DiscoverSpeciesSharks and rays
Thorny lanternshark
Etmopterus sentosus
- Usual depth203–541 m
- Water temperature23–28 °C
- Best monthsJune and September
- How commonRare
About this species
The thorny lanternshark is a shark of the family Etmopteridae found in the western Indian Ocean between latitudes 0° and 31°S, at depths between 200 and 500 m. Its length is up to 27 cm.
Text from the Wikipedia article “Thorny 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: 0 records
- February: 0 records
- March: 1 records
- April: 0 records
- May: 0 records
- June: 5 records
- July: 0 records
- August: 2 records
- September: 3 records
- October: 1 records
- November: 0 records
- December: 1 records
Depth and water temperature
Depth
Mostly recorded at 203–541 m · Deepest record: 998 m
Water temperature
Recorded in surface water of 23–28 °C
Names and classification
- English
- Thorny lanternshark, thorny lanternshark, thorny lantershark
Names in 3 more languages
- German
- Dorniger Laternenhai
- Spanish
- Tollo Lucerno Espinudo
- French
- Sagre épineux
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).
- 28 open-data records from 1965 to 2009.
- Species data updated November 2, 2026.
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