#angelsharkprofiles

Species Profile No. 41: The African Angelshark (Squatina africana) This isn’t a strictly scientific opinion, but I think that African angelsharks are exceptionally beautiful with their adorable spots! We here at TD may be biased towards sharks with spots in general. But besides that, these sharks are found along the continental shelf, and live in areas that are sandy/muddy at the bottom. They are classified as Near Threatened by the IUCN. Not a lot seems to be known about their reproduction, but they’re very similar to the Pacific angelshark, which has a generation length of a whopping 23 years! Since angelsharks generally reproduce slowly, it’s not a stretch to assume that the African angelshark is sensitive to overfishing. African angelsharks are caught by several types of fisheries. They seem to mostly be caught as bycatch by prawn trawling fisheries and gillnets. In South Africa, trawling operations often catch juvenile sharks, meaning that the deep waters there could be a nursery area for the species, as could similar deepwater areas where trawling occurs. As is often the case, more information about the rates at which these sharks are caught is needed. They don’t fall under much protection other than living in several Marine Protected Areas. The IUCN has suggested that using Turtle Exclusion Devices, devices used to keep turtles out of trawlers, would benefit this species by reducing the rate of bycatch. To help support angel sharks, make sure to support @angelsharkproject, the Angel Shark Conservation Network, Shark Advocates International, and the Shark Conservation Fund. ••• Big thanks to our Patron, Clay Herber! ••••••••••••••••••••••••• #angelsharkprofiles #shark #sharks #angelshark #africanangelshark #africanwildlife #africa #squatina #diversesharks #sharkeducation #savesharks #savethesharks #helpsavesharks #bycatch #overfishing #stopoverfishing #replacefearwithfacts #stopsharkfinning https://www.instagram.com/p/B1d0U7SBJ6u/?igshid=18dxuwdty72mn

Species Profile No. 43: David’s Angelshark (Squatina david) David’s Angelshark is a fairly mysterious shark species! This shark was first scientifically described in 2016, making it a somewhat recent discovery. Females have white spots, while males are darker. They live in soft substrates along the continental slope, making them a coastal species, like many other angel sharks. David’s angelshark is globally listed as Near Threatened by the IUCN. Since this is a recently described species, their population size is unknown, but they have been caught by longlines, gillnets, and trawls in Venezuela - industries that have grown in that area. For this reason, the IUCN lists the population as declining. The reproduction of this species is unknown, but it is believed to have slow reproduction, similar to other angelsharks. This makes this species especially vulnerable to overfishing. To help support angel sharks, make sure to support @angelsharkproject, the Angel Shark Conservation Network, ElasmoCan, Shark Advocates International, and the Shark Conservation Fund. ••• Big thanks to our Patron, Clay Herber! ••••••••••••••••••••••••• #angelsharkprofiles #shark #sharks #angelshark #davidsangelshark #squatina #diversesharks #sharkeducation #savesharks #savethesharks #helpsavesharks #bycatch #overfishing #stopoverfishing #replacefearwithfacts #stopsharkfinning https://www.instagram.com/p/B3meWBZBRy5/?igshid=1khx1zvbo59do

Species Profile No. 39: The Chilean Angelshark (Squatina armata) Today we’re featuring another incredibly mysterious shark, the Chilean Angelshark. Listed as Data Deficient, the IUCN page of this species states that “nothing is known of its biology.” These sharks don’t seem to be caught very often, but the only fisheries information about them comes from Peru, and nothing is known of their value to fisheries in any other country. While it’s a bit disappointing to make a post with so little information, we want to give you all a chance to learn a little bit about every angel shark species! Learning about how many shark species are poorly understood is also important, as it highlights the pressing need for more shark research. Remember that the best way to support species like the Chilean Angelshark is to donate directly to research groups/funding bodies, such as the Shark Conservation Fund. To help support angel sharks, make sure to support @angelsharkproject, the Angel Shark Conservation Network, Shark Advocates International, and the Shark Conservation Fund. ••• Big thanks to our Patron, Clay Herber! ••••••••••••••••••••••••• #angelsharkprofiles #shark #sharks #angelshark #disparateangelshark #mexicanangelshark #squatina #diversesharks #sharkeducation #savesharks #savethesharks #helpsavesharks #bycatch #overfishing #stopoverfishing #replacefearwithfacts #stopsharkfinning https://www.instagram.com/p/B1WeTk2BW48/?igshid=gvp78lxzq4q7

