Lost species of Chilean angel shark resurfaces after more than a century

NEW DELHI: Artisanal fishermen while hunting for bony fish off the Chilean coast, accidentally caught a species presumed lost, later identified as a fish described back in the 1880s. Originally documented in 1887, the Chilean angel shark bears resemblance to a small, flat shark akin to a ray and is typically found in shallow coastal waters.
However, a recent study, published in the European Journal of Taxonomy on April 25th, challenges this description, suggesting it was incomplete and inaccurate, as reported by The Miami Herald.
Researchers found that the 1887 study didn't give enough details about the shark's body, making it hard to tell it apart from similar species. Also, the shark that was studied back then got lost, which made it difficult for scientists to learn more about it. Even though fishermen sometimes caught this shark by accident, scientists still didn't have enough information about it. But luckily, the fishermen caught some of these rare sharks by chance.
After unexpectedly catching their prize, the fishermen froze two whole sharks and the head of a third before taking them to the National Museum of Natural History in Santiago, Chile. Researchers there were excited to confirm that they had come across two Squatina armata, also known as Angelote in Spanish and Chilean angel shark in English.
Describing the sharks as just over 3 feet long with flattened bodies, the study notes their striking resemblance to rays rather than typical sharks. Adding to their distinct appearance, the sharks have "enlarged dorsal thorns" – small, sharp, hook-shaped protrusions found on both their heads and backs, according to the researchers.
Even though researchers found some Chilean angel sharks, there is still not much about them. Because there has not been a lot of research and they are not seen often and considered "critically endangered" by the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List.
This is similar to other angel sharks, like the common angel shark. According to the National Ocean and Atmospheric Administration(NOAA), these sharks are ambush predators. They hide on the ocean floor and wait for small fish, crustaceans, mollusks, and sometimes even cephalopods to swim by before they catch them.
NOAA said that these mysterious creatures are "nocturnal bottom-dwellers," which means they live at the bottom of the ocean and are most active at night. They spend a lot of time buried in the sand and mud along the coast. The study says it's really important to learn about and recognize this species to protect it. These sharks are in danger because of things like building near the coast, harming their habitat, and catching too many of them when fishing.
"Recent taxonomic studies on angel sharks ... with this updated morphological characterization of the Chilean angel shark, questions on geographic range, estimations of abundance, and real incidence in landings can be clarified to ultimately inform better conservation practices of this critically endangered species and other angel sharks on the Pacific coast of America," the researchers said. The sharks were caught near Playa Seremeno in northern Chile on the Pacific coast.