The Seville Aquarium Presents “the Guitar of the Sea”, a Project to Discover the Incredible Story of the Guitarfish
Have you ever heard of the guitarfish? It may not be as well-known as the Iberian Lynx, but the current situation of this animal is more concerning. It is a critically endangered species, meaning it’s on the verge of disappearing from nature. For this reason, the Seville Aquarium is launching a conservation and awareness project to make this species known with the aim of reversing this worrying situation, preventing the last populations from disappearing.
The giant guitarfish (Glaucostegus cemiculus) is a flattened cartilaginous fish that, despite having a body similar to sharks, belongs to the ray family. Although it’s a harmless species for humans, it faces an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild due to various threats such as bycatch, overfishing (due to the disappearance of target prey), habitat destruction, and frequent captures for restaurant consumption, as well as its sale in markets or poaching. These are the reasons why there are currently few specimens left on our coasts.
It’s precisely the shape of its body, resembling a guitar, that gives this animal its name. With the “The Guitar of the Sea” campaign, the Sevillian aquarium wants to give prominence to this elasmobranch so that people get to know it, because what is not known is not cared for. “Can you imagine a world without music? Surely not, and an ocean without fish? That’s the meaning of this campaign. We want to make noise to prevent the guitar of the sea from falling silent” states Rocío Alcázar, manager of the aquarium.
This project, launched by the Lamna Association, consists of several lines of action, including conservation and awareness. The first phase of the project is being carried out in collaboration with other entities and aquariums. Regarding awareness, the aquarium’s technicians have designed a campaign with different activities for all audiences (schoolchildren, music schools, general public, etc.) that will be developed over the coming months and can be consulted on the website (www.acuariosevilla.es). Susana Montero, education director of the aquarium, comments “We want many people to join this campaign, to be part of the change by giving voice to this unique fish, and allowing the sound of this guitar to reach many more”
To learn about this species in depth, visitors will find several specimens of guitarfish in the aquarium; 2 adults in the main tank and several “babies” in the Atlantic zone pool. Other novelties that visitors will find are a 3D hologram, a three-dimensional projection in which the guitarfish will come to life; an interactive game where they can learn about all the threats these animals face in nature; as well as a very musical photo booth that will allow those who participate in a contest to win annual passes.