Elasmobranchii (sharks and rays) >
Squatiniformes (Angel sharks) >
Squatinidae (Angel sharks)
Etymology: Squatina: Latin for skate, which angel sharks superficially resemble, presumably tautonymous with Squalus squatina Linnaeus 1758 (no species mentioned) (See ETYFish); dumeril: In honor of French zoologist André Marie Constant Duméril (1774-1860) “in testimony of [Lesueur’s] remembrance and esteem” (not in honor of Duméril’s equally famous zoologist son Auguste, born in 1812) [presumably a noun in apposition, without the patronymic “i”] (See ETYFish).
Eponymy: Dr André Marie Constant Duméril (1774–1860) was a French zoologist who qualified as a physician (1793). [...] (Ref. 128868), visit book page.
More on author: Lesueur.
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Marine; bathydemersal; depth range 1 - 1375 m (Ref. 26938), usually ? - 128 m (Ref. 55306). Subtropical; 43°N - 9°N, 96°W - 58°W (Ref. 54904)
Western Atlantic: southern New England, USA to the Gulf of Mexico, Jamaica and Venezuela. Also in Columbia (Ref. 26938).
Length at first maturity / Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm 99.5, range 92 - 107 cm
Max length : 152 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 247); common length : 100.0 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 6077)
A ray-shaped shark. Head narrowing to distinct neck at base of pectoral fins (Ref. 26938).
Body shape (shape guide): other.
Occurs on the outer continental shelf and the upper slope. Found from shoreline to depths of 1,375 m (Ref. 26938). Benthic burrower; feeds on small bottom fishes, crustaceans and mollusks (Ref. 27549). Ovoviviparous. Will bite when captured and can inflict nasty lacerations with its trap-like jaws and pointed teeth.
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae
Ovoviviparous, embryos feed solely on yolk (Ref. 50449).
Vaz, D.F.B. and M.R. De Carvalho, 2013. Morphological and taxonomic revision of species of Squatina from the Southwestern Atlantic Ocean (Chondrichthyes: Squatiniformes: Squatinidae). Zootaxa 3695(1):001-081. (Ref. 95520)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435: Version 2025-1)
Threat to humans
Traumatogenic
Human uses
Fisheries: minor commercial
Tools
Special reports
Download XML
Internet sources
Estimates based on models
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref.
82804): PD
50 = 0.5000 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.00676 (0.00402 - 0.01136), b=3.06 (2.91 - 3.21), in cm total length, based on LWR estimates for this species & Genus-body shape (Ref.
93245).
Trophic level (Ref.
69278): 4.5 ±0.6 se; based on diet studies.
Resilience (Ref.
120179): Low, minimum population doubling time 4.5 - 14 years (Fec assumed to be <100).
Fishing Vulnerability (Ref.
59153): Very high vulnerability (90 of 100).
🛈
