The angel shark (Squatina Squatina), also known as angelote, hunts by hiding in the sand and waiting to ambush prey. The moment it hides in the sand of the seabed of El Río, between La Graciosa and Lanzarote, has been captured by diver Javier Bermúdez Páez and disseminated through social networks.
The specimen that has been photographed is a female, which has a receiver on its fin that emits a passage signal. "The importance of not disturbing these species when they are buried is for the simple reason that they spend a lot of energy in the action of burying themselves, with this they are always on the lookout for some unsuspecting prey," says Bermúdez in his publication on Instagram.
The angelote is in critical danger of extinction and the Canary Islands are a fundamental place to study and understand its behavior. It is not the first time that an angel shark has been recorded in this area, but it is striking to see how the animal submerges into the sand.
Javier Bermúdez states that this video has been recorded with the authorization of the General Directorate of Fisheries of the Government of the Canary Islands. Through these studies they manage to know how they move between islands, what their gender is and how they relate, among other things.
