Halavi guitarfish

How it lives

A bottom-living ray of very shallow sandy and seagrass areas, recorded from the water's edge to about 100 m. It is described as skittish around divers and as entering very shallow water to feed. Litters are up to about 10 pups, and in the Red Sea pupping is mostly May to October. Its population grows slowly, with a minimum doubling time of about 4.5 to 14 years, which is why it recovers badly from fishing.

Where it goes

Little is known about how far adults travel. In Al Wajh Lagoon in Saudi Arabia, acoustic tags suggest young fish stay in the lagoon, which is why it is treated as a likely nursery. Sources describe adults entering very shallow water to feed.

We only draw a journey on the map when scientists have tracked it or clearly documented it. For this animal we have not found one yet.

Populations

Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List (2019 assessment). Its range runs from the Red Sea to the Gulf of Oman and possibly the Arabian Sea, and records elsewhere are unconfirmed. In the United Arab Emirates, landings have fallen sharply, with an 80% decline over 30 years reported. In Saudi Arabia, Al Wajh Lagoon is listed as an Important Shark and Ray Area, with 339 sightings of individuals in 2022, including 25 newborns. A survey of the NEOM region found it in seagrass beds north of Duba, with particularly high numbers at Al-Muwayleh, but only five sightings in total. Total population size is not known.