Author: Bonaparte, 1840

Field Marks:
An angelshark with large thorns on snout and above eyes but not on midbaek, weakly bifurcated nasal barbels and weakly fringed anterior nasal flaps, the first dorsal origin usually well behind the pelvic rear tips, and prominent white spots on body.

Diagnostic Features:
Trunk rather slender. Anterior nasal barbels weakly bifurcated; posterior margin of anterior nasal flaps between nasal barbels and tips weakly fringed; distance from eye to spiracle less than 1.5 times eye diameter; dermal folds on sides of head without triangular lobes. Origin of first dorsal fin usually well behind free rear tips of pectoral fins; pectoral fins low and angular, rear tips of pectoral fins broadly subangular. Large spines present on snout and above eyes but usually absent from midback; lateral trunk denticles pointed and with three ridges. Colour: no large brown ocelli, but prominent white spots present in a symmetrical pattern on pectoral fins and on body.

Geographical Distribution:
Eastern Atlantic: Mediterranean and Morocco to Angola.

Habitat and Biology:
A warm-temperate and tropical angelshark of the eastern Atlantic continental shelves and upper slopes from 20 to 500 or more metres, mostly between 50 and 100 m, deeper in tropics. Ovoviviparous. Eats small fishes, including goatfishes.

Size:
Maximum totallength 160 cm, adult males to at least 140 cm, size at birth about 24 to 27 cm.

Interest to Fisheries:
Caught primarily in bottom trawls, but also in fixed bottom nets, on line gear, and occasionally even in pelagic trawls. Utilized fresh and dried salted for human consumption, for liver oil and hides used for leather.

Type material:
Holotype: None. Type Locality: Mediterranean off Italy.

Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Chordata
Subphylum Vertebrata
Superclass Gnathostomata
Class Chondrichthyes
Subclass Elasmobranchii
Superorder Squatinomorphii
Order Squatiniformes
Family Squatinidae
Genus Squatina
Species Squatina oculata

Status in World Register of Marine Species

Accepted name: Squatina oculata Bonaparte, 1840

Scientific synonyms and common names

Squatina oculata Bonaparte, 1840

Squatina oculata Bonaparte, 1840, Icon.Faun.Ital., fasc.28, pta. 147.

Synonymy: None.

FAO Names:
Smoothback angelshark [English]
Ange de mer ocellé [French]
Ange de mer de Bonaparte [French]
Pez ángel [Spanish]
SQUAT Squat 3 [FAO Code]

Bigelow, H.B. and W.C. Schroeder, 1948. Sharks. Mem.Sears Found.Mar.Res., (1):53-576

Poll, M., 1951. Poissons. 1. Generalites. 2. Selaciens et Chimbres. Result.Sci.Exped.Oceanoar.Belge, 4(1):154 p.

Cadenat, J., 1957. Notes d'ichtyologie ouest-africaine. 17. Biologie, régime alimentaire. Bull.Inst.Fond.Afr. Noire (A.Sci.Nat.), 19(1):274-94

Maurin, C. and M. Bonnet, 1970. Poissons des cotes nord-ouest africaines (Campagnes de la 'Thalassia', 1962 et 1968). Rev.Trav.Inst.Peches Marit., Nantes, 34(2):125-70

Compagno, L.J.V., 1981. Legend versus reality: the jaws image and shark diversity. Oceanus, 24(4):5-16

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