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Species: Etmopterus robinsi, West Indian Lantern Shark

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D1 spine over pectoral free rear tip
denticles pointed, not in rows
under snout with denticles
black mark over pelvics in 2 parts
lower black marks prominent

Etmopterus robinsi Schofield & Burgess, 1997

West Indian Lantern Shark

Body moderately stout; head and snout flat, long, broad, depth at front of eye 2/3 width; no nictitating eyelids; spiracle large, behind eye; mouth short, at acute angle; upper teeth with a large central point plus 2 smaller points on each side; lower teeth compressed and blade-like, with small, oblique tips; five gill slits, all before pectoral base, very short; two dorsal fins, second much higher but <2X area of 1st, both with long thick grooved spines, 2nd spine larger than 1st; first dorsal with origin just behind pressed-down pectoral tip, fin much nearer pectoral fin axil than origin of pelvics; pectoral fin triangular; no anal fin; no ridges between pectoral and pelvic fins, no precaudal pits, no keel on tail base; tail fin strongly asymmetrical, notch at top, relatively short (top margin length ~snout tip to pectoral origin); fins without rear fringes; denticles needle like, densely and randomly arranged, cover head and body; flank denticles with slender, hooked points, wide spaced, not in longitudinal rows.

Head and body grey to dark brown above, conspicuously dark below; elongate black mark above and behind pelvics subdivided.

Size: 34 cm.

Habitat: Upper continental slope

Depth: 412-787 m.

SE USA to the central Caribbean.


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Salinity
  • Marine
  • Marine Only
Inshore/Offshore
  • Offshore
  • Offshore Only
Water Column Position
  • Bottom
  • Bottom + water column
  • Near Bottom
Habitat
  • Soft bottom (mud/sand/gravel/beach/estuary/mangrove/seagrass)
  • Water column
FishBase Habitat
  • Bathydemersal
Feeding Group
  • Carnivore
  • Data
Diet
  • Data
  • Bony fishes
  • Mobile benthic crustacea (shrimps/crabs)
  • Octopus/squid/cuttlefish
Egg Type
  • Data
  • Live birth
  • No pelagic larva
Global Endemism
  • All species
  • Greater Caribbean endemic
  • West Atlantic Endemic
Regional Endemism
  • Continent
  • Continent + Island (s)
  • GC endemic
  • Island (s)
  • All species
Residency
  • Resident
Climate Zone
  • Subtropical (23-35N, Florida / Carolinas / Bermuda)
  • Tropical (10-23N, Nicaragua / Cuba)
IUCN Red List
  • Least concern
  • Listed
CITES
  • Not listed
Length Max
  • 34
Depth Range Min
  • 412
Depth Range Max
  • 787