Etmopterus spinax (Linnaeus, 1758)
Velvet belly
Etmopterus spinax
photo by Salesjö, A.

Family:  Etmopteridae (Lantern sharks)
Max. size:  60 cm TL (male/unsexed); max.weight: 850.0 g
Environment:  bathydemersal; marine; depth range 70 - 2490 m
Distribution:  Eastern Atlantic: Iceland, Norway, and the western Mediterranean to Morocco, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Côte d'Ivoire to Nigeria, Cameroon to Gabon, Azores, Cape Verde, and Cape Province, South Africa (Ref. 247).
Diagnosis:   
Biology:  Found on the outer continental shelves and upper slopes. Feeds on small fishes, squids, and crustaceans. Ovoviviparous, with number of young from 6 to 20 in a litter. Utilized for fishmeal and prepared dried salted for human consumption. Depth range reported at 70m-2000m in Ref. 35388.
IUCN Red List Status: Vulnerable (VU); Date assessed: 31 August 2020 (A2bd) Ref. (130435)
Threat to humans:  harmless


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