It’s possible that these sharks could live as deep as 6,555 feet.The dwarf lanternshark is considered to be the smallest shark in the world.

The young are between 2-8 inches when they are born.Females gestate between two or three young at a time.Their reproductive habits, and the fact that they only have two to three young at once, have limited their ability to recover. In contrast, the population of velvet belly lanternsharks in the Mediterranean is listed as “near threatened” due to trawling below 3,300 feet. The IUCN has either not evaluated individual species of lanternshark or determined that most species are of least concern (like the dwarf lanternshark). All of these sharks are quite small, meaning that they are of little to no economic value or of interest to fishermen. Other lanternsharks, like the velvet belly, are mature at lengths of 13 or 14 inches.ĭepending on the species of lanternshark, little or more is known about the threat level that human beings pose. Male dwarf lanternsharks are mature at between 6.3 and 6.9 inches, and females are between 6.1 and 7.9 inches. Dwarf lanternshark young are around 2.2-2.4 inches or 5.5-6.0 centimeters when they are born, while other species are slightly bigger, up to 5.5 inches. They possess embryos that develop inside eggs and then remain in the female shark’s body until they are ready to hatch, nourishing their yolk sacs.įemales gestate litters of between two and three young at a time. This means that they utilize a form of reproduction between egg-laying and live-bearing. But, they believe that most species reproduce ovoviviparous. Like other little-studied shark species, scientists are not entirely sure about the reproductive habits of lanternsharks. They are also known to prey on other cartilaginous fish.

They are known to feed on squid, shrimp, crustaceans, cephalopods, and worms. Scientists have suggested that it is possible these sharks could live as deep as 6,555 feet (2000 m).Īll lanternsharks, including the fringefin and dwarf lanternshark will eat mostly anything that’s small enough. For example, the Caribbean lanternshark lives at depths of up to 2,362 feet (720 m), and the fringed lanternshark can be found up to 3,000 feet (914 m) beneath the ocean’s surface. These, like most species of lanternshark, prefer deep, cold water. The smooth and broadbanded lanternsharks inhabit depths of up to 3,281 feet. Illustration of a smooth lanternshark from 1843 Other species, like the smooth lanternshark, are more widely distributed, ranging throughout the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. The fringefin lanternshark is native to the western central Atlantic, while the broadbanded and Caribbean lanternsharks are found in the western and southeastern Atlantic. Other species, such as the velvet belly lantern shark, can be found in the northeastern Atlantic Ocean. It lives in the upper continental slope at depths of up to 1,440 feet (439 meters). It can be found between Barranquilla and Santa Marta off the coasts of Venezuela and Colombia. The dwarf lanternshark, the most famous of the species, is confined to a small area of the Caribbean Sea. The small sharks have between 25-25 teeth in their upper jaw and 30-34 teeth in the lower jaw, making them deadly for their smaller prey. The fringefin lanternshark reaches a maximum of eleven inches. The velvet and smooth lanternsharks grow to slightly longer lengths than the dwarf lanternshark, reaching around thirteen to fifteen inches. In deeper waters, the bioluminescence is used to attract prey. This helps them camouflage in the sunlight and shimmers in shallow waters, enabling them to hide from predators. The dwarf lantenshark, like other members of the genus Etmopterus, is capable of producing light. This smallest shark species is identifiable through its long, flathead and black ventral markings. They only grow to around 6-8 inches (15-20 cm) in length. Famously, the lanternshark is the smallest species of shark known to scientists (specifically the dwarf lanternshark).

Dwarf lantern shark lifespan