The Critically Endangered Angelshark, once common across the western British Isles, is a rare species of shark that glides across the seabed with elongated fins.
After suffering widespread decline across its range over the last century, there have been an increasing number of sightings of this rare species along the Welsh coast in recent years, giving hope for it’s future.

Angelsharks (Squatina squatina) are large, flat-bodied sharks that can reach 2.4m in length belonging to the angel shark family (Squatinidae), which rank as the second most threatened family of elasmobranchs (sharks, skates and rays) in the world. Angelsharks are normally found submerged in sandy habitats in coastal waters.

In Wales, Angelsharks are also known as monkfish or angel fish, and they are sometimes mistaken for a ray or mis-recorded as Anglerfish.

Check out at www.angelsharknetwork.com to understand major threats and conservation projects for the angel shark family across their range.

A strong network of NGOs, Government Agencies and Universities have worked together to build the Wales Angelshark Action Plan, providing a unique opportunity to better understand and safeguard this species in Welsh waters. 

This Action Plan provides a priority list of Actions to be delivered over the next five years and by working together to deliver this Action Plan, we can move towards our Vision: a thriving population of Angelsharks in Wales.