The Basics of The Angel Shark

      So, for those of you who don't really know much about sharks but are curious, there are a few things that I would like to set the record straight on.  For example, I know quite a few people who just happen to think that all sharks are just mindless eating machines and any shark you come into contact with is automatically a man eater.  Incorrect-a-mundo. 

      There are some where around 400 different species of sharks on this little planet of ours.  Of those 400 or so (and those are just the ones we know about!) only about 20,maybe30, of those have ever been considered even remotely dangerous to people.  And even fewer of those live in our waters.  You have a better chance of being attacked by an octopus than you do of being attacked by a shark.  That's not saying you should be afraid of an octopus either.  Take for example the Pacific Angel Shark.  This shark lives  on the bottom of the ocean and does not frequently come into contact with people.  The only instances there have ever been of it's attacks on humans ( and they are VERY few and far between) have been strictly defensive if some unlucky person has happened into their territory and stepped on them.  And what you are doing walking around on the bottom of the Pacific Ocean is beyond me.
       This beautiful fish doesn't really look like a shark does it?  In fact alot of Sharks don't look like how we think they should look.  If fact alot of sharks don't act how we think they should either.  This particular species has the great gift of camouflage.  It is slow moving and also nocturnal.  That doesn't really sound like much of a predator does it?.  Here is the great thing about an Angel Shark.  They have lightning speed when it comes to catching their prey. They lay on the bottom, covered in sand (which they match perfectly in skin tone and texture) and when an unsuspecting fish swims by, BAM!  So quick you wouldn't know what happened if it was right in front of you!  You try waiting for hours on end to grab a meal with your mouth with out it seeing you coming!  I guarantee you will go to bed hungry.  Their prey, by the way, mainly consists of flatfish (go figure), bass, croaker and mackerel.  Since they live on the bottom they try to find sandy beds, often near kelp forests which come closest to matching their skin pattern.  They will sift out a little rut to lie in and use their fins to flick sand and bottom settament over top of them, making this particular shark very difficult to see.   
        These fish were once widely found from the southern tip of Alaska down to the Sea of Cortez.  Their numbers declined drastically (due to over fishing) making them a very rare find.  Luckily, gill net fishery was banned in the '90's and their numbers are starting to rise.  The Pacific Angel Shark gives birth to live young at about 8-13 pups per litter.  The bigger the female the bigger the litter.  This is another reason why numbers are low.  Sharks in general have fairly long gestation periods and, on top of that, take even long to mature.
   I personally have never scene an Angel Shark up close.  That would be an amazing experience.  They don't do much.  In fact in the presence of divers they often just remain still.  But the fact that they have remained unchanged for millions of years, can catch a fast moving fish in a fraction of a second and look beautiful doing it, is impressive enough for me!
   Well, I didn't cover all of the shark myths that I am out to dispell.  However, I hoped I helped someone learn a little more about an incredible fish, The Angel Shark.  Thanx for reading!