Squatina guggenheim by Hidetoshi1 on DeviantArt (original) (raw)

Known as the Angular Angel Shark in english, or as the Cação-Anjo in portuguese and Angelito in spanish, this fish is native to the Atlantic Coast from Southeastern Brazil to Argentina, and is distinct from the other species of angel sharks by the singular (or multiple for the juveniles) line of dorsal denticles. It is a rather small species of Squatina, reaching average sizes between 70-80cm long and 95cm maximum lenght according to the digital fauna site of the Rio Grande do Sul state (linked below, in portuguese) but Fishbase reports individuals up to 130 cm long. As most angel sharks, it is an opportunistic predator adapted to abduct fish, crustaceans and cephalopods while laying on the substrate, often partially burried. This species is critically endangered and despite being protected on Brazil and Argentina, it still suffers capture pressure and is often sold illegally, often when caught as bycatch from other benthic targeting fisheries. It's range encompasses depths between 4 - 360m deep, but rarely being found below 266m deep.