Arabian Guitarfish

iNaturalist · HTTP://CREATIVECOMMONS.ORG/LICENSES/BY-NC/4.0/

This shark-like ray is endemic to the Arabian Gulf and Gulf of Oman and is classified as Critically Endangered, making Delma Island one of the best places in the world to encounter a living specimen. Individuals rest on sandy flats between coral heads during the day and hunt at night, crushing bivalves and crustaceans with their pavement-like dentition. Their benthic lifestyle and slow reproduction make them extremely vulnerable to trawl bycatch, and sightings contribute meaningfully to population surveys.