Subspecies
There are three subspecies:
- Phalacrocorax aristotelis aristotelis - northwestern Europe (Atlantic Ocean coasts)
- Phalacrocorax aristotelis desmarestii - southern Europe, southwest Asia (Mediterranean Sea and Black Sea coasts)
- Phalacrocorax aristotelis riggenbachi - northwest African coast
The subspecies differ slightly in bill size and the breast and leg colour of young birds. Recent evidence suggests that birds on the Atlantic coast of southwest Europe are distinct from all three, and may be an as-yet undescribed subspecies (Yésou et al., Brit. Birds 98: 369-370, 2005).
The name shag is also used in the Southern Hemisphere for several additional species of cormorants.
Read more about this topic: European Shag