Monkfish
Squatina squatina (Linnaeus, 1758)
CRCritically Endangeredsharks and rays
The monkfish (Squatina squatina) is a fish in the sharks and rays group, belonging to the family Squatinidae in the order Squatiniformes. It is also called Angel fish, Angelshark, Puppy-fish, Angel shark and Fiddle fish.
Quick facts about the monkfish
The species is classified in the class Elasmobranchii and the genus Squatina, with the scientific name authority (Linnaeus, 1758). On the IUCN Red List, the monkfish is assessed globally as Critically Endangered (CR), a threatened category.
- Weight
- Not recorded
- Length
- up to 2.4 msrc for Length
- Lifespan
- Not recorded
- Main food
- Not recorded
- Habitat
- coastalsrc for Habitat
- Young per litter or clutch
- 7 – 25src for Young per litter or clutch
- Reproduction
- Live birthsrc for Reproduction
- Active
- At night (nocturnal)src for Active
- Conservation status
- Critically Endangered (IUCN)src for Conservation status
- Countries on record
- Not recorded
Photos of the monkfish
Only freely licensed photos are shown. Each carries its creator and licence.
Where does the monkfish live?
Not recorded
What is the monkfish?
Squatina squatina, known as the common angelshark, is a species of shark in the family Squatinidae (known generally also as angel sharks), that were once widespread in the coastal waters of the northeastern Atlantic Ocean. Well-adapted for camouflaging itself on the sea floor, the angelshark has a flattened form with enlarged pectoral and pelvic fins, giving it a superficial resemblance to a ray. This species can be identified by its broad and stout body, conical barbels, thornless back (in larger individuals), and grayish or brownish dorsal coloration with a pattern of numerous small light and dark markings (that is more vivid in juveniles). It measures up to 2.4 m (7.9 ft) long.
Like other members of its family, the angelshark is a nocturnal ambush predator that buries itself in sediment and waits for passing prey, mostly benthic bony fishes, but also skates and invertebrates. An aplacental viviparous species, females bear litters of seven to 25 pups every other year. The angelshark normally poses little danger to humans, though if provoked, it is quick to bite. Since the mid-20th century, intense commercial fishing across the angelshark's range has decimated its population via bycatch – it is now locally extinct or nearly so across most of its northern range, and the prospects of the remaining fragmented subpopulations are made more precarious by its slow rate of reproduction. As a result, the International Union for Conservation of Nature has assessed this species as critically endangered.
From the Wikipedia article “Squatina squatina” (en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Squatina_squatina&oldid=1370358665), by Wikipedia contributors, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0). This block is kept separate from our own text.
Is the monkfish endangered?
The monkfish is listed as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List: it faces an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild.
- LCLeast Concern
- NTNear Threatened
- VUVulnerable
- ENEndangered
- CRCritically Endangered
- EWExtinct in the Wild
- EXExtinct
Category via Wikidata (CC0). Find the full assessment on the IUCN Red List. See all Critically Endangered species. What the categories mean.
How is the monkfish classified?
- kingdomAnimalia
- phylumChordata
- classElasmobranchii
- orderSquatiniformes
- familySquatinidae
- genusSquatina
- SpeciesSquatina squatina (Linnaeus, 1758)
Synonyms Cestracion angelorum, Rhina squatina, Rhina squatina, Squalraia acephala, Squalraia cervicata, Squalus squatina, Squatina angelorum, Squatina angelus, Squatina angelus, Squatina europaea, Squatina laevis, Squatina lewis, Squatina squatini, Squatina vulgaris
Other names and names in other languages (122)
- Angel fishEnglish
- Angel sharkEnglish
- Angel sharkEnglish
- AngelsharkEnglish
- AngelsharkEnglish
- Fiddle fishEnglish
- Puppy-fishEnglish
- ánxelAsturian
- Морски ангелBulgarian
- Ael-morBreton
- bret ealBreton
- eal vôrBreton
- AngelCatalan
- ÀngelCatalan
- angelotCatalan
- EscatCatalan
- peix àngelCatalan
- RazzuCorsican
- AgnuluCorsican
- Pesciu AnghjuluCorsican
- SgheruCorsican
- SguaruCorsican
- SquatronuCorsican
- polorejnok křídlatýCzech
- MaegliWelsh
- maelgiWelsh
- MaelgwnWelsh
- havengelDanish
- Europæisk havengelDanish
- EngelhaiGerman
- EngelshaiGerman
- Gemeiner EngelhaiGerman
- Gewöhnlicher EngelhaiGerman
- MeerengelGerman
- ΡίναGreek
- ΆγγελοςGreek
- ΑγγελοκαρχαρίαςGreek
- Αγγελοκαρχαρίας-ΡίναGreek
- PardonSpanish
- angeloteSpanish
- MermejuelaSpanish
