witch guitarfish
Zapteryx xyster
Pacific guitarfish, from the southern Gulf of California to Peru. It turns up mainly as bycatch of gillnets and shrimp trawls, and is globally vulnerable.
Also called: raia-viola-bruxa, guitarra bruja, witch guitarfish
- maximum
- 78 cm
who is the witch guitarfish
The witch guitarfish belongs to the family Trygonorrhinidae and reaches 78 cm. It lives on the continental shelf, on rocky and sandy bottoms, near reefs, down to 150 m. It is a nocturnal predator, eating mostly small fish and shrimp. It is ovoviviparous, males mature around 47 cm and females around 45 cm. Pups are born at 18 cm. It is likely caught as bycatch of gillnets and shrimp trawls.
Essential profile. Identification, where it occurs and rules, with data from FishBase and the cited regulations. Season, time of day, technique and bait are added once we have a good source for the witch guitarfish; in the meantime, see the similar species.
identification
Ray with a flattened body, long disc and snout shaped like a guitar, and a tail with a caudal fin. The banded guitarfish, Zapteryx exasperata, lives from California to Mexico. This one lives from the southern Gulf of California to Peru, which helps tell the two apart.
Loading the next 7 days…
Each card shows the day's index (0 to 100) and, below it, a strip with the index for each hour, from 0h to 23h. from poor to excellent.
Essential profile: the index uses a general fish model (weather, sun, moon and tide), without a season or time of day specific to this species.
where found
In Latin America it occurs from the southern Gulf of California, in Mexico, to Peru, passing through Colombia, Costa Rica and Panama, on rocky and sandy bottoms.
Habitat: Rocky and sandy shelf bottoms, near reefs, down to 150 m deep.
when to fish
best time of day
Nighttime. According to the source, it feeds at night.
rules for the witch guitarfish
Summary of the regulations we found, with the source for each. Rules change; before keeping or transporting fish, check with the state environmental agency.
We found no species-specific rule beyond the region's general rules.
catch and release
catch and release Releasing the fish alive, quickly and with a wet hand. During a closed season it isn't always allowed: what the regulation says applies.
Ray that is harmless to the angler, but globally vulnerable. Hold it by the disc, without pulling by the tail, and release it right away, with minimal handling.
how much it weighs without taking it out of the water
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.00724, b = 3.0; FishBase (relação peso-comprimento bayesiana, estimativa)). It's an average: a fat or lean fish can vary by 10% to 20%.
estimated weight
—
sources and references
Essential profile: size, length-weight, depth, countries and conservation come from FishBase and the cited regulations, and the texts were written from those sources. Season, time of day, sensitivities, technique and baits and lures are not included yet, because we did not find a good source for this species.
- scientific FishBase: Zapteryx xyster (ficha da espécie)Size, length-weight, depth, habitat, distribution, biology, and IUCN status. Page checked on Oct 13, 2026.
- scientific FishBase: nomes populares de Zapteryx xysterNames by country and language.
