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Zapteryx xyster Jordan & Evermann, 1896

Witch guitarfish
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Zapteryx xyster
Picture by Robertson, R.

Classification / Names Common names | Synonyms | Catalog of Fishes(genus, species) | ITIS | CoL | WoRMS | Cloffa

Elasmobranchii (sharks and rays) > Rhinopristiformes (Shovelnose rays) > Trygonorrhinidae (Banjo rays, Fiddler rays)
Etymology: Zapteryx: Greek, za = an augmentative particle + Greek, pteryx, wing, fin (Ref. 45335).
More on authors: Jordan & Evermann.

Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range Ecology

Marine; reef-associated; depth range ? - 150 m (Ref. 114953). Tropical; 24°N - 19°S, 107°W - 80°W (Ref. 114953)

Distribution Countries | FAO areas | Ecosystems | Occurrences | Point map | Introductions | Faunafri

Eastern Pacific: southeastern Gulf of California, Mexico to Peru (Ref. 97056). Not recorded in Compagno's 1999 checklist (Ref. 35766).

Length at first maturity / Size / Weight / Age

Maturity: Lm 43.0  range ? - 45 cm
Max length : 78.0 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 114953)

Biology     Glossary (e.g. epibenthic)

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).

Life cycle and mating behavior Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae

Exhibit ovoviparity (aplacental viviparity), with embryos feeding initially on yolk, then receiving additional nourishment from the mother by indirect absorption of uterine fluid enriched with mucus, fat or protein through specialised structures (Ref. 50449).

Main reference Upload your references | References | Coordinator | Collaborators

Acero, A.P. and R. Franke, 1995. Nuevos registros de peces cartilaginosos del Parque Nacional Natural Gorgona (Pacífico Colombiano), II. Rayas y descripción de una nueva especie. Biblioteca Jose Jeronimo Triana (11):9-21. (Ref. 13259)

IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435: Version 2024-1)

  Vulnerable (VU) (A2d); Date assessed: 24 February 2020

CITES

Not Evaluated

CMS (Ref. 116361)

Not Evaluated

Threat to humans

  Harmless





Human uses

Fisheries: bycatch
FAO - Publication: search | FishSource |

More information

Trophic ecology
Food items
Diet composition
Food consumption
Food rations
Predators
Ecology
Ecology
Population dynamics
Growth parameters
Max. ages / sizes
Length-weight rel.
Length-length rel.
Length-frequencies
Mass conversion
Recruitment
Abundance
Life cycle
Reproduction
Maturity
Maturity/Gills rel.
Fecundity
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Eggs
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Distribution
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BRUVS - Videos
Anatomy
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Internet sources

AFORO (otoliths) | Aquatic Commons | BHL | Cloffa | BOLDSystems | Websites from users | Check FishWatcher | CISTI | Catalog of Fishes: genus, species | DiscoverLife | ECOTOX | FAO - Publication: search | Faunafri | Fishipedia | Fishtrace | GenBank: genome, nucleotide | GloBI | Google Books | Google Scholar | Google | IGFA World Record | MitoFish | Otolith Atlas of Taiwan Fishes | PubMed | Reef Life Survey | Socotra Atlas | Tree of Life | Wikipedia: Go, Search | World Records Freshwater Fishing | Zoobank | Zoological Record

Estimates based on models

Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref. 82804):  PD50 = 0.6250   [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.00724 (0.00267 - 0.01964), b=3.00 (2.77 - 3.23), in cm total length, based on LWR estimates for this (Sub)family-body shape (Ref. 93245).
Trophic level (Ref. 69278):  3.6   ±0.59 se; based on food items.
Resilience (Ref. 120179):  Low, minimum population doubling time 4.5 - 14 years (Fec assumed to be <100).
Fishing Vulnerability (Ref. 59153):  Moderate to high vulnerability (51 of 100).
Price category (Ref. 80766):   Medium.