Selachians Extraordinary 279 



The giant of all modern rays (Ma?ita birostris) is found in the tropi- 

 cal and subtropical waters of the oceans of both the Northern and the 

 Southern Hemispheres. In American waters, it has been reported from 

 Brazil to the Carolinas, and occasionally to New England and Georges 

 Bank; along the American West Coast, it has been captured as far north 

 as Redondo Beach, California. 



Giant Manta rays are frequently tormented giants. Minute parasites 

 infest the inner side of the Devil ray's horns, and large parasitic crus- 

 taceans, usually Isopods, lodge in its jaws. The German zoologist Hans 

 Hass, who has closely observed many Devil rays underwater, believes 

 that a type of parasite-eating Pilot fish swims in and near the Devil 

 ray's jaws, serving as a living cleaner for its host and, in return for 

 devouring the parasites, is not itself devoured. 



The female Giant Devil ray apparently carries a single embryo, often 

 of formidable size. The biggest embryos on record include one 50 

 inches wide and weighing 20 pounds, and another weighing 28 pounds 

 which was 45 inches wide. 



THE LINKS 



Every old, established family has its eccentrics, and the Selachian 

 family is no exception. Among the Selachians, sharks mostly look like 

 sharks, and the skates and rays look like skates and rays. But there are 

 four eccentric groups within the Selachian ranks. These groups— tech- 

 nically classified as families— include Selachians that do not look like 

 typical skates or rays and yet do not look like typical sharks, either. 

 They are apparent links— not missing, but present, for they are found 

 today in all the oceans of the world. 



We will introduce them— Guitarfishes, Sawfishes, Saw Sharks, and 

 Angel sharks— by families. The first two are Batoids and don't look it, 

 while the latter two are sharks and look equally misleading. 



Family R^mo^^^ii^^— Guitarfishes 

 Appearing part shark, part ray, the Guitarfish is really a Batoid and 

 only seems to be hovering between the two great branches of the 

 Selachian family. Little is known of its habits. The Guitarfish obviously 

 gets its name from the shape of its head and moderately flattened body, 

 which combine to give it the general appearance of a guitar. The French, 

 who always seem to see things a little differently from everyone else 

 think the Guitarfish looks more like a violin, and so they call it violoii 

 de mer. The musical-name theme has another variation in Australia, 

 where some Guitarfishes are called Fiddler rays and Banjo sharks. 



The Spotted Guitarfish {Rhinobatos lentiginosus Garman, 1880) is 



