scubaseason

Guitarfish

Rhinobatos rhinobatos

Sighting evidence at Poilão Turtle Beach Reef, Bijagós Islands

The shallow sandy areas adjacent to Poilão's reef host guitarfish — flat-bodied relatives of rays that rest motionless on the sand and are easily overlooked. They hunt invertebrates and small fish buried in soft sediment and are frequently camouflaged against the substrate by their cryptic dorsal patterning. Guitarfish are absent from most of their former West African range due to bycatch, making the Bijagós one of the last places they can be reliably found.

Evidence at this site

No confirmed records on file at this site

Guitarfish is listed as a curated species here based on historical reports.

How is this calculated?

Sighting evidence is compiled from iNaturalist observation records within a set proximity radius, filtered for quality-grade observations. “Last confirmed” is the date of the most recent research-grade record. Record count covers a rolling 24-month window. Confidence reflects record count, recency, and consistency of seasonal signal.