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Species: Squatina david, David's Angel Shark

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no denticles between eyes
inner edge spiracles: pronounced papillae
center line of body & C: no row denticles
male scattered dark spots
female dense white spots
nasal barbels: like rods, no fringes; nasal flap triangular, no fringes

Squatina david Acero, Tavera, Anguila & Hernández, 2016

David's Angel Shark

Moderately large, flattened, ray-like; head and body greatly flattened; head a transverse oval in top view, with a distinct neck; folds on side of head low; eyes on top of head; a pair of large spiracles behind eyes; eye-spiracle space 1.5-2.1 X eye in large fish; nostrils at top of snout, nasal barbells rod like, without fringes, outer barbell divided, nasal flaps triangular, with smooth edges; mouth opens at front; top jaw with 20 smooth tooth rows, lower jaw with 20 tooth rows; five long gill slits under head; two small, equal sized oval dorsal fins near tail base, similar in size & shape; pectoral fins greatly enlarged, triangular, with straight front edges and no front shoulder, front tips narrowly rounded, rear edge slightly concave, rear tips narrowly rounded to angular, inner edges broadly convex and rounded, well separated by deep notches from head and pelvic fins; pelvic fins smaller, triangular; no anal fin; tail fin very short, nearly symmetrical, lower lobe slightly longer; skin denticles on top of back loosely spaced apart, rough; center of back WITHOUT a row of hooked thorns from nape to dorsal fins; head with small, pointed thorns above mouth and eye ridges, a smooth oval patch of tubercles above center of mouth between eyes.

Top surface grey to yellowish brown, males with scattered small dark spots equal to or smaller than eye, adult females with abundant scattered small (<eye) white spots; bottom surface white.

Size: 90 cm.

Habitat: soft bottoms.

Depth: 144-305 m.

Panama to Suriname.


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Salinity
  • Marine
  • Marine Only
Inshore/Offshore
  • Inshore
  • Inshore Only
Water Column Position
  • Bottom
  • Bottom only
Habitat
  • Sand & gravel
  • Soft bottom only
  • Mud
FishBase Habitat
  • Demersal
Feeding Group
  • Carnivore
  • Data
Diet
  • Data
  • Bony fishes
  • Insects
  • Octopus/squid/cuttlefish
Egg Type
  • Data
  • Live birth
  • No pelagic phase
Global Endemism
  • All species
  • Greater Caribbean endemic
  • West Atlantic Endemic
Regional Endemism
  • Caribbean endemic
  • Continent
  • Continent + Island (s)
  • GC endemic
  • Island (s)
  • All species
Residency
  • Resident
Climate Zone
  • Equatorial (0-10N, Costa Rica / Venezuela)
IUCN Red List
  • Listed
  • Near threatened
CITES
  • Not listed
Length Max
  • 90
Depth Range Min
  • 144
Depth Range Max
  • 305