Thornback Angel Shark
| Thornback Angel Shark | ||||||||||||
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| Squatina armata | ||||||||||||
| ( Philippi , 1887) |
The thorn back-angel shark ( Squatina armata ), also known as Chilean angel shark is a maximum of 100 centimeters long Engelhai . It occurs on the Pacific coast of southern South America. The holotype has been lost and the classification as a separate species is uncertain. It is possible that it is a synonym for the Pacific angel shark ( S. californicus ).
Appearance and characteristics
The thornback angel shark can probably reach a maximum body length of about 100 cm (the holotype with 103 cm body length has been lost). As with other angel sharks, the body is strongly flattened with very broad pectoral fins , which makes the animals look more like long rays in shape . However, the pectoral fins are clearly separated from the trunk, while in most rays they merge seamlessly into the body. Thornback angel sharks have two dorsal fins and no anal fin . The back is red-brown to gray, the ventral side is lighter. The dorsal fins are slightly lighter than the back. On the snout area there are greatly enlarged thorns on the mouth and eyes. Over the back and between the dorsal fins and on the upper side of the tail also very large, hook-shaped thorns run in a double row along the center line. There are more thorns on the leading edge of the pectoral fins.
The head of this species is narrow compared to other angel sharks. The eyes are on the top of the head, the mouth is terminal, the outer nostrils are provided with short barbels . The spray holes are very large, the number of lateral gill openings is five.
distribution
The range of the thornback angel shark is in the coastal area of the southern Pacific off Chile , but it probably also occurs off Colombia , Peru and Ecuador . The holotype has been lost and the classification as a separate species is uncertain. It is possible that it is a synonym for the Pacific angel shark ( S. californicus ), which is found on both the North American and South American Pacific coasts.
The thornback angel shark lives on the outer edge of the continental shelf , the depth distribution is unknown.
Way of life
Nothing is known about the way of life of the thornback angel shark. Like other angel sharks, it probably feeds mainly on small bony fish, cephalopods and crustaceans , which it prey on lying on the ground as a lurker . Like all angel sharks, it is ovoviviparous - the eggs are hatched in the womb before the young are born alive.
Danger
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) does not classify this type of endangerment due to insufficient data (“data deficient”).
supporting documents
- ↑ a b c Squatina armata in the endangered Red List species the IUCN 2010. Posted by: Lamilla, J. & Romero, M., 2004. Retrieved on December 18 of 2010.
literature
- Leonard Compagno , Marc Dando, Sarah Fowler: Sharks of the World . Princeton University Press , Princeton and Oxford 2005, pp. 139-140. ISBN 978-0-691-12072-0