Angel Shark

ID points

• Flattened like a ray, but the gill slits open on the sides of the body
• Pectoral fins are not joined to the head, leaving a clear notch
• Buries in the sand with only the eyes showing, ambushing passing fish

Basics

Family

Squatinidae

Length

100–180 cm

Depth

5-150 m

Regions

Temperate & polar

Distribution

Shallow sandy bottoms from temperate to tropical seas and the Mediterranean

Habitat

Sandy bottoms in shallow seas

Diet

Bottom-dwelling fish, crustaceans

Easily confused with

Electric RayBody almost a round disc with thick soft edgesStingrayFlat disc- or diamond-shaped body, lying buried in the sandCownose RayFront of the head is notched into two lobes, like a cow's nose

Fun fact

The angel shark is extremely flattened, its broad pectoral and pelvic fins spread out like wings, and it usually lies half buried in sand waiting to ambush prey. Its eyes sit on top of its head and its snout is short and wide, making it the finest camouflage artist in the shark family. It can spring out of the sand astonishingly fast and engulf whatever passes. Overfishing has left it functionally extinct in the Mediterranean, and it is now listed as critically endangered.