Angelshark (Sealife by CollectA)

It’s Shark Week again and can you believe it? This is the ATB’s fourth year of marking the occasion with toy shark reviews. This year CollectA has released two new and highly anticipated shark figures and it’s my pleasure to be sharing them both this week. To start things off we’re looking at a rather atypical shark, the angelshark, a much-needed addition to any shark collection.

Angelsharks are a group of sharks belonging to the Squatinidae family and all belonging to the Squatina genus. They are characterized by their broad pectoral fins and flattened bodies that make them similar in appearance to rays, or skates. Squatina is Latin for skate. They live a benthic lifestyle, hanging out on the seafloor and relying on camouflage and burying themselves to hide from predators and ambush prey. They feed on various fishes, smaller sharks and rays, crustaceans, and mollusks.

Altogether there are 26 species of angelshark. CollectA doesn’t specify which species theirs is…or do they? The figure is simply called angelshark which might seem vague but it’s the common name for the species Squatina squatina, and no other species has that common name. This species is found in the waters of the northeast Atlantic and would be a logical choice for CollectA because of that. The figure also conforms well to the general appearance of that species, although angelsharks in general are all very similar. Even in life confidently identifying angelsharks can be tricky and doing so relies on features not found or clearly defined on a plastic toy, including the size and shape of barbels and nasal flaps, and the location of small patches of thorns on the body. So, for the rest of the review I will continue to refer to the figure as an angelshark but when I do, know that I’m referring specifically to S. squatina.

Angelsharks reach an average length of 4-5’ (126-167 cm) and a maximum length of 8’ (244 cm). The CollectA figure measures 4.5” (11.43 cm). The presence of claspers indicates that the figure represents a male, which are smaller than females. The maximum size for a male angelshark is about 6’ (182 cm) and when scaled down from that length the figure comes out to be 1/15 in scale.

The CollectA angelshark is presented in a lunging posture, its head lifted and mouth agape, the tail sweeping leftwards. The back is painted sandy brown with some darker brown fading along the edges of the pectoral and pelvic fins and elsewhere. Small white and brown spots are distributed across the body along with some irregularly shaped brown rings. The patterning on the body could be a bit more extensive but this works. In life the coloration can range from gray to reddish or greenish-brown.

The dorsal fins should have a dark leading edge and pale trailing edge, but they don’t and that’s fine. The underside of the figure is white with pale tan edging along the pectoral and pelvic fins. The inside of the mouth, cloaca, and gills are highlighted in pink.

The detail work is exceptional overall. Barbels and nasal flaps are sculpted on the face. Tiny teeth are sculpted along the bottom jaw but are hard to discern and not painted.  Spiracles are sculpted behind the eyes and these aid in breathing, allowing the angelshark to sit motionless on the seafloor. Five gill slits can be seen on the sides of the head just below the pectoral fins. Along the sides of the head are lateral head folds with a triangular lobe on each side. Striations are etched into the rear fin edges, and these represent the strands of protein known as ceratotrichia that help support the fins. No anal fin is present but angelsharks don’t have one.

Angelsharks can often be identified by the various rows and patches of rough skin and thorns on their skin. This species has a row of thorns along the middle of the back when young, but these disappear with age, leaving only a rough patch of skin. Patches of small thorns are present on the snout and between the eyes. The CollectA figure doesn’t have any of these features and is completely smooth, but their absence is not really a big deal.

Angelshark figures are few and far between. Those that do exist are all by Yowie or Play Visions and quite small, crude, and rare. Nothing else like the CollectA angelshark exists or has ever existed. I highlighted a few small issues, but I only mentioned them for the sake of being thorough, this is easily one of the year’s best figures, one of my all-time favorite shark figures, and an absolutely essential addition to any animal collection.