Main identification features
- eye 16 percent of distance between eyes
- chest and abdomen with denticles
- nostril barbel narrow, curved, notched
- distance between nostrils less than distance between eyes
South Pacific angel shark Angelote del Pacifico sur
Front half of body and head (including pectoral and pelvic fins) roughly diamond shaped and greatly flattened; with a distinct neck between the pectorals; distance between nostrils distinctly less than that between eyes; nostril barbell narrow, notched and convex; eyes relatively small (6.3 times in space between them) on top of head, with prominent spiracles behind them; mouth at front; pectoral and pelvic fins greatly enlarged; dorsal fins small, about equal sized, situated near tail fin; lower lobe of tail larger; denticles on lower surface almost entirely covering the pectoral and pelvic fins, with a transverse band on chest, a large patch on the abdomen and almost entirely covering the underside of the tail.
Grey to grey-brown, mottled and blotched with olive; irregular dusky areas on tail and dorsal fins; lower surface white.
Reaches 155 cm.
On sandy bottoms.
Depth range 3-200m.
A basically temperate species that ranges from Costa Rica to Chile, plus Malpelo, Isla Gorgona and the Galapagos.
Attributes
Cites: Not listed.
Climate Zone: Equatorial (Costa Rica to Ecuador + Galapagos, Clipperton, Cocos, Malpelo); South Temperate (Peruvian Province ).
Depth Range Max: 200 m.
Depth Range Min: 3 m.
Diet: octopus/squid/cuttlefish; bony fishes.
Eastern Pacific Range: Northern limit=10; Southern limit=-42; Western limit=-93; Eastern limit=-70; Latitudinal range=52; Longitudinal range=23.
Egg Type: Live birth; No pelagic larva; No pelagic phase.
Feeding Group: Carnivore.
FishBase Habitat: Demersal.
Global Endemism: East Pacific endemic; TEP non-endemic; All species.
Habitat: Sand & gravel; Mud; Reef associated (reef + edges-water column & soft bottom); Soft bottom (mud, sand,gravel, beach, estuary & mangrove); Soft bottom only.
Inshore Offshore: Inshore; Inshore Only.
IUCN Red List: Not evaluated / Listed.
Length Max: 155 cm.
Regional Endemism: Peruvian province, primarily; Island (s); Continent; Temperate Eastern Pacific, primarily; Tropical Eastern Pacific (TEP) non-endemic; All species.
Residency: Resident.
Salinity: Marine; Marine Only.
Water Column Position: Bottom; Bottom only;
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- Philippi, R. A., 1887., Historia natural.--Sobre los tiburones y algunos otros peces de Chile. [Plus:] Apendice sobre el peje-espada, peje-aguja, peje-perro i vieja negra., An. Univ. Santiago Chile, 71:535-574.
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