Overview

Angelsharks are ambush hunters that lie flat on the seabed like living leaf-shaped traps. Their ray-like outline is deceptive, but the side gill slits and classic shark tail give the game away. The body is strongly flattened, with broad pectoral and pelvic fins that make the shark look ray-like at first glance, though the gill slits remain on the sides of the head. Angelsharks occur in temperate and tropical shelf seas, often with strongly regional species replacing one another from basin to basin.

They are benthic ambush sharks of sandy bottoms, mixed sediments, reefs, and upper-slope habitats.

Added from the World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS).

Why it matters: An angelshark can disappear into sand so completely that only the eyes and spiracles remain visible.

Common nameSquatina Caillieti
Scientific nameSquatina caillieti
FamilySquatinidae
OrderSquatiniformes
Max length0.3 m
Depth range0 to 0 meters
RegionUnknown
DietData not available in this offline release.
HabitatMarine waters (habitat data not available locally).
Why it stands outFamily: Squatinidae

What this shark is

The body is strongly flattened, with broad pectoral and pelvic fins that make the shark look ray-like at first glance, though the gill slits remain on the sides of the head.

Where it lives

Angelsharks occur in temperate and tropical shelf seas, often with strongly regional species replacing one another from basin to basin.

They are benthic ambush sharks of sandy bottoms, mixed sediments, reefs, and upper-slope habitats.

How it differs from similar sharks

Family: Squatinidae

Compare it against African angelshark, Atlantic angel shark, and Pacific angel shark.

Why it is notable

They are generally not dangerous unless stepped on or disturbed at very close range. Bottom trawling and coastal fisheries have caused major declines in several species.

Species-level taxonomy was verified from Sharkipedia's current species list and taxonomy workbook. In this pass, the narrative fields are cautious family-level placeholders synthesized from broad shark references, chiefly the FAO Sharks of the World catalogue, because a stronger multi-source species-level synthesis was not assembled here without risking invented detail. Replace this with a direct species-level synthesis before publication in the app.

Related shark pages

These links are meant to help readers continue through related species, not force extra clicks.