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Species: Etmopterus schultzi, Fringefin Lantern Shark

All Families:   All Genera:   All Species:

head flattened
blackish, without dark marks
D1 spine well behind pectorals
denticles pointed, not in rows
under snout with denticles
all fins heavily fringed with free hairs

Etmopterus schultzi Bigelow, Schroeder & Springer, 1953

Fringefin Lantern Shark

Body slender; head and snout flattened, at level of eyes head is wider than deep; snout moderately short, 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 2-3 smaller points on each side 32-38 rows, lower teeth compressed and blade-like, with small, oblique tips, 32 rows; five gill slits, all before pectoral base, very short; 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; fins with prominent hairy margins; pectoral fin short and broad, front and rear margins with hair-like fringes that make up to ½ length of 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 fin base; tail fin strongly asymmetrical, notch at top; denticles on sides of body with curved points, widely spaced, not in rows.

Light brown above; under snout and abdomen grey; an elongate narrow dark mark above and behind pelvic, another on side of base of tail fin; a pale yellow spot between eyes.

Size: 30 cm.

Habitat: Outer continental shelf and upper slopes.

Depth: 220-915

The Gulf of Mexico to Guyana.


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Salinity
  • Marine
  • Marine Only
Inshore/Offshore
  • Offshore
  • Offshore Only
Water Column Position
  • Bottom
  • Bottom + water column
  • Near Bottom
Habitat
  • 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 only
  • GC endemic
  • All species
Residency
  • Resident
Climate Zone
  • Equatorial (0-10N, Costa Rica / Venezuela)
  • Subtropical (23-35N, Florida / Carolinas / Bermuda)
  • Tropical (10-23N, Nicaragua / Cuba)
IUCN Red List
  • Least concern
  • Listed
CITES
  • Not listed
Length Max
  • 30
Depth Range Min
  • 220
Depth Range Max
  • 915