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).
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 2024-2)
Threat to humans
Traumatogenic
Human uses
Fisheries: minor commercial
Tools
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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).
