TACOMA, Wash. — A critically endangered bowmouth guitarfish named Fender is making his public debut Friday at the Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium.
He will be in the Tropical Reef Aquarium’s Outer Reef habitat—and is now the largest animal there.
“Fender is settling in just fine, enjoying his new surroundings and a gourmet diet that includes restaurant-quality, sustainably caught fish and shellfish,” said Aquarium Curator Chris Spaulding. “His arrival marks a significant step for the species’ future, and we are so excited to introduce such a rare and unusual species to our community.”
Fender weighs 230 pounds and is 6 feet, 7 inches long. He comes to Tacoma from the Georgia Aquarium.
He was born in the summer of 2022 off the east coast of Taiwan. His mother got caught in a commercial fishing net. She was taken to a local fishing center, and she gave birth to nine live pups, including Fender.
Listed as critically endangered by the IUCN Red List, bowmouth guitarfish have declined by over 80 percent in recent decades due to overfishing and habitat loss.
According to zoo staff, Fender may be part of a conservation and recovery effort, including breeding and possibly releasing his offspring into the wild to help rebuild wild populations.
Despite their shark-like appearance, bowmouth guitarfish are more closely related to rays. They have gill slits located on the underside of their bodies. Their grayish-brown coloring with white and dark spots helps them blend into their surroundings in the wild.
Bowmouth guitarfish are found in warm, shallow waters throughout the Indo-West Pacific, from South Africa to Australia, but they’re hard to spot in the wild. They prefer sandy sea floors about 65 feet deep, feeding on crabs, clams, shrimp, and other crustaceans. They use their keen sense of smell to find prey, and if threatened, they use the spiky thorns above their eyes and along their back to help defend themselves.
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