This picture has been taken recently by Rosa at the Aquarium, the dive site close to Huruvalhi island between Komandoo and Kuredu.
That is a Spotted Shovelnose ray, or shark… There is a Remora (Echeneis Naucrates) waiting meanwhile he (or she) is being cleaned.
There are two main Guitar fishes, the “Bowmouth”(Rhina Ancylostoma) and the “Shovelnose”(Rynchobatus Djiddensis).
The last one is the one on the picture. The fact that they both retain their lower caudal fin lobe, is a clear sign that they belong more to the side of the sharks than the rays, regardless of their flat body and bottom dweller main behaviour. So, let’s call them Guitar Sharks !!
A few days ago, Rosa saw another shovelnose guitar shark in Komandoo house reef while doing an orientation dive. Lucky first dive for the divers…
Tags: Sharks
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Wonderful creatures at absolutely wonderful Kuredu!
But I´d definately classify both Rhina Ancylostoma and Rynchobatus Djiddensis as rays rather than sharks due to the fact that they both belong to the order “Rajiformes” and have their gills under their pectoral fins.
Whatever, I’m probably just grumpy and picky ’cause I havent been on kuredu since 98-99.