Australian Angelshark

The Australian angelshark has a broad, vertically compressed body and large triangular pectoral fins with free trailing flaps. The snout has fringed barbels beside the nostrils and a pair of spiracles. Each of these is set at a distance from the eye of about one and a half times the diameter of the eye. There are two small dorsal fins set far back and the tail fin is small. The maximum length is about 152 centimetres (60 in) and this shark has no large eyespots on the body. Male individuals are fully mature at around 800 millimetres (31 in) total length.

The Australian angelshark is native to the continental shelf of southern Australia being found along the coasts of Western Australia, South Australia, Victoria, Tasmania and New South Wales at depths down to about 130 metres (430 ft). It is usually found on sandy or muddy seabeds and in seagrass meadows, often close to rocky reefs.

The Australian angelshark lies semi-submerged in the sediment on the seabed during the day, eating anything that comes too close. It emerges at night to actively seek out prey. Its diet consists of small fish, crustaceans and other invertebrates. This shark is ovoviviparous, retaining its developing embryos in its oviduct, with a litter of up to twenty young being born. Little is known of its breeding habits, but the closely related Pacific angelshark (Squatina californica) has a gestation period of about ten months.