Species Profile No. 42: The Pacific Angelshark (Squatina californica) Pacific angelsharks are found in a variety of habitats along the Pacific coast of North America. They tend to prefer soft-bottom habitats, where they can bury themselves in sediment to ambush their prey. They can be found in shallow bays, coral reefs, kelp forests, and even estuaries! Unlike many sharks, they tend to stay in a certain small, set area, rather than traveling wide distances. Pacific angelsharks are globally listed as Near Threatened by the IUCN. This species takes a long time to mature and reproduce, usually becoming sexually mature at 8-13 years. Females produce litters with an average of 6 pups once per year. Their population is currently declining. In 1976, California’s halibut fishery began targeting Pacific Angelsharks, fishing them for their meat. This led to an over-exploitation of the species, leading to catch limits in 1986, which was ineffective at recovering the population. A gillnet ban was eventually introduced in 1994, which stopped the California fishery. They are still caught as bycatch by shrimp trawlers in California, and are fished for in Mexico to meet the demand that is no longer being met by the California fishery. The Mexican fisheries are very poorly understood, and more research/management is needed. To help support angel sharks, make sure to support @angelsharkproject, the Angel Shark Conservation Network, Shark Advocates International, and the Shark Conservation Fund. ••• Big thanks to our Patron, Clay Herber! ••••••••••••••••••••••••• #angelsharkprofiles #shark #sharks #angelshark #pacificangelshark #squatina #diversesharks #sharkeducation #savesharks #savethesharks #helpsavesharks #bycatch #overfishing #stopoverfishing #replacefearwithfacts #stopsharkfinning https://www.instagram.com/p/B1otFDEhP-t/?igshid=1vphxt1qq6ns6

Species Profile No. 32: The Sand Devil (Squatina dumeril) The sand devil is a species of angel shark - pretty contradictory name, I know! This species is also known as the Atlantic Angelshark. They live on the east coast of North America. They’re a bottom-dwelling species, living close to the shore during the spring and summer, but live in much deeper waters during the fall and winter. They catch their prey by settling into sand or mud and ambushing their food! The sand devil is globally listed as Least Concern by the IUCN. Females give birth once every two years upon reaching maturity, with a gestation period of 12 months and litters that contain 4-25 pups. While a whole year is a long time to be pregnant, these sharks have a generation length of 8.25 years - which is short for a shark! We’ll be able to see how this compares to some of the more threatened angel sharks as we cover more species later on. Sand devils are sometimes caught as bycatch, but the areas that they inhabit currently aren’t targeted by shrimp trawling fisheries. However, as fisheries expand, sand devils could find themselves at risk due to higher rates of bycatch. The IUCN states that this species is vulnerable to overexploitation. Let’s hope that this species can remain safe from fisheries well into the future! To keep the sand devil safe, make sure to support @angelsharkproject, the Angel Shark Conservation Network, Shark Advocates International, and the IUCN Shark Specialist Group. ••••••••••••••••••••••••• #angelsharkprofiles #shark #sharks #angelshark #sanddevil #sanddevilshark #atlanticangelshark #diversesharks #sharkeducation #savesharks #savethesharks #helpsavesharks #bycatch #overfishing #stopoverfishing #replacefearwithfacts #stopsharkfinning https://www.instagram.com/p/B0EGUHYBUU5/?igshid=1gtslfwlti3d9

