Common Name
Dwarf Lanternshark
Year Described
Springer and Burgess, 1985
Identification
This lanternshark is very stout bodied, with a fairly flattened head, and with a long snout (longer than mouth width but slightly shorter than the distance from mouth to pectoral origin). Body tapering into slender caudal peduncle. Anterior nasal flap is short. There are two dorsal fins, the second being more than twice as large as the first. Distance between them is slightly more or equal to snout-gill distance. Both have a spine on the anterior margin. First dorsal originates right over pectoral fin rear margin, and much closer to pectoral fin than pelvic fin. Pectoral fin is broadly rounded and moderate. Anal fin is absent. Pelvic fins originate anterior to the second dorsal. Caudal fin is fairly short (about equal to head length). Rear margins of fins lack fringes with the exception of pectoral fin. Pectoral fringe is mostly connected with fin web. Teeth in lower jaw are broader than the upper jaw. Upper jaw teeth are narrow with median cusps and 2 pairs of lateral cusplets. The lower jaw teeth are bandlike, with low, oblique cusps and lateral blades. Upper jaw: 25-30 teeth; lower jaw: 32-34 teeth. Very short gill slits. Denticles are randomly spaced with thin, needle-like crowns. Denticles present on snout.
Color
Dark brown to blackish-brown with a black belly and pale line markings delineating the dark areas on the lower body. Black marking behind pelvic fin extend forward over fin but not extended rearward. Other black patches on caudal peduncle and fin. Eye green.
Size
One of the smallest known sharks: reaching 29cm TL but matures at only 16-21cm TL.
Habitat
Over upper continental slopes from 230-530. Usually over the bottom.
Range
Known only off Colombia.
References
Ebert, D. A., Dando, M., & S. Fowler. 2021. Sharks of the World. Princeton University Press. 607 pp.