Zapteryx xyster Jordan & Evermann, 1896
Witch guitarfish
Zapteryx xyster
photo by Robertson, R.

Family:  Trygonorrhinidae (Banjo rays, Fiddler rays)
Max. size:  78 cm TL (male/unsexed)
Environment:  reef-associated; marine; depth range - 150 m
Distribution:  Eastern Pacific: southeastern Gulf of California, Mexico to Peru (Ref. 97056). Not recorded in Compagno's 1999 checklist (Ref. 35766).
Diagnosis:   
Biology:  Benthic species of continental shelf on rocky and sandy bottoms to depths of 150 m. It is a night feeder, mainly on small fishes and prawns (Ref. 114953). Ovoviviparous (Ref. 50449). Maturity size of males at ca. 47 cm TL, females at ca. 45 cm TL. Species born at ca. 18 cm TL. It is a likely bycatch of gillnet and prawn trawl fisheries (Ref. 114953).
IUCN Red List Status: Vulnerable (VU); Date assessed: 24 February 2020 (A2d) Ref. (130435)
Threat to humans:  harmless


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