Etmopterus princeps, also known as the Great Lantern shark, was discovered in 1904. They are known to be small, muscular looking sharks. They have a blackish body with a short tail. They have very long gill openings and can get up to approximately 75cm in total length. The Great lantern shark has unique features, such as having one dorsal fin larger than the other. This shark possesses denticles on its skin, which are small skin outgrowths that resemble tiny teeth. They also have a thick snout and a straight low-arched mouth. They have relatively small eyes adapted to exist under very dark condition.

 

This species of sharks has holes in the research about them such as their biology and ecology, however, they have been spotted in certain areas. The Great lantern shark can be found in the northern or eastern part of the Atlantic. Even though some may say they might be mistaken for another species of sharks they are also known to live near Nova Scotia in Canada. Other areas the Great lantern shark has been seen is near the English Channel and the Bay of Gibraltar. Great lantern shark is a deepwater vertebrate. They live in the continental shelves and in latitudes of 65 and 13 degrees. In depth, the Great Lantern shark can live from 300 m to 2,310 m. This kind of shark is far removed from any hint of sunlight.

 

 

The feeding habits of the Great Lantern shark are unknown; however, there are some clues of what they might eat. Their upper mouth has five teeth, each with a smooth edge. Their lower teeth are strong with nearly continuous cutting edges. According to their teeth, they are most likely to be able to get a hold of slippery prey. There are very few known fishermen that a have caught the Great Lantern shark. They are also harmless to humans, because where they live. Information on the Great Lantern sharks such as population size, growth or decline is not known. The Great Lantern shark can also be called Rough Sagre. They get this name from the fact that most types of sharks from this species have a emit green light coming from their stomachs. The result of this light comes from an organ called photophores which may line parts of the shark's body.

 

There is more interesting information on the Great lantern shark, such as having some people use sharkskin very similar to the great lantern shark as sandpaper. People that may have used Great Lantern shark skin were Japanese sword makers. They used shark skin when they were making slip-resistant sword handles. Even though this shark was difficult to reach on, it was also very interesting. The Great Lantern shark is not common to most people which makes it unique. It is a mysterious fish with many unknown factors. The Great lantern has been mistaken for many other sharks in the past, such as other species from the same family like Etmopterus burgessi, Etmopterus polli, and Etmopterus schultzi. In time, I believe that more information on the great lantern shark will be discovered.

 

 

 

Author: Stevie B

Published: 02/2009

 

 

Sources: htttp://www.iucnredlist.org/details/60242 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great Lanternshark http://www.eol.org/pages/2774645 http://www.marinespecies.eu/species.php?species group=sharks&id=190 http://dsc.discovery.com/search/results.html?query=great+lantern+shark&search.x=19&search.y=4