Velvet belly lanternshark: Where It Lives, Map & Facts

Where the velvet belly lanternshark lives – recorded in 8 countries, with quick facts from Wikidata and an introduction from Wikipedia.

Scientific name	Etmopterus spinax
Group	Sharks
Status	Vulnerable (Wikidata, IUCN category label)
Found in	8 countries
Continents	Europe
Class	Cartilaginous fish
Order	Squaliformes
Family	Etmopteridae

Where does the velvet belly lanternshark live?

Open-licence (CC0 / CC BY) wild records published on GBIF place the velvet belly lanternshark in 8 countries and territories across Europe.

Countries with at least a handful of records (a minimum share of the species’ records, to leave out vagrants and escapes). Records with coordinates only; captive and fossil records excluded.

Is the velvet belly lanternshark endangered?

The velvet belly lanternshark’s conservation status recorded in Wikidata is “Vulnerable” (an IUCN Red List category label). Source: Wikidata.

What kind of animal is the velvet belly lanternshark?

The velvet belly lanternshark (Etmopterus spinax) is a cartilaginous fish in the order Squaliformes and the family Etmopteridae, genus Etmopterus. (Taxonomy from Wikidata.)

About the velvet belly lanternshark

The velvet belly lanternshark (or simply velvet belly) (Etmopterus spinax) is a species of dogfish shark in the family Etmopteridae. One of the most common deepwater sharks in the northeastern Atlantic Ocean, the velvet belly is found from Iceland and Norway to Gabon and South Africa at a depth of 20–2,490 m (66–8,169 ft). A small shark generally no more than 45 cm (18 in) long, the velvet belly is so named because its black underside is abruptly distinct from the brown coloration on the rest of its body. The body of this species is fairly stout, with a moderately long snout and tail, and very small gill slits. Like other lanternsharks, the velvet belly is bioluminescent, with light-emitting photophores forming a species-specific pattern over its flanks and abdomen. The ventral photophores are thought to function in counter-illumination, which camouflages the shark against predators and prey. The bioluminescent flank markings may play a role in intraspecific communication.

Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Velvet belly lanternshark (revision 1355301383), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Changes: lead section excerpted verbatim, formatting removed. Quick facts, taxonomy and status: Wikidata Q1415012 (CC0). Countries and pin: GBIF.org occurrence records (CC0 / CC BY 4.0).