DiscoverSpeciesSharks and rays
Blurred lantern shark
Etmopterus bigelowi
- Usual depth402–760 m
- Water temperature2–28 °C
- Best monthsJuly and September
- How commonRare
Photo credit: (c) NOAANMFSMississippi Laboratory, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY · iNaturalist
About this species
The blurred lanternshark is a little-known species of dogfish shark in the family Etmopteridae, found around the world in benthic and pelagic habitats from a depth of 110 m (360 ft) to over 1 km (0.62 mi) down. This shark forms the E. pusillus species group with the smooth lanternshark, which are distinguished from other members of its family by having irregularly arranged, flat-topped dermal denticles that give them a "smooth" appearance. Both species are slender-bodied with long heads, two dorsal fins bearing spines, no anal fins, and light-emitting photophores. The blurred lanternshark is larger, reaching 67 cm (26 in) or more in length. This species feeds on small squid, fishes, and fish eggs, and is ovoviviparous. It has been assessed as of Least Concern by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, because of its wide distribution and lack of threat from fishing pressure.
Text from the Wikipedia article “Blurred lanternshark”, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Read the article
Where and when
Where it has been recorded
Worldwide
Loading the map
Best months
Worldwide (open data)
- January: 3 records
- February: 12 records
- March: 8 records
- April: 2 records
- May: 9 records
- June: 14 records
- July: 21 records
- August: 7 records
- September: 26 records
- October: 1 records
- November: 6 records
- December: 11 records
Depth and water temperature
Depth
Mostly recorded at 402–760 m · Deepest record: 1,423 m
Water temperature
Recorded in surface water of 2–28 °C
Photos
(c) Tambja, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA) · CC BY-SA · iNaturalist
Names and classification
- English
- Blurred lantern shark, blurred lantern shark, Blurred Lanternshark, blurred smooth lantern shark, Slender Lanternshark, Smooth Lantern Shark
Names in 1 more languages
- Japanese
- Ryukyukarasuzame, リュウキュウカラスザメ
Similar species
Velvet bellyEtmopterus spinax
- Southern lanternshark
Etmopterus granulosus
- Blackbelly lanternshark
Etmopterus lucifer
Great lanternsharkEtmopterus princeps
- Black-bellied Deep-sea Dogifsh
Etmopterus molleri
- Slender lanternshark
Etmopterus pusillus
Sources and credits
Names and taxonomy: WoRMS (CC BY 4.0) and the GBIF Backbone (CC BY 4.0). Photos: iNaturalist observers, each under the licence shown (CC0, CC BY or CC BY-SA).
- Depth, temperature, months and maps: records from OBIS and GBIF under CC0 or CC BY.
- Descriptions: Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA, each linked to its article.
- Conservation status as published by GBIF (IUCN Red List).
- 172 open-data records from 1955 to 2022.
- Species data updated November 2, 2026.
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