Fiddler ray

A guitarfish in the Australian genus Trygonorrhina, with a flattened body whose outline resembles a fiddle. It is a bottom-dwelling cartilaginous fish.

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Trygonorrhina: A genus of Australian guitarfishes in the family Trygonorrhinidae. Fiddler rays belong to this genus, whose name anchors their scientific classification.
Benthic zone: The ecological region at the bottom of a body of water. Fiddler rays forage and rest on the seabed rather than living in open water.
Southern fiddler ray: A species of Trygonorrhina found in southern Australian waters. It is one of the named species commonly included under the fiddler-ray name.
Banjo shark: A common name for several guitarfishes with broad, flattened heads and tapering bodies. Banjo sharks resemble fiddler rays but belong to different guitarfish lineages.
Guitarfish: A group of rays with broad pectoral fins and bodies tapering into sharklike tails. The fiddler ray’s flattened front and narrowing rear give it the guitarfish body plan.
Electroreception: The detection of weak electrical fields produced by other organisms. This sensory ability helps rays locate prey hidden beneath sand or mud.
Eastern fiddler ray: A species of Trygonorrhina found along eastern Australia. Its range distinguishes it from the southern fiddler ray.
Shark: A cartilaginous fish typically shaped for swimming with the pectoral fins separate from the head. Fiddler rays share shark ancestry but have pectoral fins fused to the head region.
Elasmobranch: A cartilaginous fish in the group that includes sharks, skates, and rays. Fiddler rays are elasmobranchs, sharing their basic skeletal and respiratory traits.
Ampullae of Lorenzini: Electroreceptive organs in cartilaginous fishes that detect weak electric fields. These organs provide the sensory equipment used to detect buried prey.