Clouded angelshark
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| Clouded angelshark | ||||||||||||||||
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| Squatina nebulosa Regan, 1906 |
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 Range of clouded angelshark (in blue)
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The clouded angelshark, Squatina nebulosa, is an angel shark of the family Squatinidae found in the northwest Pacific from the southeastern Sea of Japan to Taiwan, including Japan, Korea, and China, between latitudes 47° N and 22° N. Its length is up to 1.63 m.
The little-known clouded angelshark is found on the continental shelves. The nasal barbels are simple and tapering, and the anterior nasal flaps are smooth. The head is concave between the large eyes. There are no enlarged thorns along the midback.
Identification of the species is based on the following characters: line of thorny denticles along the midback is absent; no prominent ocelli on the pectoral fins; pelvic fin tips reach or surpass the first dorsal fin origin; dorsal fins angular in shape; caudal fin angular, especially dorsally; width across pelvic fin tips (apex to apex)/ total length is greater than 1.4 times the head width / total length; upper lip arch is semi-oval in shape, upper lip arch height less than 1.4% total length.
Dorsal coloration is brownish to bluish-brown with scattered light spots and many small black bots. Black spots laterally at origins of dorsals. Ventral surface pale white with some black mottling, pectoral and pelvic fin ventral margins with denticles colored similar to dorsal. Dorsal color after preservation fades to a lighter brown, white spots, especially white ones, can become indistinct with preservation.
Reproduction is ovoviviparous.
[edit] References
- "Squatina nebulosa". FishBase. Ed. Ranier Froese and Daniel Pauly. July 2006 version. N.p.: FishBase, 2006.
- Compagno, Dando, & Fowler, Sharks of the World, Princeton University Press, New Jersey 2005 ISBN 0-691-12072-2
- Walsh JH and DA Ebert. 2007. A review of the systematics of western North Pacific angel sharks, genus Squatina, with redescriptions of Squatina formosa, S. japonica, and S. nebulosa (Chondrichthyes: Squatiniformes, Squatinidae). Zootaxa 1551: 31-47.
