As with other angelsharks, its body is flattened by very wide pectoral fins, giving it the appearance of a long ray.

The nasal valves are either only slightly fringed or smoothly edged, the barbels either forked or lobed.

Like the sawback angelshark (Squatina aculeata) found in the same habitat, this species used to be very common.

It is most threatened by the intensive fishing in coastal areas and continental shelves by drift nets, gillnets and longlines, which affects most of its range off the African coast.

The species has therefore disappeared in large areas of the northern Mediterranean and in African coastal waters.