8ft ambush shark 'more common' than thought on Welsh coast
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info
An enigmatic species of shark known to be favour Welsh waters could be more abundant than previous suspected, scientists believe. The Angel shark, a large flat species resembling a stingray, is unique because it has evolved very differently to other types of shark.
Previously only reliably spotted around the Canary Islands, catch evidence from Welsh fishermen has shown that Cardigan Bay is also a stronghold for this elusive and vulnerable species.
The Welsh population had thought to be shrinking dramatically as a result of habitat damage and bycatch fishing, with one study indicating a 70% decline since 1970. A major conservation project was launched in the hope of saving a species that lingers on the sea floor, half-buried in sand and mud, waiting for prey to swim near them. They can grow up to 2.4m (8ft) long.
However a new study, 'People & Nature', from the Zoological Society of London (ZSL) and Natural Resources Wales (NRW) suggests previous Angel shark counts were wide of the mark. Its authors believes changes to commercial fishing practices have seen fewer angel sharks caught.
As the speckled, caramel-coloured sharks are masters of camouflage, finding them on the sea floor is virtually impossible. Instead, evidence from boat captains is the only reliable way the population can be assessed. It's now thought fishermen are catching fewer not because numbers are dwindling but because they are targeting different waters and using species-specific nets.
To reach its conclusions, the ZSL-led study harnessed the expertise of Welsh fishing organisations. Co-author was Charlie Bartlett, a charter fisherman from Gwynedd, who said: 'I've spent over 50 years working along the Welsh coast, and over the years I've come to know these waters inside out.
'With their large, flat fins, Angel sharks are unlike any other shark we see here - and over the years I've been fortunate to encounter the species a number of times.' Join the North Wales Live Whatsapp community now
(Image: Charlie Barlett)
In the 40 years to 2020, some 1,642 Angel sharks were reported in Welsh coastal waters. A particular safe haven is in an area south of the Llŷn Peninsula. While they pose very little risk to humans, they have been known to bite when provoked.
Literature analysis going back two centuries revealed they have a long maritime heritage in Wales. No fewer than 16 different names were uncovered, including Monkfish, Banjofish, Bafoon, Shovelnose and Devilfish.
Its traditional Welsh name is Maelgi (Monkfish). The species has been adopted as the flagship species for marine conservation in Wales.
Working with the Welsh Fishermen's Association (Cymdeithas Pysgotwyr) and Angling Cymru Sea Anglers, scientists interviewed 27 fishers about their operations between 1968 and 2019. It became clear modern practices involve fewer interactions with Angel sharks, leading to fewer sightings.
(Image: Jake Davies/JD Scuba/Project SIARC)
Lead author Francesca Mason, a ZSL researcher at the Institute of Zoology's Ocean Predator Lab, said: 'There may be more Angel sharks swimming off the Welsh coast than we previously thought – we're just having a harder time spotting them.
'While this is a good sign if less Angel sharks are being caught accidentally, it also means we now need new ways to monitor them to build a more accurate picture of how these sharks are doing.'
Instead of relying on chance sightings, scientists are now pinning their hopes on a novel technique involving environmental DNA (eDNA). This can build up in the shark's surroundings through the shedding of dead skin cells or blood loss from a wound.
Already eDNA is being measured for Angel Shark Project: Wales, part of the wider work of Project SIARC (Sharks Inspiring Action and Research with Communities).
(Image: Jake Davies/JD Scuba/Project SIARC)
Jake Davies, technical specialist for Project SIARC, said: 'With their excellent camouflage, one of the hardest challenges we face studying Angel sharks is simply finding them. eDNA allows us to study species without having to spot them.
'By studying eDNA in Cardigan and Carmarthen Bays, we've confirmed the presence of a range of native sharks, skates and rays - including Angel sharks - in these more turbulent waters where other monitoring methods aren't as effective.
'Fishers today may be less likely to come across Angel sharks than they were 50 years ago, but through combining this technique with local knowledge, we can continue building a stronger picture of their status and distribution along the Welsh coast.'
The Angel shark work was supported by the On the Edge conservation charity, the National Lottery Heritage Fund, Welsh Government and the Welsh Government's Nature Networks Fund. Sign up for the North Wales Live newsletter sent twice daily to your inbox
See what's on in your area
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Guardian
8 hours ago
- The Guardian
Country diary: What has the head of an ant, eyes of a housefly and legs of a spider?
