Smoothback angelshark facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Smoothback angelshark |
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| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Squatina
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| Species: |
oculata
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| Range of smoothback angelshark (in blue) | |
The smoothback angelshark (Squatina oculata) is a special type of angelshark. It belongs to the family called Squatinidae. You can find this shark in the eastern Atlantic and the Mediterranean Sea.
What Does It Look Like?
The smoothback angelshark can grow up to 1.6 meters long. That's about as tall as a grown-up!
Like other angelsharks, its body is very flat and wide. This is because its pectoral fins (the ones on its sides, like arms) are very large. This makes it look a bit like a ray. But unlike rays, its pectoral fins are clearly separate from its body.
This shark has two dorsal fins (on its back) but no anal fin (on its belly near the tail). Its skin is grey-brown with small, round black and white spots. It also has a special white spot on its neck.
You might notice dark spots on the base and tips of its pectoral fins. There are also spots near its tail and on the bottom edges of its dorsal fins. Sometimes, it even has "eyespots" with white edges, which look like big eyes! The outer edges of its dorsal and caudal fins (tail fin) are white. The edges of its chest fins and belly fins are dark.
It has small, sharp spines near its snout (nose area) and around its eyes. But don't worry, there are no spines on its back. Its eyes are on top of its head, with a dip between them. Its nostrils have short, whisker-like parts called barbels. It also has large spiracles, which are like breathing holes behind its eyes. There are five gill openings on the sides of its head, underneath.
Where Do They Live?
The smoothback angelshark lives along the western coast of Africa, all the way down to Namibia. It also lives in the Mediterranean Sea.
These sharks prefer to live on the outer edges of the continental shelf. This is the part of the ocean floor that slopes away from the land. They usually live in water that is between 20 and 500 meters deep. However, they are most often found in waters shallower than 100 meters.
Life and Habits
We don't have a lot of information about the smoothback angelshark's daily life. But we do know what it likes to eat! It hunts for small sharks, bony fish, cephalopods (like squid and octopuses), and crabs.
Like all angelsharks, the smoothback angelshark gives birth to live young. This is called ovoviviparous. This means the eggs hatch inside the mother's body, and then the babies are born alive. When they are born, the baby sharks are about 24–27 centimeters long.
Why Are They in Danger?
Sadly, the smoothback angelshark is in big trouble. It is considered critically endangered. This means it's very close to disappearing forever.
These sharks used to be very common. But their numbers have dropped a lot in the last 50 years. The biggest threat to them is fishing. Many fishing boats use drift nets, gillnets, and longlines in the coastal areas where these sharks live.
The smoothback angelsharks often get caught by accident in these nets and lines. This is called by-catch. Because of this, they have almost disappeared from large parts of the northern Mediterranean and off the coast of Africa. For example, between 1990 and 1998, the number of smoothback angelsharks (and two similar species) caught by fishing boats off Morocco and Mauritania dropped by 95%! This shows how serious the problem is. It's likely that fishing will continue to be a big threat to these sharks in the future.
