fringefin lanternshark

Photo: Wikipedia

The fringefin lanternshark, Etmopterus schultzi, is a small deepwater shark with a pretty widespread range in the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Sea compared to other Etmopterus species. This small shark, only getting up to ~30 cm total length (TL) is found to prefer the upper continental slopes of its range, seen at depths of 220 down to 915 m.

The fringefin lanternshark is the most common species of the Etmopteridae family in its range in the Gulf of Mexico. Like others in the family, little known about it although it is sometimes taken as bycatch in deepwater demersal fisheries, but often discarded. Like many deepwater chondrichthyan species, more information on their biology, ecology and how fisheries impact them is needed. The IUCN has assessed these animals as Least Concern (LC).

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GLOSSARY

• Bathydemersal: Living and feeding on the bottom below 200 m.
• Benthic zone: The bottom of an ocean or lake.
• Continental shelf: Extends from a continent underwater, resulting in a shallow-water area.
• Continental slope: The steep slope from a continental shelf to the ocean floor; usually around 20 km (12.4 miles) wide and made up of mud and silt substrate. It is an ideal area for deep sea fishing.​
• Dorsal fin: Fin located on the back.
• Dorsal side: The top of an animal.
• IUCN: International Union for Conservation of Nature.​

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