Taiwan angelshark
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| Taiwan angelshark | ||||||||||||||||
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| Squatina formosa Shen & Ting, 1972 |
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 Range of Taiwan angelshark (in blue)
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The Taiwan angelshark, Squatina formosa, is an angel shark of the family Squatinidae found around Taiwan between latitudes 24° N and 22° N, at depths of between 185 and 220 m. Its length is up to 46 cm for an immature female - there are no adult specimens.
The Taiwan angelshark is a little-known angelshark found on the outer continental shelf. It has broad rounded pectoral fins with the outer corner more obtuse, and free rear tips narrowly subangular. Nasal barbels are apparently simple, narrow and tapered. Anterior nasal flaps are smooth to weakly fringed. The rear tip of the inner margin of the pelvic fins reach a little beyond the origin of the first dorsal fin. The head is concave between the eyes. Large tubercles about the eye crests. Very short hypocercal tail.
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 lobate in shape; caudal fin rounded, especially dorsally; width across pelvic fin tips (apex to apex)/ total length is less than 1.4 times the head width / total length; upper lip arch is semi-circular in shape, upper lip arch height greater than 1.4% total length.
Dorsal surface of specimens prior to preservation are light to dark brown throughout with numerous black and white spots of varying sizes. Black blotches laterally at origin of dorsals. Ventral surface pale white with some black mottling on abdomen, pectoral and pelvic fin ventral margins with denticles colored similar to dorsal. Color after preservation tends to fade to a lighter brown or pale yellow with spots becoming indistinct.
Reproduction is ovoviviparous.
[edit] References
- "Squatina formosa". 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.
