Ocellated angelshark
Squatina tergocellatoides is a soil- Hai, which is found in the Pacific coastal area of Taiwan and northwest of Malaysia.
Appearance and characteristics
The first description used for the female individual of Squatina tergocellatoides had a body length of 63 centimeters. As with other angel sharks of the hull is strongly flattened with very broad pectoral fins, making the animals more likely to act as long skates in shape. The pectoral fins, however, are clearly separated from the fuselage, while they go ansatzlos in the body in the most rays. Squatina tergocellatoides has two dorsal fins and have no anal fin. The body has a light yellow - brown color with a tight back -scattered small white spots and six pairs of eye-spots on the pectoral and pelvic fins and the tail, consisting of dark circles around a bright core. On the back there are no enlarged spines.
The eyes are on top of the head with a concave surface between the eyes, the mouth is terminal, the external nasal openings are provided with short barbels. The spray holes are large. The number of sides, lying down gill openings is five. The nose flaps and the barbels are only slightly fringed.
Dissemination
Squatina tergocellatoides is so far known only from the Strait of Taiwan and northwest of Malaysia, where the species was detected by Fang. The exact distribution and the preferred depth No data are available, there will be a depth range of 100 to 300 meters accepted.
Way of life
Over the life of Squatina tergocellatoides No data are available. Like other angel sharks he eats probably mainly of small bony fish, molluscs and crustaceans, which he captured as ambush predator lying on the floor. Like all angel sharks he is ovoviviparous - the eggs are hatched in the mother before the young are born alive.
Endangering
The International Union for Conservation of Nature ( IUCN) classifies this shark like all angel sharks of the area as endangered ( " Vulnerable "). The sharks are not targeted by fisheries, but mainly caught as by-catch in the ground and trawling, which are carried out in his entire range. The classification as an endangered species occurred in spite of the low knowledge of the way through the comparison with other angel sharks, where population declines of more than 80% of areas were detected with high fishing pressure.