Bowmouth Guitarfish Jaw Replica

$55.00

Bowmouth Guitarfish are usually found near the sea floor, Rhina ancylostoma prefers sandy or muddy areas near underwater structures. It is a strong-swimming predator of bony fishes, crustaceans, and molluscs.

Description

Bowmouth Guitarfish Jaw Replica measures 10.6 inches wide. Bowmouth Guitarfish Jaw Replica is museum quality polyurethane cast. Made in the USA. Cast private collection. Our precise Atlantic Guitarfish Jaw can be used as a teaching tool, museum jaw exhibit, home décor jaw, or office décor jaw.

The Bowmouth Guitarfish or Rhina ancylostoma is a heavily built fish growing to 8.9 ft. long and 298 lb. in weight.

The head is short, wide, and flattened with an evenly rounded snout; the front portion of the head, including the medium-sized eyes and large spiracles, is clearly distinct from the body.

The long nostrils are transversely oriented and have well-developed skin flaps on their anterior margins.

Rhina ancylostoma, the Bowmouth guitarfish, Shark ray or Mud skate, is a species of ray and a member of the family Rhinidae.

The Bowmouth Guitarfish lower jaw has three protruding lobes that fit into corresponding depressions in the upper jaw.

There are around 47 upper and 50 lower tooth rows arranged in winding bands; the teeth are low and blunt with ridges on the crown. The five pairs of ventral gill slits are positioned close to the lateral margins of the head.

The body is deepest in front of the two tall and falcate (sickle-shaped) dorsal fins. The first dorsal fin is about a third larger than the second and originates over the pelvic fin origins.

The second dorsal fin is located midway between the first dorsal and the caudal fin. The broad and triangular pectoral fins have a deep indentation where their leading margins meet the head.

The Bowmouth Guitarfish pelvic fins are much smaller than the pectoral fins, and the anal fin is absent. The tail is much longer than the body and ends in a large, crescent-shaped caudal fin; the lower caudal fin lobe is more than half the length of the upper.

There are also a pair of thorn-bearing ridges in front of the eyes, a second pair running from above the eyes to behind the spiracles, and a third pair on the shoulders. This species is bluish to brownish gray above, lightening towards the margins of the head and over the pectoral fins.

There are prominent white spots scattered over the body and fins, a white-edged black marking above each pectoral fin, and two dark transverse bands atop the head between the eyes.

The underside is light gray to white. Young rays are more vividly colored than adults, which are browner with fainter patterning and proportionately smaller spots.

Rhina ancylostoma has a wide and thick body with a rounded snout and large shark-like dorsal and tail fins. Its mouth forms a W-shaped undulating line, and there are multiple thorny ridges over its head and back.

Usually found near the sea floor, Rhina ancylostoma prefers sandy or muddy areas near underwater structures. It is a strong-swimming predator of bony fishes, crustaceans, and molluscs.

This species gives live birth to litters of two to eleven pups, which are nourished during gestation by yolk.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has assessed Rhina ancylostoma as Critically Endangered because it is widely caught by artisanal and commercial fisheries for its valuable fins and meat.

Shop more museum quality Fish and Shark Skulls in Fish and Shark Skull Replica Store

Additional information

Weight 4 lbs
Dimensions 10.6 in
Bowmouth Guitarfish Facts

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Chondrichthyes
Order: Rhinopristiformes
Family: Rhinidae
Genus: Rhina