- Pez AngelSpanish
- pez ángelSpanish
- Tiburón ángelSpanish
- villanoSpanish
- Aingueru-guardakoaBasque
- merienkeliFinnish
- AngeFrench
- ange de merFrench
- ange de mer communFrench
- AntjouFrench
- BourgeoisFrench
- BourgetFrench
- L'anelotFrench
- L'angeFrench
- MartrameFrench
- MordacleFrench
- requin-raieFrench
- Squatine OcceleeFrench
- Peixe anxoGalician
- מלאך-ים נקודHebrew
- SklatCroatian
- Sklat sivacCroatian
- SokotCroatian
- közönséges angyalcápaHungarian
- RinaItalian
- AngelaItalian
- AngeloItalian
- AngeluItalian
- pesce angeloItalian
- Pescio AngeoItalian
- squadroItalian
- Squadro BiancoItalian
- Squadro Pelle NeraItalian
- Squadro Pelle RossaItalian
- SquadrolinoItalian
- SquadruItalian
- SquaénaItalian
- SqualénaItalian
- Squalo angelo comuneItalian
- SquatruItalian
- Squatru CefaluItalian
- TerrezzinoItalian
- ViolinItalian
- ホンカスザメJapanese
- europinis plokščiakūnis ryklysLithuanian
- havengelNorwegian Bokmål
- speelmanDutch
- zee-engelDutch
- zeeduivelDutch
- zeeëngelDutch
- havengelNorwegian Nynorsk
- havengelNorwegian
- rynaPolish
- anioł morskiPolish
- raszpla zwyczajnaPolish
- skwatPolish
- anjoPortuguese
- peixe anjoPortuguese
- Peixe-anjoPortuguese
- ViolaPortuguese
- Морской ангелRussian
- Европейская скватинаRussian
- Европейский морской ангелRussian
- Обыкновенный морской ангелRussian
- navadni sklačSlovenian
- skadhinaAlbanian
- engjëlli i detitAlbanian
- peshku engjëllAlbanian
- skadhina e butëAlbanian
- havsängelSwedish
- kelerTurkish
- keler baligiTurkish
- keler balığıTurkish
- Keler BalığınınTurkish
- Морський ангелUkrainian
- Європейський морський янголUkrainian
- Морський янгол європейськийUkrainian
- Акула-ангел європейськаUkrainian
- Skadhine e buteroot
- BertelôotWest Flemish
- 扁鯊Chinese
Catalogue of LifeWikipediaiNaturalistITISTAXREFWikidataWoRMSIUCN Red List
Relatives of the monkfish
Other species in the same genus Squatina.
Monkfish
Squatina aculeata
Pacific angel shark
Squatina californica
Monk fish
Squatina oculata
Japanese angelfish
Squatina japonica
Monkfish
Squatina australis
Sand devil
Squatina dumeril
CompareMonkfish vs MonkfishMonkfish vs Pacific angel sharkMonkfish vs Monk fishMonkfish vs Japanese angelfish
Common questions
Each answer is written from the sourced facts on this page, and only where they hold the answer.
What kind of animal is the monkfish?
The monkfish is a fish in the sharks and rays group. It belongs to the family Squatinidae in the order Squatiniformes.
What is the scientific name of the monkfish?
The scientific name of the monkfish is Squatina squatina. It is placed in the genus Squatina.
Is the monkfish endangered?
Yes. The monkfish is listed as Critically Endangered (CR) on the IUCN Red List in its global assessment, which is a threatened category.
Who named the monkfish and when?
The monkfish was named by Linnaeus in 1758; its authority is written as (Linnaeus, 1758).
What are other names for the monkfish?
Other English names for the monkfish are Angel fish, Angelshark, Puppy-fish, Angel shark and Fiddle fish.
What class does the monkfish belong to?
The monkfish belongs to the class Elasmobranchii, within the phylum Chordata and the kingdom Animalia.
Sources and how to cite this page
Data as of 2026-11-11. How this page is put together.
- Catalogue of Life eXtended Release · CC BY 4.0 · 2026-10-16 XR
Catalogue of Life (2026). Catalogue of Life eXtended Release, version 2026-10-16 XR. Catalogue of Life Foundation, Amsterdam, Netherlands. https://doi.org/10.48580/dgzlf - Wikimedia Commons · per file (CC0 / public domain / CC BY green, CC BY-SA amber, anything else not displayed) · 2026-11-11
Wikimedia Commons contributors. Wikimedia Commons. https://commons.wikimedia.org (each file credited to its author under its own licence). - Wikidata · CC0 1.0 · 2026-11-11
Wikidata contributors. Wikidata. https://www.wikidata.org (data retrieved via the Wikidata Query Service). - Wikipedia (English) · CC BY-SA 4.0 · 2026-11-11
Wikipedia contributors. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. https://en.wikipedia.org (text under CC BY-SA 4.0; each block names its article and revision).
Embed a card for this animal on your own site
Copy this code. The card shows the photo with its credit, key facts and a link back to this page.
CreatureData. (2026). Monkfish (Squatina squatina). Retrieved from https://creaturedata.com/animals/squatina-squatina
“Monkfish (Squatina squatina).” CreatureData, 2026, https://creaturedata.com/animals/squatina-squatina.
@misc{squatina_squatina_2026,
title = {Monkfish (Squatina squatina)},
author = {{CreatureData}},
year = {2026},
url = {https://creaturedata.com/animals/squatina-squatina},
note = {Data as of 2026-11-11}
}