- Animals
- ›Chordates
- ›Vertebrates
- ›Cartilaginous Fishes
- ›Sharks and Rays
- ›Sharks
- ›Squalean Sharks
- ›Squaliform Sharks
- ›Lantern Sharks
- ›Etmopterus
African Lantern Shark
Etmopterus polli
The African Lanternshark (Etmopterus polli) is a member of the family Etmopteridae. Found in the Atlantic, on the west coast of Africa, the African Lanternshark is known for its bioluminescent features, which aid in its hunting habits. Little is known about them; their bioluminescent features, mating and reproduction, and diet remain largely unknown. Over the past 20 or so years, research has picked up, focusing on learning about their placoid scales and reproduction.
From the article African lanternshark on Wikipedia (CC BY-SA), quoted section by section
Description
The African Lanternshark is blackish grey in color, with bioluminescent features on various parts of their bodies, including their undersides. Its length is up to 30 cm. The African Lanternshark has teeth typical of its family; top teeth have longer cusps and are smooth edged.
Wikipedia: “Anatomy”
Range & habitat
The African lanternshark (Etmopterus polli) is a shark of the family Etmopteridae found in the eastern Atlantic between latitudes 12°N and 18°S, at depths between 300 and 1,000 m.
Wikipedia: “Distribution and habitat”
What it does
Their diet persists of fish, crustaceans, and cephalopods, which it attracts using its bioluminescent features.
Wikipedia: “Diet”
Where it lives
Recorded sightings
—
geo-referenced records in GBIF, from museums, herbaria and field observers.
Drag the globe to turn it. Dots are where records exist, not a range map; darker means more records.
In the stacks
Searching the stacks…
Every page naming Etmopterus polli in the Biodiversity Heritage Library →
This page is assembled live from iNaturalist, GBIF, Wikipedia, the Source Library and the Internet Archive. It is not yet part of the hand-edited codex. iNaturalist taxon 100589.