Eastern shovelnose ray
The eastern shovelnose ray is a species of guitarfish, family Rhinobatidae.
The eastern shovenose ray is endemic to subtropical and temperate waters of Australia's east coast, from off Halifax Bay to Merimbula. It typically lives on the continental shelf, inhabiting sandflats, mudflats and seagrass beds in bays, estuaries, river mouths, around rocky reefs and in surf zones to depths of about 100 m.
Using microspectrophotometry, this species was shown to have three spectrally distinct cone visual pigments with wavelengths of maximum absorbance of 459, 492 and 553 nm, and rods peaking at 498 nm. This suggests this species may have colour vision - perhaps trichromatic. The giant shovelnose ray also had three different cone types of a similar nature and was found to be able to discriminate colour when behaviourally tested.
It is used as seafood.
