Search

Anelasma squalicola is a parasitic barnacle of members of the deep-water shark families Etmopteridae, Pentanchidae and Scyliorhinidae. We report the first published confirmation of this species in the Eastern Pacific Ocean, based on material collected off Costa Rica, its first record as a parasite of the Ninja lantern shark, Etmopterus benchley (Etmopteridae), and a new size record for the host. The information presented herein expands the knowledge (distribution and host usage) of this enigmatic species.

Lenght – weight relationships (LWRs) were estimated for eight elasmobranchs (five sharks and three batoids) off the Gokceada Island, Northern Aegean Sea. All specimens were collected by commercial bottom trawl at depths ranging from 120–400 m between February and November 2019. A total of 2991 individuals (1143 Scyliorhinus canicula, 110 Scyliorhinus stellaris, 795 Galeus melastomus, 575 Etmopterus spinax, 48 Squalus acanthias, 255 Raja clavata, 29 Raja miraletus, 36 Dipturus oxyrinchus) were sampled and studied. Results showed that most species had positive allometric growth and the values of parameter b ranged between 2.93 and 4.01. Furthermore, five shark (Mustelus asterias, Mustelus mustelus, Centrophorus granulosus, Hexanchus griseus, Oxynotus centrina) and eight batoid species (Dasyatis pastinaca, Gymnura altavela, Pteromylaeus bovinus, Leucoraja naevus, Rostroraja alba, Myliobatis aquila, Torpedo marmorata, Tetronarce nobiliana) were described, yet because they amounted to less than ten, only their respective descriptive statistics were determined.

Aim Trypanorhyncha cestodes comprise a wide range of heteroxenous parasites infecting elasmobranchs as definitive hosts. Limited data exist on the larval infection of these cestodes and the role of intermediate and paratenic hosts in the life cycle of these parasites. We investigated the factors that determine the occurrence and the level of infection of Grillotia plerocerci in the skeletal muscles of various benthonic sharks and analyzed the parasites through an integrative taxonomic approach. Location Mediterranean Sea. Methods Sharks obtained as bycatch of commercial trawling activities (i.e., Etmopterus spinax, Galeus melastomus, and Scyliorhinus canicula) were used in this study. Data from a limited number of Dalatias licha and Scyliorhinus stellaris were also included. Grillotia plerocerci were molecularly characterized using the partial 28S large subunit rDNA. Boosted regression trees were used to model the relationship between the abundance of infection with both morphological and physiological predictors in each host. Results Plerocerci of Grillotia were detected in all shark species except S. stellaris. Host species significantly differed in terms of parasite abundance, with the highest and lowest prevalence and abundance of infection detected in G. melastomus and E. spinax, respectively. The relative influence of the traits involved in explaining the parasite abundance was related to the host size in G. melastomus, while both morphology‐ and physiology‐related traits explained the patterns observed in E. spinax and S. canicula. The 28S rDNA sequences shared an identity of ∼99.40% with a Grillotia species previously found in the Mediterranean Sea. At intraspecific level, two different genotypes were found. A first type was retrieved only from D. licha, whereas a second type was found in G. melastomus, E. spinax, and S. canicula. Main conclusions Present results suggest that the two genotypes could be involved in different consumer‐resource systems and confirm most of the examined shark species as transport hosts of Grillotia species for unknown larger top predators., This study investigated the factors that determine the occurrence and the level of infection of Grillotia (Cestoda) plerocerci in the skeletal muscles of various benthonic sharks and analyzed the parasites through an integrative taxonomic approach. Plerocerci of Grillotia were detected in all shark species except Scyliorhinus stellaris. Present results suggest that the two genotypes here found could be involved in different consumer‐resource systems and confirm most of the examined shark species as transport hosts of Grillotia species for unknown larger top predators.

