DiscoverSpeciesSharks and rays
Brown lanternshark
Etmopterus unicolor
- Usual depth933–1,216 m
- Water temperature14–24 °C
- Best monthsMay, August, and December
- How commonRare
About this species
The brown lanternshark or bristled lanternshark is a little-known species of deep-sea dogfish shark in the family Etmopteridae. It is found off Japan and New Zealand, and possibly also South Africa and Australia, typically deeper than 300 m (980 ft). This species can be distinguished from other lanternsharks by its coloration, which is a uniform dark gray or brown without the ventral surface being much darker and clearly delineated from the rest of the body. The brown lanternshark feeds on small bony fishes, cephalopods, and crustaceans. Reproduction is ovoviviparous, with females giving birth to 9–18 young. An unusually high proportion of individuals in Suruga Bay are hermaphrodites, with both male and female characteristics.
Text from the Wikipedia article “Brown 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: 6 records
- February: 15 records
- March: 17 records
- April: 19 records
- May: 50 records
- June: 21 records
- July: 12 records
- August: 43 records
- September: 14 records
- October: 20 records
- November: 18 records
- December: 35 records
Depth and water temperature
Depth
Mostly recorded at 933–1,216 m · Deepest record: 1,423 m
Water temperature
Recorded in surface water of 14–24 °C
Names and classification
- English
- Brown lanternshark
Names in 3 more languages
- German
- Brauner Laternenhai
- French
- Sagre brun
- Japanese
- Nisekarasuzame, ニセカラスザメ
Other scientific names: Spinax unicolor
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).
- 340 open-data records from 1905 to 2012.
- Species data updated November 2, 2026.
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