Guitarfish

ocean creatures · rays · weird fish shapes

Shaped like a guitar. Guitarfish have long, flat heads that stick out way in front of their bodies, making them look like the neck and body of a guitar. That's exactly why they got such a cool name.

Related to rays. Guitarfish are actually a type of ray, which means they're cousins to stingrays and manta rays. Like their relatives, they have flat bodies and small wing-like fins on the sides.

Live in warm water. You'll find guitarfish in tropical, subtropical, and warm temperate oceans all around the world. They prefer cozy, warm waters rather than the cold deep sea.

Hunt on the seafloor. Guitarfish swim along the ocean bottom using their flattened heads to dig through sand and mud looking for food like shrimp and small fish. Their shape makes them perfect hunters in shallow waters.

Small fins for swimming. Unlike most fish, guitarfish have tiny, ray-like fins on their sides that seem almost too small for their long bodies. Despite their odd shape, they're actually pretty good swimmers.