Creatures in Crisis
Photograph of Common shovelnose ray (Glaucostegus typus), recorded as Critically Endangered
Common shovelnose ray (Glaucostegus typus). Image via Wikimedia Commons.

Critically Endangered

Common shovelnose ray

Glaucostegus typus

Common shovelnose ray is a shark or ray in the family Glaucostegidae (order Rhinopristiformes) — Glaucostegus typus, recorded as Critically Endangered.

Status
Critically Endangered
Scientific name
Glaucostegus typus
CITES
Appendix II
Taxonomy
Elasmobranchii · Rhinopristiformes · Glaucostegidae · Glaucostegus

Appearance

It reaches up to 2.7 m (8.9 ft) in length, and is greyish-brown to yellowish-brown above with a paler snout. This species has been tested for colour vision using choice experiments that control for brightness. It was the first rigorous behavioural evidence for colour vision in any elasmobranch.

Range and habitat

The common shovelnose ray, giant shovelnose ray or giant guitarfish is a fish in the Rhinobatidae family found in the central Indo-Pacific, ranging from India to the East China Sea, Solomon Islands and northern Australia. It is found in shallow coastal areas to a depth of at least 100 m (330 ft), among them mangrove, estuaries and reportedly also in freshwaters.

Pins are Wikidata “endemic to” fields. Orange dots, when present, are GBIF occurrence tiles — survey bias included.

Breeding

Sharks and rays grow slowly and have few young. A fishery that treats them as bycatch can empty a coastal form.

In crisis

CITES lists this taxon on Appendix II. Confirm the current appendix on the CITES checklist.

Common shovelnose ray is Critically Endangered on this catalog because that is the IUCN category stored on Wikidata. Confirm the official criteria and any later count on iucnredlist.org.

Sources

Written for this catalog from the English Wikipedia article on Common shovelnose ray, Wikidata item Q3316458. Family and order context is original field-guide writing about the group, not a copied assessment of this one species. Wikipedia text is CC BY-SA. Not an IUCN assessment. Counts, when quoted, can change — confirm them on the recovery programme and on iucnredlist.org.

Photograph via Wikimedia Commons. Wikipedia · Wikidata · IUCN Red List.

Same genus

Photograph of Blackchin guitarfish (Glaucostegus cemiculus), recorded as Critically EndangeredCR

Blackchin guitarfish

Glaucostegus cemiculus
Photograph of Clubnose guitarfish (Glaucostegus thouin), recorded as Critically EndangeredCR

Clubnose guitarfish

Glaucostegus thouin
Photograph of Sharpnose guitarfish (Glaucostegus granulatus), recorded as Critically EndangeredCR

Sharpnose guitarfish

Glaucostegus granulatus
Photograph of Halavi guitarfish (Glaucostegus halavi), recorded as Critically EndangeredCR

Halavi guitarfish

Glaucostegus halavi

Quick answers

What is Common shovelnose ray?
Common shovelnose ray is a shark or ray in the family Glaucostegidae (order Rhinopristiformes) — Glaucostegus typus.
What is the conservation status of Common shovelnose ray?
Critically Endangered, as the IUCN category stored on Wikidata for Glaucostegus typus. Confirm the official assessment on iucnredlist.org.
Where does Common shovelnose ray live?
The common shovelnose ray, giant shovelnose ray or giant guitarfish is a fish in the Rhinobatidae family found in the central Indo-Pacific, ranging from India to the East China Sea, Solomon Islands and northern Australia.
Why is Common shovelnose ray in crisis?
It is Critically Endangered on Wikidata. Read the official Red List assessment for the criteria.
Is this the IUCN Red List page for Glaucostegus typus?
No. This is a researched catalog account. The Red List is the assessment.
Is Common shovelnose ray a pet?
An animal on this catalog is in crisis in the wild. Keeping one is usually the wrong question.