Missing since the 1800s, sea predator appears in fishermen’s nets in Chile

While hunting bony fish off the Chilean coast, artisanal fishermen accidentally caught something more important in their gill nets. They had discovered a “lost” species. In 1887, a researcher described the Chilean angel shark, a small, flat shark resembling a ray that lives in shallow coastal waters. However, a study was recently published European Journal of Taxonomy (April 25) revealed that this description was incomplete and incorrect, miami herald informed of.

According to the researchers, the 1887 study author provided only a handful of body measurements, which were insufficient to distinguish this specimen from its close relatives. To make matters worse, the collected animal was lost, leaving a huge gap in our scientific understanding of the Chilean angel shark. While occasional bycatch has offered glimpses of the species throughout history, a comprehensive description has remained elusive. Then, as fate would have it, the elusive sharks literally fell into the hands of fishermen.

After catching their unexpected bounty, the study details how fishermen froze two whole sharks and the head of a third before transporting them to the National Museum of Natural History in Santiago, Chile. There, researchers were thrilled to confirm that they had stumbled upon two Squatina armata, also known as angelote in Spanish and Chilean angel sharks in English.

The study reports that sharks grow to just over 3 feet long and have flat bodies, giving them more resemblance to rays than sharks. According to the researchers, in addition to their unique appearance, these sharks have “large dorsal spines” – small, sharp, hook-shaped protrusions found on both their heads and backs.

Despite this fortunate encounter, the Chilean angel shark remains shrouded in mystery. Due to limited research and infrequent sightings, the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List has classified them as “Critically Endangered”. This reduction mirrors the behavior of other angel sharks, like the common angel shark. As the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has documented, these fascinating creatures are ambush predators. They patiently hide in the ocean floor, waiting for unexpected prey such as small fish, crustaceans, mollusks, and even cephalopods to swim up before attacking.

According to NOAA, these mysterious creatures are “nocturnal bottom dwellers” who spend most of their lives buried within the sand and mud of coastal sediments. The study emphasizes that understanding and identifying this species is “essential” to its conservation. These sharks face significant threats from coastal development, habitat degradation, and overfishing.

“Recent taxonomic studies on the angel shark … With this updated morphological characterization of the Chilean angel shark, questions on geographic range, abundance estimates, and actual occurrence in landings will ultimately inform better conservation practices of this critically endangered species.” “and other angel sharks off the Pacific coast of the Americas,” the researchers said. The shark was caught near Playa Cermeno in northern Chile on the Pacific coast.