Assist Scientists in Understanding More About the Elusive Freckled Guitarfish

The Freckled Guitarfish (Pseudobatos lentiginosus) is a small, bottom-dwelling ray native to the Gulf and western North Atlantic. Listed as Vulnerable by the IUCN, we still know very little about its life history, habitat, and population health. This makes it difficult to design effective conservation strategies to protect this species from decline. Your help in collecting specimens will provide critical data to fill these knowledge gaps and safeguard its future.

The Gulf Guitarfish Project

This international research effort, led by scientists from The University of Texas Marine Science Institute (UTMSI) and El Colegio de la Frontera Sur (ECOSUR) in Mexico in collaboration with a broad network in the US and Mexico, aims to uncover the life history secrets of this mysterious ray. The project is generously supported by the Save Our Seas Foundation (Project #698).

Since the 2020 IUCN Vulnerable status was based largely on data from related species, this project seeks to provide species-specific information about the Freckled Guitarfish’s age, growth, reproduction, and nursery habitats across the Gulf — spanning sampling sites in both the USA and Mexico.

Project Goals

  • Estimate age structure, growth rates, and reproductive parameters.
  • Analyze vertebral cartilage microchemistry to identify critical nursery areas such as lagoons, estuaries, and bays.
  • Compile fisheries data to understand catch rates and trends.
  • Provide baseline life-history data essential for population assessments and conservation planning.

How You Can Help

If you catch a Freckled Guitarfish and want to support this research:

1. Record Important Information

Use pencil to write on a piece of paper:

  • Your name
  • Date of collection
  • General location caught (e.g., South Padre Island)
  • Latitude and longitude (if possible)
  • Fishing gear used Place the paper in the fish’s mouth.

2. Preserve the Specimen Keep the fish on ice or frozen until researchers can collect it.

3. Contact the Team

  • Dr. Alfonsina Romo (UTMSI, Port Aransas, TX): alfonsina.romo@austin.utexas.edu | 361-278-5355
  • Mr. Bryan Huerta (University of Southern Mississippi, Ocean Springs, MS): Bryan.HuertaBeltran@usm.edu
  • Dr. David Wells (TAMUG, Galveston, TX): wellsr@tamug.edu | 409-740-4989

Why It Matters

The Freckled Guitarfish faces pressure from bycatch and habitat changes but lacks species-specific data needed to evaluate its conservation status accurately. By collecting samples and data, this project will help scientists determine critical growth and reproduction parameters and identify nursery habitats that deserve protection. These insights are vital for creating science-based management plans to prevent further decline and promote recovery.

Thank You

Your participation helps build the foundation for conserving this vulnerable species in the Gulf. Please reach out if you have questions or want to learn more—we appreciate your support in advancing marine conservation!