We present comparative analysis of the micro- and macro-morphology of the olfactory organ of six neoselachians living in different habitats: two freshwater benthopelagic batoids, Potamotrygon motoro and Potamotrygon hystrix (Potamotrygonidae) as well as four species of sharks occupying the outer continental shelves and upper slopes Mustelus mustelus (Trikidae) and Scyliorhinus canicula (Scyliorhinidae), and deep-water Galeus melastomus (Scyliorhinidae) and Etmopterus spinax (Etmopteridae). Our research used light and electron (TEM, SEM) microscopes as well as macroscopic observations. The position of the nostrils in relation to the mouth varied in these species but all of them possessed elongate olfactory rosettes with primary lamellae arranged over two rows. The types of primary lamellae were distinguished based on their arrangement on the opposite sides of the median raphe as well as morphology of secondary lamellae and distribution of sensory and non-sensory regions of olfactory epithelium lining the lamellae; these were different between batoids and sharks. Analysis of olfactory epithelium revealed the presence of microvillous olfactory sensory neurons as the only type of receptor cells in all studied species whereas ionocytes were recognized only in sharks. All species possessed one type of goblet cells (Alcian Blue or Periodic Acid Schiff positives) except for P. motoro in which both types of goblet cells were present. Moreover, apical parts of non-sensory microvillous cells that lined the basal parts of the primary lamellae, possessed PAS-positive mucous granules; these were present in both species of batoids. This analogous region was abundant in goblet cells in the species of sharks studied here. Results indicated that differences between freshwater and marine species as well as between marine species occupying various habitat zones include mainly nostrils position, density of occurrence of ionocytes and goblet cells within olfactory epithelium as well as biochemical character of mucus.

Main biological features were assessed for the first time in the deep-water shark Etmopterus spinax from Hellenic waters by examining 150 individuals caught incidentally in the bottom-trawl commercial fishery off Skyros island. Females outnumbered males and the overall sex ratio was 1.38:1. Females ranged from 122 to 311 mm in total length (LT ) and males from 129 to 270 mm LT , both exhibiting positive allometric growth. Total length-total mass relationships and frequency distributions did not show significant differences between females and males. Sexual dimorphism was not either found by analysing 56 different morphological characteristics. The effect of sex and season was more prominent on the gonadosomatic and hepatosomatic indices compared to the relative condition factor. Most of the individuals were sexually immature, with two specimens classified as mature, one gravid female reaching 311 mm LT with undeveloped gonads and enlarged uteri with embryos, and one male reaching 270 mm LT with enlarged gonads and rigid claspers with hooks. The present study highlights the importance of the sampling location as a breeding and nursery ground for E. spinax in the eastern Mediterranean Sea that should be taken into account for the species' conservation considering its intrinsic characteristics, which make it vulnerable to fishing pressure.

An important character on several taxonomic levels for shark identification is the tooth morphology. Sharks show a variety of highly specialized dentitions reflecting adaptations to their feeding habits. Intraspecific variation of tooth morphology such as sexual or ontogenetic dimorphism is poorly known in many species, even though tooth morphology plays a decisive role in the characterization of the fossil record of sharks, which comprises mostly fossil teeth. Here we analyzed the dentition of 40 jaws of the Velvet Belly Lantern Shark Etmopterus spinax and identified ontogenetic and sexual dimorphic characters such as total number of teeth, number of upper teeth, cusplet numbers in upper jaw teeth and width of lower jaw teeth. Dimorphic characters may reduce intraspecific competition for food, as E. spinax segregates by sex and size and may allow for identifying the male sex. The lower jaw tooth height, a sexually non-dimorphic character, was used to re-calculate the total length of specimens, which represents the first such approach for a squaliform shark. Results derived from the extant E. spinax are subsequently applied to fossil Etmopterus sp. teeth (Miocene) to gain individual information such as sex or size, but also characterize the extinct population from the excavation site by a size distribution profile in comparison to data from extant populations. This approach indicates the presence of multiple ontogenetic stages in the extinct population.

