Madeira Canary Islands Azores – Fishes Dr. Peter Wirtz

Up to 1.8 m long. Canary Islands. 1 – 150 m depth.
The distinctly flattened angel sharks are night active. During the day, they are mostly buried in sand. They
feed on fish and bivalves. In early summer, the female gives birth to 7 to 25 live young. Do not be deceived by
the harmless appearance and sluggish lifestyle of angel sharks: divers who pulled an angel shark’s tail were
bitten by the shark that quickly turned around. Photo Peter Wirtz.
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Moray eels (Muraenidae)
Black moray (Muraena augusti)
Up to 90 cm long. Madeira, Canary Islands, Azores. 2 – 130 m depth.
As the name indicates, Black morays usually are black. However, young animals in particular can also bear
many small white spots. The white eyes are conspicuous and typical for the species. Some time ago, the Black
moray was considered a mere colour form of the Mediterranean moray (next page) but a detailed study found
many differences. The Black moray, which is quite common in the area, reaches sexual maturity with a size of
about 55 cm and an age of 5 years; it probably attains 18 years of age. Reproductive season in August. Photos
Peter Wirtz.
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Mediterranean moray (Muraena helena)
Up to 1.3 m long. Madeira, Canary Islands, Azores. 1 – 800 m depth.
The Mediterranean moray differs from the Black moray not only in colour but also in many other traits. It
reaches sexual maturity with about 75 cm length (at an age of 7 years) and probably reaches 35 years of age.