The First Substantiated Records of Smoothback Angelshark Squatina oculata (Squatinidae) from the Algerian Coast (Southwestern Mediterranean Sea)Capapé, Christian (Avtor) Reynaud, Christian (Avtor) Hemida, Farid (Avtor) Squatina oculatadistributionviable populationsfirst recordovarian fecundityIn this paper, the authors report the captures of three specimens of smoothback angelshark Squatina oculata Bonaparte, 1840 from the eastern region of the Algerian coast. Two of the specimens were males, measuring 1555 mm and 1520 mm in total length (TL) and weighing 25.5 and 21 kg in total body weight (TBW), respectively. The third specimen was a female, measuring 1600 mm in TL and weighing 27 kg. The female exhibited fully yolked oocytes ready to be released from both ovaries. The diameter of 10 of the oocytes was measured, ranging between 58 and 70 mm (mean = 63.2 mm ± 4.8 mm). These findings constitute the first substantiated records of S. oculata in the Algerian ichthyofauna. However, while the occurrence of a viable population in the area cannot be totally ruled out, the species needs a management plan to prevent its drastic decline.20232026-07-09 22:07:50Delo ni kategorizirano31002UDK: 5DOI: 10.19233/ASHN.2023.18slImetniki avtorskih pravic na prispevkih so avtorji. CC BY-NC 4.0