One of the world's rarest sharks has been found washed up on an Abersoch beach. Angel sharks are classified as critically endangered, but sightings over recent years suggest that a small population is living off the Welsh coast.

One of these rare sharks was found on Traeth Trwyn Y Fach, near the Warren resort, last week. A picture taken by a passer-by shows the shark may have been dead for some time.

These flat sharks (Squatina squatina) are often mistaken for skates or rays. Confusingly, they used to be known in the UK as monkfish until the mid 20th century. The sharks spend most of their time camouflaged on the bottom of the seabed ambushing fish.

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A small number may be living off the Welsh coast, but their numbers have massively declined over the past century. They used to be abundant across the Atlantic and Mediterranean seas, but after years of habitat disturbance, pollution and incidental catch in fisheries, they are among the rarest shark species in the world.

They can grow up to six feet in length weighing 70lbs, but the one spotted on Abersoch was significantly smaller, measuring at around three-and-a-half/four feet.

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