Rhynchobatus australiae
Rhynchobatus australiae, also known as the white-spotted guitarfish, white-spotted wedgefish, or bottlenose wedgefish, is a species of ray in the Rhinidae family. It is Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List and listed in CITES Appendix II. This fish lives in shallow waters to at least 60 meters deep in the Indo-Pacific, from the East African coast and the Red Sea to Taiwan, the Philippines, and Australia.
It grows to about 3 meters in length. Juveniles are greyish or brownish on top with white spots and a black spot above each pectoral fin, with three white spots above each black spot. Large adults are darker and the spots are less visible. The tail fin has distinct upper and lower lobes, unlike some other rays. The snout is acutely pointed, and the gills are on the underside of the head. The first dorsal fin is in line with the pelvic fins, and there is a row of thorns along the midline of the back.
Rhynchobatus australiae is part of a group of related species that includes the giant guitarfish, the broadnose wedgefish, and possibly the smoothnose wedgefish.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 03:15 (CET).