The great lanternshark (''Etmopterus princeps'') is a

shark Sharks are a group of elasmobranch fish characterized by a cartilaginous skeleton, five to seven gill slits on the sides of the head, and pectoral fins that are not fused to the head. Modern sharks are classified within the clade Selachi ...

of the

family Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Idea ...

Etmopteridae The Etmopteridae are a family of sharks in the order Squaliformes, commonly known as lantern sharks. Their name comes from the presence of light-producing photophore A photophore is a glandular organ that appears as luminous spots on vari ...

found in the northeast and northwest

Atlantic The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the " Old World" of Africa, Europe an ...

. Its name was given as at the time of its discovery, it was thought to be bioluminescent, but this has been challenged.

Description

This species of shark is slender and small, generally found in deep water. They can grow up to . It is a black or a very dark brown, uniformly, in color, and lacks an anal fin. It lives from to . The dorsal fins have an associated spine.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Great lanternshark Etmopterus Fish described in 1904