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 TL and females of 29.3 cm TL. This species is ovoviviparous, 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 off Australia and possibly at 120 – 200 m 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.
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