DiscoverSpeciesSharks and rays
Pygmy Lanternshark
Etmopterus fusus
- Usual depth430–550 m
- Water temperature27–28 °C
- Best monthsMarch
- How commonRare
About this species
The pygmy lanternshark is a shark of the family Etmopteridae found in the eastern Indian Ocean from northern Western Australia and possibly Java, at depths of between 430 and 550 m. Its length is up to 26 cm.
Text from the Wikipedia article “Pygmy lanternshark”, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Read the article
Where and when
Where it has been recorded
Worldwide
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Best months
Worldwide (open data)
- January: 0 records
- February: 0 records
- March: 6 records
- April: 0 records
- May: 0 records
- June: 0 records
- July: 0 records
- August: 0 records
- September: 2 records
- October: 0 records
- November: 0 records
- December: 0 records
Depth and water temperature
Depth
Mostly recorded at 430–550 m · Deepest record: 550 m
Water temperature
Recorded in surface water of 27–28 °C
Names and classification
- English
- Pygmy Lanternshark
Names in 1 more languages
- Thai
- ปลาฉลามท้องดำแคระ
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).
- 16 open-data records from 1988 to 1992.
- Species data updated November 2, 2026.
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