Lantern sharks | |
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Velvet belly lantern shark, Etmopterus spinax | |
Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Chondrichthyes |
Subclass: | Elasmobranchii |
Order: | Squaliformes |
Family: | Etmopteridae Fowler, 1934 |
Etmopteridae is a family of sharks in the order Squaliformes, commonly known as lantern sharks. Their name comes from the presence of light-producing photophores on their bodies. The members of this family are small, under 90 cm (35 in) long, and are found in deep waters worldwide.[1] There are 45 species in five genera. Three-quarters of the species are in the genus Etmopterus.