Species: Etmopterus gracilispinis, Broadband Lantern Shark
obscure dark marks below
under snout with denticles

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.

High Resolution Map Download
- Salinity
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- Marine
- Marine Only
- Inshore/Offshore
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- Offshore
- Offshore Only
- Water Column Position
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- Bottom
- Mid Water
- Near Bottom
- Near Surface
- Habitat
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- Sand & gravel
- Soft bottom (mud/sand/gravel/beach/estuary/mangrove/seagrass)
- Soft bottom only
- Water column
- Mud
- FishBase Habitat
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- Bentho-Pelagic
- Feeding Group
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- Carnivore
- Data
- Diet
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- Data
- Bony fishes
- Mobile benthic crustacea (shrimps/crabs)
- Octopus/squid/cuttlefish
- Egg Type
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- Data
- Live birth
- Pelagic larva
- Global Endemism
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- All species
- Atlantic + Indian Ocean
- Greater Caribbean non-endemic
- Regional Endemism
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- Also in Brazil
- Continent
- Continent only
- Extends N + S of GC
- Extends North of GC
- Extends South of GC
- GC non-endemic
- All species
- Residency
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- Resident
- Climate Zone
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- Equatorial (0-10N, Costa Rica / Venezuela)
- Subtropical (23-35N, Florida / Carolinas / Bermuda)
- Temperate (>35N)
- IUCN Red List
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- Least concern
- Listed
- CITES
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- Not listed
- Length Max
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- 33
- Depth Range Min
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- 70
- Depth Range Max
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- 2642