Why the wedgefish is a master of disguise in the world of rays

Nature · Published 3 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Wedgefishes are not your typical rays. Belonging to the family Rhinidae, these unique creatures are often called giant guitarfishes or sharkfin guitarfishes. With eleven distinct species spanning three genera, they occupy a fascinating evolutionary middle ground within the order Rhinopristiformes, sharing close biological ties with both sawfishes and guitarfishes.

The wedgefish family, or Rhinidae, represents a diverse group of marine life that challenges simple categorization. While they are technically rays, their physical appearance often leads to confusion with sharks, earning them common names like the shark ray. This group includes species such as the bottlenose wedgefish, described in 1939, and the more recently identified Japanese wedgefish, which was formally classified in 2020. The diversity within this family is significant, ranging from the long-known shark ray, identified by Bloch and Schneider in 1801, to the false shark ray, which was only recognized by science in 2016.

Geographically, these fish are widespread across the Indo-Pacific. The bottlenose wedgefish, for instance, inhabits waters from the East African coast and the Red Sea all the way to Australia, thriving at depths of at least 60 meters. Other species, like the smoothnose wedgefish, prefer the coastal seas and river mouths of the northern Indian Ocean and the northwestern Pacific. These habitats are critical for their survival, yet they face mounting pressures from human activity, specifically habitat loss and overfishing, which threaten their populations in regions like the Arabian Sea and the South China Sea.

Understanding the wedgefish requires navigating a complex taxonomy. Many of these species belong to intricate complexes, where closely related fish like the broadnose wedgefish and the giant guitarfish share overlapping traits. Researchers continue to refine these classifications, as seen with the Taiwanese wedgefish, identified in 2013, and the roughnose wedgefish, added to the record in 2016. As scientists continue to document these elusive animals, the challenge remains to protect the fragile coastal ecosystems that support such a wide array of specialized, yet vulnerable, marine life.

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