Western Angelshark

Shark Database | Angelsharks - Squatiniformes | Western Angelshark

About the Western Angelshark

Western Angelsharks are a poorly known species that are endemic to the northern part of Western Australia in the western central Pacific Ocean and eastern Indian Ocean at depths between 150 to 312 m/492–1,024 ft.

Biology and Behaviour

Western angelsharks have a vertically compressed body with large triangular pectoral fins that extend forward. They have a broad head that extends laterally. They light brown in colour and can grow up to 114 cm/ 3.74 ft long. Males mature at 75 cm/2.46 ft long.

There is not a lot of information of the biology of western angelsharks.

Reproduction and Lifespan

Little is known about the reproduction and lifespan of western angelsharks.

Nothing is known of its biology, but all those members of this genus for which biological data are available are known to be extremely sensitive to fishing pressure because of their life history characteristics, morphology, limited dispersion and recolonisation potential, and demersal occurrence. While serious declines have been documented for other better-known angelshark species with wider distributions, fishing effort within the range of the Western Angel Shark is very low. It is a likely taken as bycatch of trawl fisheries operating at >200 m, but given the current low levels of effort, they are not likely to be adversely affecting this species. Its range also overlaps with some areas closed to trawling, thus providing it with some refuge. The species is therefore assessed as Least Concern.

Considerable areas of Western Australia’s North Coast Bioregion are permanently closed to all trawling through spatial management arrangements, and there have been reductions in effort quota in the Pilbara Fish Trawl Fishery since 2009 (Fletcher and Santoro 2014). The species may occur within the Commonwealth Marine Reserve network, although this has not yet been implemented (as of February 2016).

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