Species Profile No. 36 & 37: The Disparate Angel Shark (Squatina heteroptera) and Mexican Angel Shark (Squatina mexicana) We’ve decided to do a very special two-for-one species profile post! We chose to feature them together because they have something in common: nothing seems to be known about them! They are not assessed by the IUCN. They are found in the Gulf of Mexico, but nothing more is known about their ecology, reproduction, or population. Species like these are great examples of how important shark research is. You’ve likely seen articles about how poorly understood species like great whites and whale sharks are. For both of these species, there are huge, significant things we don’t know about their reproduction. But they’re two of the most extensively studied species of sharks in the world! When put into this context, it’s easy to see just how much of a complete mystery most other shark species are - especially species like disparate and Mexican angel sharks. To help support angel sharks, make sure to support @angelsharkproject, the Angel Shark Conservation Network, Shark Advocates International, and the IUCN Shark Specialist Group. ••••••••••••••••••••••••• #angelsharkprofiles #shark #sharks #angelshark #disparateangelshark #mexicanangelshark #squatina #diversesharks #sharkeducation #savesharks #savethesharks #helpsavesharks #bycatch #overfishing #stopoverfishing #replacefearwithfacts #stopsharkfinning https://www.instagram.com/p/B0TkqEchiCu/?igshid=1gr6p37447z79

Species Profile No. 34: The Australian Angel Shark (Squatina australis) The Australian angel shark lives along the continential shelf of southern Australia. They thrive in sand or mud flats, seagrass beds, and rocky reefs. They often bury themselves in sediment in order to ambush their prey during the day, but at night they hunt more actively, swimming freely and chasing down their food. Australian angel sharks are globally listed as Least Concern by the IUCN. Their reproduction is poorly understood, but they are known to have litters of up to 20 pups! They are biologically similar to the ornate angel shark, so they may have similar reproduction; ornate angel sharks have pregnancies that last 6-12 months, and reproduce once every two years. Australian angel sharks, like the ornate angel sharks, are captured and killed by some Australian fisheries. Their population is still stable. These sharks are included in some regional protections, and also benefit from the refuge provided by several marine reserves in their range. To help support angel sharks, make sure to support @angelsharkproject, the Angel Shark Conservation Network, Shark Advocates International, and the IUCN Shark Specialist Group. ••••••••••••••••••••••••• #angelsharkprofiles #shark #sharks #angelshark #sanddevil #sanddevilshark #atlanticangelshark #diversesharks #sharkeducation #savesharks #savethesharks #helpsavesharks #bycatch #overfishing #stopoverfishing #replacefearwithfacts #stopsharkfinning https://www.instagram.com/p/B0ObLsLhb3e/?igshid=1kxvgzovm1gp8

Species Profile No. 40: The Indonesian Angelshark (Squatina legnota) The Indonesian angelshark is another species that is listed as Data Deficient. Only a few specimens of this shark have ever been found. Like most Data Deficient species, very little is known about them.They are believed to live in deep waters along the continental slope, putting them outside of the reach of most Indonesian fisheries. They are very rarely caught as bycatch, but likely not at a rate significant enough to impact their population. They seem safe from fishing pressure for now, but since angel sharks - and sharks as a whole - are sensitive to overfishing, if Indonesian deepwater fishing expands, they would be at risk of decline. When they are caught as bycatch, they are utilized for their meat and fins, so there could be a market for them if deepwater fishing increased in Indonesia. To help support angel sharks, make sure to support @angelsharkproject, the Angel Shark Conservation Network, Shark Advocates International, and the Shark Conservation Fund. ••• Big thanks to our Patron, Clay Herber! ••••••••••••••••••••••••• #angelsharkprofiles #shark #sharks #angelshark #indonesianangelshark #squatina #diversesharks #sharkeducation #savesharks #savethesharks #helpsavesharks #bycatch #overfishing #stopoverfishing #replacefearwithfacts #stopsharkfinning https://www.instagram.com/p/B1ZFS3mBxha/?igshid=h3oqld66vzjh