Angelshark

📖 Overview

A benthic species that occurs inshore, on coasts and along the continental shelf; may enter estuaries . Found mainly on sand or mud bottoms; sluggish by day, lying buried with eyes protruding. Also utilizes areas with macroalgae, kelp or rocks . Nocturnal species, swims off bottom at night. Feeds mainly on flatfishes and other benthic fishes, but also on skates, crustaceans and molluscs, with one record of swallowed cormorant . Moves to deeper waters during winter, returning to the shallower depths in the spring , moving northwards in summer. Ovoviviparous . Females generally grow larger than males . Detects weak electric fields generated by other organisms (e.g. potential prey) . The marine leech Stibarobdella macrothela is a common parasite and the isopod Aegapheles deshaysiana a common micropredator for this shark species in the Canary Islands. Utilized fresh and dried salted for human consumption, and possibly for oil and fishmeal . Reaches 250 cm .

🔬 Taxonomy

🐟 Physical Description

Dorsal spines (total): 0. Broad flattened body, with enlarged pectoral and pelvic fins, no anal fin. Eyes and large spiracles dorsally. Gill openings at the sides of the head. The mouth is terminal. Coloration variable, from grey to reddish or greenish-brown with scattered small white spots and blackish dots dorsally . No ocelli on body .: other.

🌀 Behaviour

Behavioural data for Angelshark is currently being reviewed.

🦐 Diet

Diet information for Angelshark is currently being compiled.

🥚 Reproduction

Ovoviviparous, produce 7-25 pups/litter , 13.0 +/- 1.9 pups in the Canary Is with litter number increasing with female size. Gestation period lasts for 8-10 months (born Dec-Feb in Mediterranean, July in England) , and +/- 6 months in the Canary Is . Size at birth ranges from 24-30 cm TL . Embryos feed solely on yolk . Full term embryos weighed 189-200 g; no egg capsules found around ova or embryos . A biannual reproductive cycle is likely the case for this species , triannual cycle in the Canary Is .

🌍 Habitat & Distribution

Marine; brackish; demersal; oceanodromous ; depth range 5 - 150 m . Temperate; 63°N - 21°N, 19°W - 42°E East Atlantic.

🌿 Ecology

📐 Morphometrics

🌡️ Water Parameters & Tolerance

🛡️ Conservation Assessment

📊 Population Risk & Fisheries

🌐 Names & Taxonomy

Scientific Synonyms

🐠 Related Species

🔍 Similar Species

🗺️ Global Occurrence Map

Occurrence records from the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) - 9 records indexed .

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