Chola guitarfish

The Chola Guitarfish (Pseudobatos percellens), also called the Southern Guitarfish, is a cartilaginous fish in the family Rhinobatidae (guitarfishes), characterised by a body plan intermediate between sharks and rays — with a flattened, ray-like disc at the front merging into a thick, shark-like tail. The species occurs in shallow coastal waters of the tropical western Atlantic from Venezuela south through Brazil, inhabiting sandy and muddy bottoms in estuaries, bays, and nearshore coastal habitats at depths generally less than 100 metres. Guitarfishes are benthic feeders, using their broad, flat rostrum to excavate sediment and uncover crustaceans, molluscs, and small fish. Like all elasmobranchs, they are ovoviviparous or viviparous, producing small litters of live pups. The IUCN classifies the Chola Guitarfish as Endangered, reflecting severe population declines caused by high levels of bycatch in trawl fisheries throughout its coastal range in Venezuela, Trinidad, and Brazil, combined with direct fishing for meat and fins. Guitarfishes globally are among the most threatened groups of marine vertebrates, with shallow coastal habitats intensively fished and offering little refuge from demersal fishing gear. Without significant reductions in fishing pressure and targeted management measures, continued decline is anticipated.