In the cold waters of the Beagle Channel, south of Tierra del Fuego, lives a shark that few know but that plays a key ecological role: the thornback ray (Schroederichthys chilensis), also known as “cat” for its flexible and speckled appearance.
This shark, up to 85 centimeters long, with benthic and nocturnal habits, feeds on crustaceans, fish, octopuses, and jellyfish, and poses no danger to humans.
An austral shark connecting trophic levels
The thornback ray lives among algae forests and sea caves, where it acts as a link between small prey and larger predators.
According to researcher Matías Delpiani from CADIC-CONICET, this species is distributed from the south of Brazil to the Chilean Pacific, including the Argentine Sea and the Falkland Islands. It prefers cold waters of 8 to 9°C, and camouflages among rocks and algae thanks to its body speckled with burgundy and brown spots.
“It is not a great migrator. It spends much of its life in cracks on the seabed, moving like a snake,” explains Delpiani.
Schroederichthys chilensis, the thornback ray species in Chile. Photo – Rod Sanchez.
Fueguian biodiversity: more sharks than believed
In addition to the thornback ray, spiny dogfish, vitamin shark, and even hammerhead sharks have been recorded in the region.
These findings disprove the idea that there are no sharks in the south and reveal a marine diversity greater than expected, with migratory and resident species interacting in the southern coastal ecosystems.
Fragile reproduction and growing threats
Each female lays one or two eggs per season, attached to algae or sponges, making it vulnerable to trawling fishing.
Although the IUCN classifies it as a “least concern” species, records show a decrease in biomass in recent decades. The main threats include:
- Incidental fishing with trawl nets
- Overexploitation of coastal algae
- Impacts of climate change on their habitats
The Beagle Channel: a high-value biological corridor
This ecosystem connects the Pacific and Atlantic oceans and harbors unique biodiversity on land and sea, including:
- Marine birds: Magellanic and papua penguins, cormorants, seagulls, petrels, and steamer ducks
- Marine mammals: South American sea lions, fur seals, southern right whale dolphins, seals, and porpoises
- Terrestrial fauna: guanacos, gray foxes, and huemules
- Marine life: king crabs, mussels, limpets, trout, and kelp forests
- Subantarctic flora: lengas, ñires, lichens, and mosses
Conservation and perception: changing the view on sharks
Beyond the myth of the “serial killer,” sharks play vital ecological roles and do not seek to attack humans.
“They have a bad reputation due to movies and marketing. But they consume what they need, they are not human predators,” clarifies Delpiani.
