Shark Stuffed Animal Facts

Shark stuffed animals might seem a little intimidating at first, especially those that have gaping mouths full of ‘sharp’ teeth. The truth is, shark stuffed animals are as cuddly as the next soft toy and much friendlier than they seem.

The lesser known angel shark (scientific name Squatina califronica) gets its name from its large pectoral fins which are shaped like wings. Their bodies are flat and they can grow up to five feet in length. Angel sharks are black, grey, or brown in color which helps aids them in blending perfectly with the sandy bottom of the ocean wear they hide so they can pounce on their prey mollusks, fish, and crustaceans. Like many sharks, the angel species are ovovivparous which means they produce eggs which hatch within the females body but don’t get any nourishment from it. Angel sharks can have as many as 13 pups in a litter.

In 2007, the Aquarium of the Bay in San Francisco, California, announced the birth of the first ever Pacific angel shark pup born in captivity. It weighed in at 4.4 ounces and 9.6 inches in length. The only aquarium in the United States that consistently has angel sharks in display is the Aquarium of the Bay. While there are only two adults in their collection, they also have sevengill sharks, smoothhound sharks, spiny dogfish, soupfin sharks, swell sharks, and leopard sharks. The Aquarium’s Executive Director, John Frawley says with so much attention focused on great white sharks, many people are unaware of the lesser known sharks that live in the San Francisco Bay and surrounding waters. Given their is so little known about angel sharks, the Aquarium is putting its focus on various field projects and research to gain a better understanding of what their life cycles are like as well as the way in which the species distributes itself. They have begun a shark tagging program which they hope will enable them to also understand how the Bay’s ecosystem and sharks fit together, in addition to finding out what they need in order for the species to blossom.

You could say that like the angel shark, very little is known about shark stuffed animals. After all, they’re not usually the first choice of soft toy taken off the shelf, like say, the teddy bear. If they’re never chosen, how can anyone learn anything about them? Unfortunately, unlike the teddy bear, shark stuffed animals don’t come across as very non-threatening, which is their first problem. With all those teeth and menacing eyes, it’s not exactly an endorsement for a best looking soft toy award. On the other hand, if it’s realism in your plush toys that you prefer, look no further than a shark stuffed animal.