Pygmy Lanternshark

About the Pygmy Lanternshark

The Pygmy Lanternshark is a shark of the family Etmopteridae, found in the Eastern Indian Ocean.

Biology and Description:

The Pygmy Lanternshark has a firm, almost cylindrical body with a head relatively long. The eyes are narrow, with a pale naked patch on the eyelid. The mouth is moderate subequal to the eyes length. Dorsal and ventral surfaces are dark and caudal peduncle rather elongated. The denticles are short, robust and arranged in regular rows. Males reach a maximum size of 25.8 cm (10.2 in) TL and females of 29.3 cm (11.5 in) TL. This species is ovoviviparous, meaning it produces young by means of eggs that hatch inside the mother’s body, with distinct pairing with embrace.

Habitat:

The Pygmy Lanternshark is a marine bathypelagic species recorded from the continental slope at depths of 430 – 550 m (1,411–1,804 ft) off Australia and possibly at 120 – 200 m (394–656 ft) off Indonesia.

Conservation:

Presently, there are no major fishing activities around this species’ range of occurrence and the species is not targeted by commercial fisheries. There are currently no conservation measures in place for this species.

Sharks and rays have been prohibited from retention in most Western Australian commercial fisheries since 2006 (Watt et al. 2021). The species would likely receive refuge in the various marine protected areas within the Australian Commonwealth Marine Parks network that came into effect in 2018 and includes zoning and gear restrictions (Parks Australia 2025). In 2021, the national Red List status of this species was Least Concern and in 2023, the stock was assessed as Negligible (Kyne et al. 2021, Simpfendorfer and Rigby 2023). Further research is needed on its distribution, population size and trends, and life history, and catch rates should be monitored if future fisheries develop in its range.

No major fisheries operate within the known range of the Pygmy Lanternshark, however its potential spatial and depth range in Indonesian waters is heavily fished. If its presence off Indonesia is confirmed, further data on distribution and catches will be required to assess its status there. Population trends are unknown but are suspected to be stable due to the existence of spatial refuges from fishing. As there is nothing to infer or suspect population reduction at this time, the Pygmy Lanternshark is assessed as Least Concern. The species is not known to be utilized.

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