Rhinobatos annulatus
Lesser sandshark | Lesser Guitarfish
Similar Species
Distribution
Temperate Africa
Description
Broad wedge-shaped snout and pectoral disc, and two triangular dorsal fins well back on body. Back is tan and underside white. Cape variant with a scattering of white rings inside brown spots on back, while Natal variant has plain large dark spots.
Information
Max Size: 140 cm
Sea Temperature Range: 16.8-22.3°C
Depth: 0-100m
Habitat Generalization Index: N/A
Also referred to as the SGI (Species Generalisation Index), this describes the habitat niche breadth of the species. Species with values less than 15 are found in a relatively narrow range of reef habitat types (specialists), while those over 25 may be found on most hard substrates within their range (generalists). Learn more here.
Conservation and Rarity
IUCN Status: Least Concern
Occurrence: Widespread (50% of sites)
Occurrence describes how often the species is found on surveys within its distribution. It is calculated as the % of reef sites surveyed by RLS divers across all the ecoregions in which the species has been observed
Abundance: Few (2 per transect)
Abundance is calculated as the average number of individuals recorded per RLS transect, where present.
Edit by: Joe Shields