Angel shark  (Squatina squatina)

The critically endangered angel shark is nocturnal, and spends its days lying buried in the mud or sand with just its eyes protruding. From this position it can ambush its prey, and will burst out at a startling speed to engulf flatfishes, skates, crustaceans or molluscs. At night, it swims strongly off the bottom. In the northern parts of its range the angel shark is seasonally migratory, and moves northwards during the summer (2).

The angel shark is ovoviviparous, a method of reproduction in which the young develop within eggs that remain inside the body until they hatch. Gestation lasts eight to ten months, and females give birth to pups that are 24 to 30 centimetres long. The number of pups in each litter varies from 7 to 25 pups, with larger females having larger litters (3). Whilst the small size of angel sharks means that they are not a particularly dangerous species, their strong jaws and sharp, needle-like teeth can inflict a painful bite on a provoking human (5).