A critically endangered bowmouth guitarfish named Fender will make his public debut Friday, Nov. 7 in the Tropical Reef Aquarium’s Outer Reef habitat at Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium.

Born in the summer of 2022 off the east coast of Taiwan, Fender was one of nine pups unexpectedly born after their mother was caught in a commercial fishing net. While held temporarily at a local fishing center, she gave birth to nine live pups, including Fender. Thanks to a rapid response from conservation partners, the pups were safely transported to the U.S. and placed with leading aquariums for long-term care.

Fender, who weighs 230 pounds and is 6 feet, 7 inches long, comes to Tacoma from the Georgia Aquarium. He is now the largest animal in the Tropical Reef Aquarium.

“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.”

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. In the future, 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 actually more closely related to rays, as shown by the 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.

These solitary fish 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.

See Fender in the Outer Reef habitat or book an Eye-to-Eye Shark Dive for an up-close underwater adventure.