Species: Etmopterus gracilispinis, Broadband Lantern Shark

Etmopterus gracilispinis Krefft, 1968

Broadband Lantern Shark

Body stout; head and snout flattened, at level of eyes head is wider than deep; snout short, bulbous, its underside covered with denticles; no nictitating eyelids; spiracle large, behind eye; mouth short, at acute angle; upper teeth with a narrow central point plus 1 or more smaller points on each side, 24-27 rows, lower teeth compressed and blade-like, with small, oblique tips, 25-32 rows; five gill slits, all before pectoral base, very short, length ~2X spiracle; two dorsal fins, second about twice area of first, both with long thick grooved spines; first dorsal located well behind pectorals, center of first dorsal midway between pectoral fin axil and origin of the pelvics; space between dorsal fins less than distance from snout to pectoral fin origin; pectoral fin narrow and angular, front and rear margins with hair-like fringe, ends well before dorsal fin; distance between origins of pelvics and lower caudal base at least 2/3 distance between origins of pectorals and pelvics; no anal fin; no ridges between pectoral and pelvic fins, no precaudal pits, no keel on tail base; tail fin short, slender strongly asymmetrical, notch at top; denticles on sides of body with curved points, irregularly spaced, not in rows; luminescent organs from belly along tail base.

Brown above, a reddish band along the top surface, black below; a conspicuous triangular white spot on top of the head between eyes; inconspicuous black wing-like marks on flanks behind pelvic fins, black along tail base.

Size: 33 cm.

Habitat: Outer continental shelf and upper slopes.

Depth: 70-2642 m, deeper in tropical areas.

Both sides of the Atlantic, and the SW Indian Ocean; New Jersey to Argentina.