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fishing forecast

angular angel shark

Squatina guggenheim · Squatinidae · predator

EstuarySeanational list: CR · critically endangeredessential profile

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

Scientific illustration of Angular angel shark
maximum
129 cm
depth
4–266 m
location

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period

Reading the weather across 3 global models and 31 simulations…

the species

everything about the angular angel shark

overview

who is the angular angel shark

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.

fun facts

  • Only the left ovary is functional.
how to recognize it

identification

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.

distribution

where found

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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

Southeast CoastSouth Coastcoastalshelf
what the law says

rules for the angular angel shark

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.

Threatened species in Brazil: catch banned

full protection

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

Threatened sharks and rays: catching prohibited

North CoastNortheast CoastSoutheast CoastSouth Coast

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)

catch and release
catch and release Releasing the fish alive, quickly and with a wet hand. During a closed season it isn't always allowed: what the regulation says applies.

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.

calculator

how much it weighs without taking it out of the water

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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sources and references

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.

  1. scientific FishBase: Squatina guggenheim (ficha da espécie)Size, length-weight, depth, habitat, distribution, biology, and IUCN status. Page checked on Oct 13, 2026.
  2. scientific FishBase: nomes populares de Squatina guggenheimNames by country and language.
  3. official Portaria GM/MMA nº 1.667, de 27 de abril de 2026: Lista Nacional Oficial de Espécies da Fauna Ameaçadas de Extinção (peixes e invertebrados aquáticos)The species is on the list. Checked in the DOU of April 28, 2026.