Blurred lanternshark

Etmopterus bigelowi

Etmopterus bigelowi is a species of the genus Etmopterus within the lantern sharks ( Etmopterinae; classified as family Etmopteridae ). The range of the species includes parts of the Atlantic before the American and African coast and parts of the Pacific.

Appearance and characteristics

Etmopterus bigelowi reaches a body length of about 40 centimeters in females and about 50 centimeters in males, the well-known maximum length is 67 centimeters. He has a typical for the lantern sharks elongated body with a long and wide at the same time and on the upper side flattened head and a relatively long tail. The body color is uniformly dark brown to black-brown with a darker side of the abdomen. On the head there is a small white spot. Together with Etmopterus pusillus he is the only shark of the genus with flat, blocky Dentikelschuppen and a smooth skin. He also has the typical for the lantern sharks light organs on the ventral side, but do not show up as bands on the caudal fin and the flanks.

It has no anal fin and two dorsal fins with the regulatory typical spines before the dorsal fin. The first dorsal fin starts further behind the pectoral fins, and is smaller than the second. Like all species of the family owned pets five gill slits and have a spray hole behind the eye.

Dissemination

The shark is known from various regions of the world oceans. Proved he is in the Atlantic Ocean from the Gulf of Mexico to Brazil and Equatorial to South Africa, the Pacific Ocean in the area of ​​the Indo-Pacific, in Japan and on the coasts of Australia and in the open ocean and near the coast of Peru. He is from depths of 163 to more than 1000 meters known in the open ocean it can also occur in epipelagic depths of 110-700 meters.

Way of life

Etmopterus bigelowi lives in the area of the continental shelf and on the island bases of its range. Like other sharks it feeds predatory, probably of smaller fish and invertebrates. About his life are very little data.

He is like other species of the order viviparous ( ovoviviparous ).

Endangering

Etmopterus bigelowi is listed in the IUCN Red List due to the large living space and the lack of threat from fishing as not at risk. He has worked as a food fish no meaning and is accordingly no directed fishing.