Squatina africana

Taxonomy

Assessment Information

Geographic Range

Population

Habitat and Ecology

Threats

Conservation Actions

Taxonomy [top]

Kingdom	Phylum	Class	Order	Family
ANIMALIA	CHORDATA	CHONDRICHTHYES	SQUATINIFORMES	SQUATINIDAE

Scientific Name:

Squatina africana

Species Authority:

Regan, 1908

Common Name/s:

English	–	African Angelshark
French	–	Ange De Mere Africain, Violon
Spanish	–	Angelote Africano

Assessment Information [top]

Red List Category & Criteria:	Data Deficient ver 3.1
Year Assessed:	2004
Assessor/s	Cliff, G. (SSG Subequatorial Africa Regional Workshop, September 2003)
Evaluator/s:	Cavanagh, R.D., Kyne, P.M. & Fowler, S.L. (Shark Red List Authority)
Justification: Details of Squatina africana population status and threats are lacking throughout most of the species’ Western Indian Ocean range. Data on the extent of catches in the Mozambique trawl fishery and in other parts of its range (Southwest Indian Ocean) are not available, although the species is taken in trawls and artisanal deepset gillnets in Tanzania. It cannot, therefore, be assessed globally beyond Data Deficient at this time. Squatina africana is reported in the bycatch of only two fisheries in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN), South Africa: the KZN shark nets (that provide protection against shark attack) and the Tugela Bank prawn trawl fishery. In both cases the species is caught in low numbers, with a significant proportion released alive, and a reasonably high survival rate. It is apparently little utilised and has no commercial value. The assessment for South Africa is therefore Least Concern. Given the apparent ‘slow’ life history of angel sharks together with documented declines of other similar species, catches should be monitored, particularly elsewhere in the species range.

Geographic Range [top]

Range Description:	The species's current distribution is widespread in the Western Indian Ocean, however, it should not be assumed that this is a single species. Western Indian Ocean: Tanzania, Mozambique to South Africa (Compagno 1984), Mauritius (Fricke 1999) and Madagascar (specimens from Toliara, SW coast: 23.21°S, 43.40°E and Fort Dauphin (now Tolanaro) on the SE coast, 25.02°S, 47.00°E.) (B. Seret, pers. comm. 2004). Within South Africa it is confined to the east coast, with KwaZulu-Natal the centre of its distribution, extending into the Eastern Cape (Bass et al. 1975).
Countries:	Native: Madagascar; Mauritius; Mozambique; South Africa (Eastern Cape Province, KwaZulu-Natal); Tanzania, United Republic of
FAO Marine Fishing Areas:	Native: Indian Ocean – western

Population [top]

Population:	There is no evidence to suggest that any subpopulations occur.
Population Trend:	Unknown

Habitat and Ecology [top]

Habitat and Ecology:	Found on the continental shelf and uppermost slope, from the surfline to about 500 m depth (Compagno 1984). The occasional catch of this species in the KZN shark nets comprised mainly mature individuals of both sexes and 38% of the mature females examined were pregnant. Stomach contents comprised mainly teleosts (48% of stomachs with food) and cephalopods (42%) (Shelmadine and Cliff in prep.). In the Tugela Banks prawn trawl fishery the majority of the catch of this species were juveniles; mean size 30 cm total length (TL), range 30 to 50 cm, indicating that this fishing takes place in at least part of the nursery area for this species (Fennessey 1994). There is no information on age and growth.
Systems:	Marine

Habitat and Ecology:

Found on the continental shelf and uppermost slope, from the surfline to about 500 m depth (Compagno 1984). The occasional catch of this species in the KZN shark nets comprised mainly mature individuals of both sexes and 38% of the mature females examined were pregnant. Stomach contents comprised mainly teleosts (48% of stomachs with food) and cephalopods (42%) (Shelmadine and Cliff in prep.).

In the Tugela Banks prawn trawl fishery the majority of the catch of this species were juveniles; mean size 30 cm total length (TL), range 30 to 50 cm, indicating that this fishing takes place in at least part of the nursery area for this species (Fennessey 1994).

There is no information on age and growth.

Systems:

Marine

Threats [top]

Major Threat(s):	In South Africa the species does not have any commercial value and is apparently little utilised. Here the biggest potential threat is demersal trawling for prawns off the Tugela Banks, KZN (which overlaps with the nursery ground of this species). This is both in terms of catches and habitat degradation by trawling. This species was found in 6% of trawls examined, at a catch rate of 0.014 individuals per hour. The estimated annual catch for the period 1989–1992 was 91-172 (Fennessy 1994), with a seemingly high mortality rate of 60%, but this was based on a sub-sample of only 10 animals. Also occasionally taken by surf anglers (Bass et al. 1975) and in the shark nets that protect the swimming beaches of KZN (Cliff and Dudley 1992), on the east coast of South Africa where annual catches averaged 30 animals (range 11–69; sex ratio: 3: 1 females to males, 1980–2001). Catch rates averaged 0.7 sharks km/net/yr, with no trend. About 43% of the catch was released alive (Shelmerdine and Cliff in prep.). It is taken in trawls and in artisanal deep set gillnets in Tanzania (Narriman Jiddawi, Institute of Marine Sciences, Zanzibar, pers. comm. 2003). The extent of catches in the Mozambique trawl fishery and in other parts of its range is not known. Given the apparent ‘slow’ life history of angel sharks together with documented declines of other similar species, catches should be monitored, particularly elsewhere in the species range. UTILISATION Little utilised, no value in South Africa, unknown elsewhere in its range.

Major Threat(s):

In South Africa the species does not have any commercial value and is apparently little utilised. Here the biggest potential threat is demersal trawling for prawns off the Tugela Banks, KZN (which overlaps with the nursery ground of this species). This is both in terms of catches and habitat degradation by trawling. This species was found in 6% of trawls examined, at a catch rate of 0.014 individuals per hour. The estimated annual catch for the period 1989–1992 was 91-172 (Fennessy 1994), with a seemingly high mortality rate of 60%, but this was based on a sub-sample of only 10 animals. Also occasionally taken by surf anglers (Bass et al. 1975) and in the shark nets that protect the swimming beaches of KZN (Cliff and Dudley 1992), on the east coast of South Africa where annual catches averaged 30 animals (range 11–69; sex ratio: 3: 1 females to males, 1980–2001). Catch rates averaged 0.7 sharks km/net/yr, with no trend. About 43% of the catch was released alive (Shelmerdine and Cliff in prep.).

It is taken in trawls and in artisanal deep set gillnets in Tanzania (Narriman Jiddawi, Institute of Marine Sciences, Zanzibar, pers. comm. 2003). The extent of catches in the Mozambique trawl fishery and in other parts of its range is not known. Given the apparent ‘slow’ life history of angel sharks together with documented declines of other similar species, catches should be monitored, particularly elsewhere in the species range.

UTILISATION
Little utilised, no value in South Africa, unknown elsewhere in its range.

Conservation Actions [top]

Conservation Actions:	None. The ongoing release of these animals from the trawl fishery and from the KZN shark nets should be encouraged.

Conservation Actions:

None. The ongoing release of these animals from the trawl fishery and from the KZN shark nets should be encouraged.

Citation:	Cliff, G. 2004. Squatina africana. In: IUCN 2008. 2008 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 02 December 2008.
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