I was standing on the verge beneath an oak tree when an insect dropped on to my bare arm. At first glance I thought it was a lacewing, but on closer inspection, something about it didn't look quite right. A quick Google search revealed it was an oak snakefly (Phaeostigma notata), a bizarre insect you've probably never heard of. They are rarely encountered and under-recorded, not because they're endangered, but because they're arboreal and tend to stay hidden high in the canopy, or tucked away in bark cracks and crevices. But wind or heavy rain, like the gusty downpour we'd had that morning, can send them to lower levels. It looked like a composite of insect body parts – a broad, flattened ant's head, a housefly's large compound eyes, spidery legs and damselfly-like wings with intricate venation. The presence of a formidable-looking long, needle‑like ovipositor indicated that this individual was female. Most unique was her elongated neck-like pronotum, which, when she reared up at the approach of my finger, gave her the appearance of a cobra poised to strike. It's this distinctive feature that gives these fantastical creatures their colloquial name. Snakeflies aren't flies (Diptera). They're related to the lacewings and antlions (Neuroptera), but are classified in a separate relictual order, Raphidioptera. They're considered living fossils, as they closely resemble species from the early Jurassic period, about 140m years ago. There are about 260 extant snakefly species worldwide, all found in temperate regions of the northern hemisphere, but only four have been recorded in the UK. Their strong mandibles seem at odds with a diet of soft-bodied prey, but they are voracious predators of aphids, mites and other small arthropods, their flexible pronotum enabling them to pursue prey into tight nooks and crannies. A recent stretch of warm weather, combined with high humidity, extended daylight hours and an abundance of succulent new growth, has created ideal conditions for an aphid population boom. Many trees in the locality have curled, distorted foliage – a telltale sign that sap-suckers have been piercing the leaf cuticle. But the oak was virtually unblemished, suggesting that the snakeflies are helping keep this damage in check. Under the Changing Skies: The Best of the Guardian's Country Diary, 2018-2024 is published by Guardian Faber; order at and get a 15% discount
South Wales Argus
16 hours ago
- South Wales Argus
River Usk project tracks salmon migration barriers
Known as 'smolt' at this life stage, the juvenile fish migrate to the sea to mature and free movement between river and sea is vital for their life cycle. The Natural Resources Wales (NRW) River Usk Smolt Telemetry Project, established in 2021, track the fish's journey along the catchment area. The project tags up to 100 smolts annually with small acoustic transmitters. Around 55 static acoustic listening devices set up along the river document the fish's movements. The data reveals that as the smolts journey towards the sea in spring, they struggle to navigate man-made barriers like weirs, especially in low river flow conditions. These obstacles cause significant delays, exacerbated by low water levels during dry years. The study found that only 24 per cent of tagged smolts reached the sea in a dry season, compared to 67 per cent in a wet one. These numbers don't just reflect a decrease in successful migrations during dry seasons, but also a significant delay, with some smolts taking five weeks longer to leave the river. Aquaculture officer leading the project for NRW, Oliver Brown, said: "The project has evolved over the last couple of years and is giving us a good indication of what's happening to these fish at a critical point in their life cycle." The study's findings are instrumental in shaping improvements on the River Usk under the Four Rivers for LIFE project. The project is building a new smolt pass on the weir, creating a more accessible pathway for migrating smolts. Four Rivers for LIFE manager, Susie Kinghan, said: "The smolt tracking research has been of significant importance to us as a project. "The fish-pass work we are doing on the weir will help salmon and other species to move freely downstream, helping to increase their dangerously low numbers."
BBC News
a day ago
- BBC News
Australian moth uses starlight to travel thousands of miles
Scientists have discovered what they say is the first known invertebrate that uses the sky for long distance navigation.A species of Australian moth, called the bogong moth, uses the light from the stars and the Milky Way to find its way through the summer the insects travel more than 600 miles from the east coast of the country to find cooler have now discovered that they can use the Earth's magnetic field like a compass, or sat nav, to stay on track during their journey. What did scientists discover? Until now, only humans and certain species of birds and seals were thought to be able to use starlight to navigate long it seems a species of Australian month can be added to that moths, are a small species of moth, around three centimetres long, which are named after the Indigenous Australian word for year, when temperatures start rising, they set off on a long night-time flight across the fly from their home on Australia's eastern coast to the cool inland shelter of caves in the Australian Alps.A study published in the journal Nature has found that these small insects can also use the light from the stars and our galaxy, the Milky Way, to find their way through the dark skies. An international team of researchers put some Bogong moths in an enclosure and projected different maps of the night sky onto its then removed the effect of Earth's magnetic field and to their surprise the moths were still able to find the right direction by using the when they rotated the sky 180 degrees, the moths changed their flight to follow along. When scientists then projected weird, incorrect maps of the night sky, the moths became of the study, Eric Warrant from Sweden's Lund University, said: "This is the first invertebrate that's known to be able to use the stars for that purpose."The researchers also believe that near to the end of the moths' long migration, they start noticing clues they are getting close to their mountain Warrant added he has identified a specific smell which comes from the smell "seems to act as a navigational beacon right at the very end of the journey," he added.
