Angel Shark

Overview

A flat, ray-like shark that lies buried in sand to ambush passing prey. Critically endangered in the Mediterranean and eastern Atlantic. Responsible for occasional bites on divers who disturb it. Once widespread; now locally extinct across much of its historic range.

Habitat

The shark prefers mud and sand bottoms inshore 16.4 ft [5 m] on coasts and estuaries up to over 492.1 [150 m] on the continental shelf.

Distribution

Northeast Atlantic: historically from Norway to Mauritania, Canary Islands, Mediterranean and Black Sea. They have now vanished from some of these areas.

Behavior

Torpid by day, lying buried with eyes protruding out of the sand or mud. They swim strongly off of the bottom at night. They are seasonally migratory in colder water, moving northwards in the summer.