Angel shark
Squatina squatina · Sharks and dogfish
Also called monkfish
A protected species. If you catch one, handle it carefully and put it back alive.
A large, flat, bottom-living ambush shark, now very rare. It is protected in England and Wales, including from recreational fishing, and must be released alive.[1]
How to recognise it
- Broad, flattened, ray-like body, but the pectoral fins are not fused to the head, and the dorsal fins sit far back on the tail.[2]
- Grey to red-brown on top with small white spots and scattered dark blotches, and a white underside.[2]
- Often lies buried in sand or mud by day with only the eyes and spiracles showing.[2]
When and where
Sources
These notes are a draft: we gathered them from the sources above and are still checking them. We don't work out best times for this fish yet. The size rules come from the same checked byelaws as every other fish.