Eastern Shovelnose Ray
Aptychotrema rostrata
Other Names
Fiddler shark, guitarfish.
Family
Rhinobatidae (guitarfishes).
Description, Location, Habitat and Harvesting Information
Available wildcaught, it is a bottom-dwelling marine fish found inshore to around 50m off eastern Australia between Moreton Bay in Queensland and Jervis Bay in NSW, caught mainly as bycatch of demersal trawlers but also by seine and gillnets.
Season
Available year round with peaks in summer.
Size and Weight
Grows to around 10kg and 120m.
Price
Low priced.
Relations
Giant Shovelnose Ray, Magpie Fiddler Ray, Western Shovelnose Ray, Southern Fiddler Ray. As a cartilaginous fish, guitarfish are also related to sharks but differ in that their head and pectoral fins join to form a flattened disc with eyes on the top and mouth and gills on the underside. Guitarfish differ from other rays, which have larger (often more diamond shaped) bodies and mostly a venomous stinging spine on the tail. They differ from skate (sometimes also marketed as ‘Ray’), which have larger disc-shaped heads/bodies and much shorter, thinner tails without a sting.
To Buy
Sold in fillet form (always skinned). Look for fillets with pale pink, firm, lustrous, moist flesh without any brown markings or oozing water and with a pleasant fresh sea smell.
To Store
Wrap fillets in plastic wrap or place in an airtight container. Refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months below -18ºC.
To Cook
Average yield is 55% from a headless trunk. Has a mild flavour, low oiliness and moderately moist, firm flesh, which is generally boneless, although depending on the cut some cartilage, which will soften with cooking, may remain.
Cooking Methods
Steam, poach, deep-fry, pan-fry, stir-fry, bake, braise, grill, barbecue. The firm flesh holds together well in soups, curries and casseroles and can be cubed for kebabs. Flesh has good gelling characteristics and works well minced for fish cakes and fish balls. The flesh is highly regarded in Asia (though underutilised in Australia) and the fins are often used in shark fin soup.
Goes Well With
Butter, capers, cider, lemon, lime, rosemary, sage.
Alternatives
Other Rays, Lings, Sharks, Skate.
Imports
None.