Blackchin guitarfish

Blackchin guitarfish
CITES Appendix II (CITES)
Scientific classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Chondrichthyes
Subclass: Elasmobranchii
Order: Rhinopristiformes
Family: Glaucostegidae
Genus: Glaucostegus
Species:
G. cemiculus
Binomial name
Glaucostegus cemiculus
Synonyms
  • Glaucostegus petiti (Chabanaud, 1929)
  • Rhinobatos cemiculus rasus Garman, 1908
  • Rhinobatos congolensis Giltay, 1928
  • Rhinobatos rasus Garman, 1908
  • Rhinobatus cemiculus Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire, 1817
  • Rhinobatus congolensis Giltay, 1928
  • Rhinobatus rasus Garman, 1908

The blackchin guitarfish (Glaucostegus cemiculus, formerly Rhinobatos cemiculus) is a species of cartilaginous fish in the family Rhinobatidae. It is native to the eastern Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. It is a bottom-dwelling fish feeding on crustaceans, other invertebrates and fish. The females give birth to live young. Its lifestyle makes it vulnerable to trawling and other fishing methods, populations seem to be declining and it is subject to intensive fishing pressure, with its fins being sold into the Asian market. The International Union for Conservation of Nature has assessed its conservation status as being "critically endangered".