guitarfish

American  

[gi-tahr-fish] / gɪˈtɑrˌfɪʃ /

noun

plural

guitarfish,

plural

guitarfishes

1. any sharklike ray of the family Rhinobatidae, of warm seas, resembling a guitar in shape.

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guitarfish British  

/ ɡɪˈtɑːˌfɪʃ /

noun

1. any marine sharklike ray of the family Rhinobatidae, having a guitar-shaped body with a stout tail and occurring at the bottom of the sea

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Etymology

Origin of guitarfish

First recorded in 1900–05; guitar + fish

Example Sentences

The bowmouth guitarfish, or shark ray, is an odd-looking sea creature.

From National Geographic • Jun. 1, 2023

The guitarfish family of shark-like rays, whose fins are traded like shark fins, also had 37 species receive new protections.

From BBC • Nov. 25, 2022

A bowmouth guitarfish, along with about a quarter of the reef fishes, will be purchased from reputable dealers with permits to capture from the wild.

From Seattle Times • Oct. 28, 2022

They tested the eDNA collected from market drainage systems and found 144 marine creatures represented, including three internationally protected species: two sharks and a close shark relative, the blackchin guitarfish.

From Washington Post • Apr. 30, 2021

We come to a shovelnose guitarfish, named for obvious reasons.

From Time Magazine Archive