Habitat
Sandy and muddy bottoms on the continental shelf, 5–150 m deep, throughout the Strait.
All species
Angel Shark
Squatina squatina
Moderately aggressive
A flattened, ray-like ambush predator that lies buried in sandy seabeds.
Maximum size
1.2–2.1 m
Aggressiveness
Moderately aggressive
Ecology
Critically endangered across most of its range; the Strait of Gibraltar remains one of the few strongholds.
Feeding
Ambush predator, lunging upward to seize fish, crustaceans and cephalopods passing overhead.
Behaviour
Solitary and nocturnal. Spends daylight hours buried in sediment with only eyes and spiracles exposed.
Safety notes
Will bite if stepped on or harassed by divers — shuffle your feet in shallow sandy areas and never grab the tail.
Conservation status
IUCN: Critically Endangered.
Sources & Citations
Data compiled from peer-reviewed and authoritative open sources. Last reviewed 2026.
- IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
Conservation status for each species.
- The Shark Trust — Species Database
Biology, ecology and identification.
- FishBase
Maximum sizes, distribution and life-history data.
- Florida Museum — International Shark Attack File
Documented species behaviour around humans.
- Nature Gibraltar / Gibraltar Ornithological & Natural History Society
Local marine fauna records around the Strait.