

. Morphological and genetic variations occur in the mitochondrial DNA in those found in the Gulf of California, evidencing their isolation from the rest. Because of this, the conservation of this species must be carefully managed to preserve the biological diversity. The shovelnose is considered to be a primitively developed ray, with many features of both sharks and rays. ''Rhinobatos productus'' has magnetic particles in its vestibular receptors, and the magnetic particles believed to be exogenous in origin. The magnetic particles' spatial arrangement may aid in the sensitivity of the receptors to movements. The visual system of the shovelnose is more extensive and developed than other

Elasmobranchii Elasmobranchii () is a subclass of Chondrichthyes or cartilaginous fish, including sharks (superorder Selachii), rays, skates, and sawfish (superorder Batoidea). Members of this subclass are characterised by having five to seven pairs of ...

, with multiple large projections connecting to the brain. Almost the entire dorsal and ventral

hypothalamus The hypothalamus () is a part of the brain that contains a number of small nuclei with a variety of functions. One of the most important functions is to link the nervous system to the endocrine system via the pituitary gland. The hypothalamu ...

is connected to the visual system, but still maintains a similar lack of differentiation as with sharks. The shovelnose guitarfish was first considered to be a shark because of its dorsal fin's shape.

Human interaction

Recreation

This species can be caught from the surf, within shallow California waters. Sand crabs, various bivalves such as

mussels Mussel () is the common name used for members of several families of bivalve molluscs, from saltwater and freshwater habitats. These groups have in common a shell whose outline is elongated and asymmetrical compared with other edible clams, which ...

, and other live or dead bait are recommended for catching the fish.

As food

The common cuts of meat used from the shovelnose guitarfish are the trunk, tail, and loin, mostly from mature individuals. It has been referred to as "shark steak" within markets, and is usually served fried; with other iterations such as

cocktails A cocktail is an alcoholic mixed drink. Most commonly, cocktails are either a combination of spirits, or one or more spirits mixed with other ingredients such as tonic water, fruit juice, flavored syrup, or cream. Cocktails vary widely across ...

and

kebabs Kebab (, ; ar, كباب, link=no, Latn, ar, kabāb, ; tr, kebap, link=no, ) or kabob (North American) is a type of cooked meat dish that originates from cuisines of the Middle East. Many variants of the category are popular around the wor ...

being prepared. It is sold as fish and chips in

Santa Barbara, California Santa Barbara ( es, Santa Bárbara, meaning "Saint Barbara") is a coastal city in Santa Barbara County, California, of which it is also the county seat. Situated on a south-facing section of coastline, the longest such section on the West Co ...

on piers. Dried specimens of all sizes are also frequently sold in shell shops throughout central to

Baja California Baja California (; 'Lower California'), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Baja California ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Baja California), is a state in Mexico. It is the northernmost and westernmost of the 32 federal entities of Mex ...

."Shovelnose guitarfish"
Sea Grant California. Retrieved February 26, 2021.

Gallery

File:Rhinobatos productus Tremendo.jpg, Shovelnose guitarfish

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q25403700 shovelnose guitarfish Western North American coastal fauna Fish of the Gulf of California Fauna of the Baja California Peninsula shovelnose guitarfish Taxobox binomials not recognized by IUCN