African wedgefish

The African wedgefish, guitarra, Lubbert's guitarfish, or spikenose wedgefish (Rhynchobatus luebberti) is a species of fish in the Rhinidae family. It is the only species in its genus to occur in the East Atlantic.[2]

African wedgefish

Critically Endangered  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Chordata
Class:
Chondrichthyes
Order:
Rhinopristiformes
Family:
Rhinidae
Genus:
Rhynchobatus
Species:
R. luebberti
Binomial name
Rhynchobatus luebberti
Ehrenbaum, 1915

Taxonomy

Description

African wedgefish have a pale olive-brown or olive-grey color with white spots spread across their back. The edges of their fins are sometimes paler in color. They have a cluster of three black marks on each side of a ridge that runs along their back. Another dark mark can be found each one of these marks. The area around each fish's eye is lighter, reminiscent of a mask. The fish have ridges near their front that possess a row of thorns.[3]

The African wedgefish has a maximum total length of about 3 m (9.8 ft), but are usually 1.5 m (4.9 ft) long. They have 172-176 free vertebral centra.[4][5]

Distribution and habitat

The fish is found in the warm East Atlantic in Angola, Benin, Cameroon, the Republic of the Congo, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mauritania, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, and Togo.

Its natural habitats are shallow seas, coral reefs, estuarine waters, and coastal saline lagoons.[3]

Diet

The African wedgefish prey upon small bony fish and invertebrates.[3]

Life history

Early life

African wedgefish are ovoviparous—eggs remain inside the mother until hatching. Embryos initially feed on yolk. Afterward, they receive nutrition from their mother by absorbing uterine fluid that contains mucus, fat, or protein through specialized structures.[5][6]

Human interest

Conservation

The African wedgefish is currently critically endangered.[4]

Threats

It is threatened by habitat loss and poachers.[3]

References
  1. Kyne, P.M. & Jabado, R.W. 2019. Rhynchobatus luebberti. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2019: e.T60180A124448712. https://doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2019-2.RLTS.T60180A124448712.en. Downloaded on 26 July 2019.
  2. Moore, Alec (2017-01-01). "Are guitarfishes the next sawfishes? Extinction risk and an urgent call for conservation action". Endangered Species Research. 34: 75–88. doi:10.3354/esr00830.
  3. Marquez, Melissa C. (July 4, 2018). "African wedgefish". The Fins United Initiative. Archived from the original on 2018-11-24. Retrieved 2018-11-24.
  4. Last, Peter; Naylor, Gavin; Séret, Bernard; White, William; Carvalho, Marcelo de; Stehmann, Matthias (December 2016). Rays of the World. Csiro Publishing. p. 73. ISBN 9780643109148.
  5. "Rhynchobatus luebberti summary page". FishBase. Retrieved 2018-11-24.
  6. Dulvy, N. K.; Reynolds, J. D. (1997-09-22). "Evolutionary transitions among egg-laying, live-bearing and maternal inputs in sharks and rays". Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences. 264 (1386): 1309–1315. Bibcode:1997RSPSB.264.1309D. doi:10.1098/rspb.1997.0181. ISSN 0962-8452. PMC 1688595.


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