Author: Collett, 1904
Diagnostic Features:
A stout-bodied lanternshark with a short tail, distance from pelvic insertions to ventral caudal origin slightly greater or less than tip of snout to spiracles, slightly over 2 times in distance between pectoral and pelvic bases, and about 1.5 times in interdorsal space; distance between pectoral and pelvic bases moderately long in adults, about 1.4 times head length; distance from snout tip-to first dorsal spine about equal to or greater than distance from first dorsal spine to second dorsal insertion. Head width nearly twice d preoral snout; prespiracular length about 1.6 times j distance from spiracles to pectoral origins; gill openings 2 very long, about as wide as spiracle, 1/2 eye length; § upper teeth generally less than 3 pairs of cusplets. Originof first dorsal fin well behind free rear tips of pectoral fins, dorsal fin base somewhat closer to pectoral basis than pelvics; interdorsal space slightly less than or greater than head; second dorsal fin much larger than first but less than twice its area; distance between second dorsal base and upper caudal origin about 2 in interdorsal space; caudal fin moderately long and very broad, length of dorsal caudal margin about equal to distance from snout tip to pectoral insertions. Lateral trunk denticles with fairly stout, hooked conical crowns, wide-spaced but not arranged in regular longitudinal rows; snout largely covered with denticles; no rows of greatly enlarged denticles on flanks above pectoral fins. Distal margins of fins largely covered with skin, not fringed with naked ceratotrichia. Colour blackish above and below,
Geographical Distribution:
Western North Atlantic: Nova Scotia (Canada) to New Jerscy (USA). Eastern North Atlantic: Southern Iceland along Atlantic slope to Faeroes, Hebrides, UK, English Channel, Bay of Biscay and Gibraltar, Mauritania. ? Western Pacific: Kyushu-Palau Ridge.
Habitat and Biology:
A lanternshark of the continental slopes, on or near bottom at depths of 567 to 2213 m.
Size:
Maximum total length about 75 cm, males mature at 55 cm.
Interest to Fisheries:
Possibly fished in the eastern Atlantic but details not known.
Remarks:
Recently Nakaya (in Okamura, Amaoka and Mitani, 1982) reported this species from the Kyushu Palau Ridge in the western Pacific. If correct, this is an immense range extension for the species.
Type material:
Holotype: Four syntypes, Zoologisk Museum, Oslo, ZMO J64 (2 specimens), ZMO J65 (1 specimen); Zoologisk Museum Universitetet i Bergen, UBNM 3496 (1 specimen); lectotype apparently not designated. Type Locality: Faroe Channel, Faroe Bank; from 750 to 1200 m depth. |
