Fish
Dwarf Lanternshark
Etmopterus perryi · also called dwarf lantern shark
Small enough to rest comfortably in the palm of a human hand, a dwarf lanternshark is the smallest known shark species on Earth, its belly lined with glowing photophores that help erase its silhouette in the deep, dim waters it calls home.
Overview
The dwarf lanternshark, Etmopterus perryi, is the smallest known shark species, native to deep ocean habitat recorded off the northern coast of South America. Its record-setting tiny size, belly-mounted bioluminescent camouflage, and extremely limited known range make it one of the most distinctive and geographically restricted shark species found anywhere in the ocean.
The smallest shark in the ocean
Dwarfed by nearly every other shark species alive, the dwarf lanternshark demonstrates that the shark body plan can scale down to remarkably small proportions while still carrying the same glowing camouflage strategy found in many of its larger deep-sea relatives.
Status
Vulnerable, given its extremely limited known range makes the species inherently susceptible to any localised disturbance despite otherwise poorly documented population trends.
Dwarf Lanternshark: common questions
How small is the dwarf lanternshark?
This species is the smallest known shark, with adults typically measuring less than 20 centimetres long, small enough to fit comfortably in the palm of a human hand.
Why does the dwarf lanternshark glow?
This species has light-producing photophores concentrated along its belly, used for counter-illumination to help mask its silhouette from predators looking upward from below in the dim light of its deep-water habitat.
Where is the dwarf lanternshark found?
This species is known only from a relatively small area off the coast of Colombia and Venezuela, a notably limited range for a deep-sea species, which contributes to its Vulnerable conservation status.
Does the dwarf lanternshark lay eggs?
No, this species is ovoviviparous, with young developing inside the mother and being born live rather than hatching from eggs laid externally.