Shark Ray Rhina ancylostoma

The Shark Ray, also called the Bowmouth Guitarfish, looks like a hybrid between a shark and a ray. It has a ray's front end with wings and a shark's back end with dorsal fins and tail.

It is native to sandy coasts and reefs of the Indian and western Pacific Oceans.

It swims fast, being covered in tiny teeth called dermal denticles which reduce drag in the water.

It can grow up to 3 metres long. Its large eyes, pectoral markings and spotted fins give it a cartoon-like appearance. Juveniles are more strongly marked, with markings fading with age.

Like most rays, the underside is white. Diet is crustaceans, fish and molluscs. It gives birth to live young.

Threats include habitat degradation and slaughter for shark fins.