Fish
Angel Shark
Squatinidae · also called sand devil
Buried in sand with only its eyes exposed, an angel shark waits motionless for prey to wander within striking distance, then explodes upward in one of the fastest ambush lunges of any shark before vanishing back into the seafloor.
Overview
The angel shark, family Squatinidae, is a flattened, ray-like true shark native to coastal and continental shelf ocean habitat recorded across temperate and tropical waters worldwide. Its striking ray-like body shape, lightning-fast ambush strike, and status among the most threatened shark families on Earth make it one of the more urgently conservation-relevant groups of sharks found anywhere in the ocean.
A shark disguised as a ray
Few sharks push the limits of the typical shark body plan as far as the angel shark, whose broad, flattened pectoral fins and buried, motionless ambush lifestyle make it look and behave far more like a ray, betrayed only by the side-mounted gill slits that mark it as a genuine shark.
Status
Critically Endangered for several species within the family, having disappeared from large parts of their historical range due to bottom trawling and coastal habitat loss.
Angel Shark: common questions
Why does the angel shark look so much like a ray?
This family has an unusually flattened body with broad, wing-like pectoral fins, giving it an appearance closer to a ray than to most other shark species, though its side-mounted gill slits confirm it is a true shark.
How does the angel shark catch its prey?
This family buries itself partially in sand or mud, remaining motionless and well camouflaged until unsuspecting prey passes close enough for an extremely rapid upward lunge that snaps shut on the target in a fraction of a second.
Why are angel sharks considered so threatened?
Several species in this family have suffered severe population declines and local extinctions across large parts of their historical range, driven primarily by bottom trawling and coastal habitat loss, leaving some species Critically Endangered.
Is the angel shark a true shark despite its flattened body?
Yes, this family has gill slits positioned on the sides of the head rather than underneath the body, a true shark feature that clearly distinguishes it from true rays despite the superficially similar flattened shape.