Family SQUATINIDAE

Squatinidae

© Copyright Ros Poole.

Museums

Regional Maps

External Links

Introduction

The Squatinidae includes a single tropical and warm temperate genus with 15 described species. Compagno et al. (2005), however, listed 20 known species including many undescribed. Four species are known from Australian waters (Last & Stevens 1994, 2009; Compagno & Niem 1998).

Angel sharks are found throughout the world, except for much of the Indian Ocean and central Pacific Ocean. They generally occur over, and bury in, soft sand or mud, from the intertidal to depths of 1300 m. They are ovoviviparous and prey on fishes and invertebrates. Most angel sharks are less than 1.5 m long, but Squatina tergocellata reaches only about 60 cm.

Angel sharks are poorly known and are in need of revision. Bigelow & Schroeder (1948) treated Atlantic species and provided a key to the known species. Compagno (1984) reviewed current knowledge of the group.

General References

Bigelow, H.B. & Schroeder, W.C. 1948. Sharks. In, Parr, A.E. (ed.) Fishes of the western North Atlantic. Memoir. Sears Foundation of Marine Research 1(1): 59-546 figs 6-106

Compagno, L.J.V. 1984. FAO Species Catalogue. Sharks of the World. An annotated and illustrated catalogue of shark species known to date. Hexanchiformes to Lamniformes. FAO Fisheries Synopsis No. 125. Rome : FAO Vol. 4(1) pp. 1-249.

Compagno, L.J.V., Dando, M. & Fowler, S. 2005. A Field Guide to the Sharks of the World. London : Collins 368 pp.

Compagno, L.J.V. & Niem, V.H. 1998. Families Squatinidae, Heterodontidae, Parascylliidae, Brachaeluridae, Orectolobidae, Hemiscylliidae. pp. 1235-1259 in Carpenter, K.E. & Niem, V.H. (eds). The Living Marine Resources of the Western Central Pacific. FAO Species Identification Guide for Fisheries Purposes. Rome : FAO Vol. 2 687-1396 pp.

Last, P.R. & Stevens, J.D. 1994. Sharks and Rays of Australia. Canberra : CSIRO Australia 513 pp. 84 pls.

Last, P.R. & Stevens, J.D. 2009. Sharks and Rays of Australia. Collingwood : CSIRO Publishing Australia 2, 550 pp. [110]

Common Name References

Last, P.R. & Stevens, J.D. 1994. Sharks and Rays of Australia. Canberra : CSIRO Australia 513 pp. 84 pls. [277] (Angel Sharks)

History of changes