Pacific Angel Shark
Squatina californica

Physical Description

• Shark with a flattened body and broad pectoral (side) fins that resemble a ray.
• Have a large mouth on front of head, instead of on bottom.
• Gray, brown and black mottled coloring to camouflage in the sand.
• They can reach five feet in length.
• Have two small dorsal (top) fins at base of tail, no bottom fins.

Range

• From southern Alaska to Baja California, Mexico.
• Gulf of California, Mexico.
• From Ecuador to southern Chile.

Habitat

• Prefer soft, sandy bottoms near kelp forests and rocky reefs.
• Found at depths of 0 to 330 feet.

Reproduction

• Pacific angel sharks are slow growing and do not reach sexual maturity until age 13.
• Reproduction is via internal fertilization.
• Embryos receive nutrition from a yolk sac inside the mother and females bear live young.
• Newborn Pacific angel sharks are self-sufficient predators and do not receive any more parental care.

Diet

• Small fish like croakers and halibut, squid, octopus, some small sharks, crustaceans.
• Uses large mouth to create suction while feeding.

Predators

• Great white sharks, larger sharks, northern elephant seals.

Interesting Facts

• Unlike many sharks, they do not need to swim to breathe. Thus, they can lay in wait in the sand to ambush their prey.
• They are suction feeders, and will swallow their prey whole.
• They are both overfished and caught as bycatch in other fisheries. Angel sharks are one of the most at-risk groups of sharks on the planet.

Sources: Monterey Bay Aquarium; Oceana; Florida Museum

Photo: Weiwei Gao