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Angel Sharks
Squatina
Angel sharks are sharks belonging to the genus Squatina. They are the only living members of the family Squatinidae and order Squatiniformes. They commonly inhabit sandy seabeds close to 150 m (490 ft) in depth.
Squatina and other Squatiniformes differ from other sharks in having flattened bodies and broad pectoral fins that give them a strong resemblance to rays. They occur worldwide in temperate and tropical seas. Most species inhabit shallow temperate or tropical seas, but a few species inhabit deeper water, down to 1,300 m (4,300 ft). Angel sharks are sometimes called monkfish, although this name is also applied to members of the genus Lophius.
24 branches of this genus, most-observed first · about 24 known species
Angelshark
speciesSquatina squatina
Pacific Angelshark
speciesSquatina californica
Australian Angelshark
speciesSquatina australis
Chilean Angelshark
speciesSquatina armata
Angular Angelshark
speciesSquatina guggenheim
Atlantic Angelshark
speciesSquatina dumeril
Eastern Australian Angelshark
speciesSquatina albipunctata
Japanese Angelshark
speciesSquatina japonica
Smoothback Angelshark
speciesSquatina oculata
Clouded Angelshark
speciesSquatina nebulosa
Sawback Angelshark
speciesSquatina aculeata
Ocellated Angelshark
speciesSquatina tergocellatoides
African Angelshark
speciesSquatina africana
Hidden Angelshark
speciesSquatina occulta
Philippines angelshark
speciesSquatina caillieti
Taiwan Angelshark
speciesSquatina formosa
Indonesian Angelshark
speciesSquatina legnota
David's angelshark
speciesSquatina david
Vari's Angel Shark
speciesSquatina varii
Lea's Angel Shark
speciesSquatina leae
Argentine Angelshark
speciesSquatina argentina
Small-crested Angelshark
speciesSquatina mapama
Ornate Angelshark
speciesSquatina tergocellata
Western Australian Angelshark
speciesSquatina pseudocellata
Where it lives
Recorded sightings
—
geo-referenced records in GBIF, from museums, herbaria and field observers.
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In the old herbals & bestiaries
In the stacks
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Every page naming Squatina in the Biodiversity Heritage Library →
This page is assembled live from iNaturalist, GBIF, Wikipedia, the Source Library and the Internet Archive. It is not yet part of the hand-edited codex. iNaturalist taxon 92191.