Elasmobranchii (sharks and rays) >
Squatiniformes (Angel sharks) >
Squatinidae (Angel sharks)
Etymology: Squatina: Latin for skate, which angel sharks superficially resemble, presumably tautonymous with Squalus squatina Linnaeus 1758 (no species mentioned) (See ETYFish); albipunctata: albus (L.), white; punctatus (L.), spotted, referring to distinctive white-spotted color pattern (See ETYFish).
More on authors: Last & White.
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Marine; benthopelagic; depth range 37 - 415 m (Ref. 74939). Tropical; 17°S - 38°S
Distribution
Countries | FAO areas | Ecosystems | Occurrences | Point map | Introductions | Faunafri
Pacific: Australia. Occurs off eastern Australia between Cairns, Queensland and Lakes Entrance, Victoria (Ref. 74939).
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ?  range ? - ? cm
Max length : 98.5 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 74939); 56.6 cm TL (female); max. published weight: 17.0 kg (Ref. 118750)
Short description
Identification keys | Morphology | Morphometrics
Vertebrae: 134 - 139. Body robust, strongly depressed anteriorly, firm. Trunk similarly depressed, almost ray-like,
deepest over abdomen. Not tapering abruptly at pelvic-fin insertion, tail strongly depressed, even at origin of caudal fin. Abdomen moderately elongate. Head broad, extended laterally, strongly depressed; oval in cross-section; Pectoral fins very large, expanded, base very fleshy; Pelvic fins large, elongate; Dorsal fins similar in size and shape, somewhat upright, close together; Dermal denticles densely covering entire dorsal surface of body (Ref. 74939).
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae
Last, P.R. and W.T. White, 2008. Three new angel sharks (Chondrichthyes:Squatinidae) from the Indo-Australian region. Zootaxa 1734:1-26. (Ref. 74939)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435: Version 2024-1)
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
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Estimates based on models
Preferred temperature (Ref.
123201): 14.1 - 20.3, mean 15.8 °C (based on 15 cells).
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref.
82804): PD
50 = 0.5000 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.00676 (0.00295 - 0.01551), b=3.07 (2.88 - 3.26), in cm total length, based on LWR estimates for this Genus-body shape (Ref.
93245).
Trophic level (Ref.
69278): 4.0 ±0.6 se; based on size and trophs of closest relatives
Resilience (Ref.
120179): Low, minimum population doubling time 4.5 - 14 years (Preliminary low fecundity).
Fishing Vulnerability (Ref.
59153): High vulnerability (59 of 100).