Rare Sighting of Angel Shark Raises Hope for the Critically Endangered Species

Remarkable footage of a lone juvenile angel shark suggests the endangered species is actively breeding in British waters.

The footage, captured by photographer and marine biologist Jake Davies, exhibits a single angel shark (Squatina squatina) swimming and feeding off the coast of Wales. Davies is the coordinator of Angel Shark Project: Wales, a gaggle that’s searching for to study extra about these backside dwellers and the way they could be faring within the area.

Davies spent round quarter-hour with the angel shark, capturing pictures and video of the animal in motion. It’s the primary underwater footage of an angel shark in Wales, which is thrilling in its personal proper, however the specimen, at simply 11.8 inches (30 cm) in size, is a juvenile—and that’s doubtlessly excellent news.

“Wales hosts one of the last Angelshark populations in the northernmost part of their range, and this footage provides additional evidence that they are using waters around Wales to give birth,” Joanna Barker, senior challenge supervisor on the Zoological Society of London (ZSL) and a co-founder of the Angel Shark Project, defined in an electronic mail. “This is a really good sign that the population of critically endangered Angelsharks using this area are actively breeding.”

The Angel Shark Project is led by Natural Resources Wales and ZSL, and it really works with native communities and fishers to collect details about the species. It’s at present in opposition to the legislation in Wales to hunt or disturb angel sharks.

These predatory fish could be present in shallow waters alongside your complete Mediterranean coast, and in addition the coasts of northwestern Africa and western United Kingdom. Recreational and fishing actions have led to their critically endangered standing, according to the International Union for the Conservation of Nature.

These marine animals have flattened our bodies just like rays. When looking, they bury themselves in sand or mud, the place they lie in anticipate unsuspecting fish, crustaceans, or cephalopods to move by. Angel sharks have sharp tooth, so that you wouldn’t need to disturb one because it goes about its every day enterprise.

The diminutive measurement of the animal caught on digital camera, together with white markings on its dorsal fin edges, suggests this angel shark was born this yr, Barker defined. The new footage additionally exhibits that “juvenile Angelsharks use both sand and mixed habitats and they prey on gobies,” which is “vital information to build our understanding of Angelshark ecology in the region.” Gobies are small to medium-sized, bony bottom-dwelling fish.

Davies spends plenty of time diving in Wales, so Barker was “delighted” that he lastly managed to identify and movie an angel shark after trying to find so lengthy. He managed to catch a variety of behaviors on digital camera, together with footage of the angel shark feeding, which Barker described as a “highlight.”

Anyone with information of this species can submit them to the Angel Shark challenge by way of an interactive map. “These records are vital for our project,” mentioned Barker.