The First Record of Putative Mating Behavior and Early Life Stages of the Banded Guitarfish Zapteryx exasperata (Trygonorrhinidae) in the Matlahuayl State Marine Reserve, Southern California, USA

Reports of reproductive events in wild elasmobranchs are rare, yet provide valuable information while planning conservation measures. This is the first record of two mature banded guitarfish Zapteryx exasperata engaging in putative mating behavior, as well as two suspected young–of–the–year specimens, inside a marine protected area in Southern California. When integrated with previous records, these findings strengthen the hypothesis that the species may be expanding both its geographic range and life history behaviors within the United States, stressing the need for further investigation as to how it utilizes the region and assess the efficacy of current management practices in preserving its declining population.