Squatina guggenheim
Angelshark from southern Brazil and Argentina. It is critically endangered in Brazil: capture is prohibited, so the right thing is to identify it and release it.
Also called: cação-anjo-argentino, angelito, pez ángel, argentine angelshark
The Argentine angelshark belongs to the family Squatinidae and reaches 129 cm. It lives on the bottom, on shelves and estuaries, from 4 to 266 m deep, from southern Brazil to Argentina. It feeds mainly on bony fish, and also on crustaceans and molluscs. It is ovoviviparous, and only the left ovary functions. Adult males have a set of small spines near the tip of the pectoral fins. It is caught by commercial fishing, and in Brazil capture is prohibited.
Essential profile. Identification, where it occurs and rules, with data from FishBase and the cited regulations. Season, time of day, technique and bait are added once we have a good source for the angular angel shark.
Flattened shark with a body like a ray's, a short snout and broad pectoral fins. The back is light to dark brown, with a few large white spots and a row of large, conical scales along the middle of the back. Similar species in the region have dark rings around the spots, and this one does not.
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Each card shows the day's index (0 to 100) and, below it, a strip with the index for each hour, from 0h to 23h. from poor to excellent.
Essential profile: the index uses a general fish model (weather, sun, moon and tide), without a season or time of day specific to this species.
Occurs in the southwestern Atlantic, from southern Brazil to Argentina, passing through Uruguay, on shelves and estuaries.
Habitat: Shelf and estuary bottoms, from 4 to 266 m deep.
coast
Summary of the regulations we found, with the source for each. Rules change; before keeping or transporting fish, check with the state environmental agency.
Conservation: On the national list of threatened species as CR. Global IUCN assessment: EN.
The national list (Portaria GM/MMA nº 1.667/2026) classifies the species as CR. Under Portaria GM/MMA nº 1.666/2026 (art. 3), VU, EN and CR species have full protection: catch, transport, storage, processing and trade are banned. If you hook one by accident, release it right away, with minimal handling.
Source: Portaria GM/MMA nº 1.666/2026, art. 3º, and Portaria GM/MMA nº 1.667/2026
Many sharks and rays are on the national list (CR, EN or VU), with catching, keeping and transport prohibited, including those listed here. Species added to the list only in 2026 follow the 180-day deadline (until about Oct 25, 2026). If unsure of the species, release it.
Source: Portaria GM/MMA nº 1.666/2026 (art. 3º) and nº 1.667/2026 (Annex I)
Critically endangered species: capture is prohibited in Brazil. If you hook it by accident, release it right away, with minimal handling. Angelsharks can make quick strikes when handled, so keep your hands away from the head.
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.00661, b = 3.07; FishBase (relação peso-comprimento bayesiana, estimativa pelo gênero e formato do corpo)). It's an average: a fat or lean fish can vary by 10% to 20%.
estimated weight
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Essential profile: size, length-weight, depth, countries and conservation come from FishBase and the cited regulations, and the texts were written from those sources. Season, time of day, sensitivities, technique and baits and lures are not included yet, because we did not find a good source for this species.
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