Neoalbionella Özdikmen, 2008 comprises 10 accepted species, which all infect sharks of Squaliformes and Carcharhiniformes. Adult females belonging to species of Neoalbionella, based on the maxillule palp armed with three setae and the maxilliped subchela claw with only one secondary denticle, were collected from sharks off the coast of South Africa. Neoalbionella izawai n. sp. collected from the anterodorsal part of the spiracle opening of Centrophorus moluccensis Bleeker differs from its congeners by having maxillae that are separated except at the tapering tips where they are fused and that are longer than the trunk, uropods originating from the pointed posterior margin of the trunk and that are well developed, and maxillipeds without an additional spine at the base of the subchela barb. Neoalbionella etmopteri (Yamaguti, 1939) is herein reported from two new hosts (Etmopterus spp.) off South Africa.

Lantern sharks are small shark species that can be seen at depths between 70 and 2000 meters. Due to their luminescent characteristics, they have been called “Lantern shark”. In total eleven specimens of the velvet belly lantern shark, Etmopterus spinax (Linnaeus, 1758), were caught in the deep seas of Northern Cyprus by using a bottom trawl. Sampling was carried out using 13 trawling operations. The collected samples were placed in 4% formalin and stored at the Museum of the Systematic, Faculty of Fisheries, Mersin University, (catalogue number: MEUFC-18-11-082). As a sampling area, the depths between 274 and 641 m were selected. Other cartilaginous fish caught during sampling except E. spinax were Galeus melastomus (1 individual), Squalus acanthias (4 individuals), Scyliorhinus canicula (85 individuals). E. spinax made up 10.89% of all cartilaginous fishes which were caught. Species identification for all fishes caught is made with the help of morphological features.

Maturity is one of the most important biological parameters used in stock assessment programmes. Indeed, the macroscopic stage of gonadal development is an essential feature in estimating the maturity ogive and spawning stock biomass. It is also useful for determining the spawning season of a species and for monitoring long-term changes in the spawning cycle as well as for many other research needs related to the biology of fish. Despite the efforts made during the last few decades to standardize maturity stage data among all the researchers, marine biologists continue without a manageable and unique maturity scale to describe the reproductive development of fish gonads. For these reasons, the objectives of this article are 1) to investigate the biological parameters of five selected key species (Mullus barbatus, Galeus melastomus, Etmopterus spinax, Aristeus antennatus, Loligo vulgaris) with different reproductive strategies following the macroscopic maturity scales based on the same univocal criteria adopted in the MEDITS programme and described in this work; and 2) to compare them among some Mediterranean geographical sub-areas (GSAs) involved in the programme. Neither spawning periods nor size at first maturity (SFM50) for the studied species showed particular differences in the investigated GSAs. La madurez es uno de los parámetros biológicos más relevantes utilizados en los programas de evaluación de stock. De hecho, la etapa macroscópica del desarrollo gonadal es una característica esencial en la estimación de la madurez de la biomasa de la ojiva y del desove. También es útil para determinar la temporada de desove de una especie y para monitorear los cambios a largo plazo en el ciclo de desove, así como para muchas otras necesidades de investigación relacionadas con la biología de los peces. A pesar de los esfuerzos realizados durante las últimas décadas para estandarizar los datos de las etapas de madurez entre todos los investigadores, los biólogos marinos continúan sin una escala de madurez única y manejable para describir el desarrollo reproductivo de las gónadas de peces. Por estas razones, el objetivo de este artículo es 1) investigar los parámetros biológicos de 5 especies clave seleccionadas (Mullus barbatus, Galeus melastomus, Etmopterus spinax, Aristeus antennatus, Loligo vulgaris) con diferentes estrategias reproductivas siguiendo las escalas de madurez macroscópica basadas en criterios iguales y unívocos adoptados en el programa MEDITS y descritos en este trabajo y 2) para compararlos entre algunas sub-áreas geográficas del Mediterráneo (GSAs) involucradas en el programa. Tanto los períodos de desove como el tamaño en la primera madurez (SFM50) para las especies estudiadas no han mostrado diferencias particulares en las GSA investigadas.

Mercury (Hg) is a non-essential metal that can have toxic effects on the fitness of organisms and tends to bioaccumulate with age and to biomagnify in higher trophic levels. Few studies have assessed oxidative stress and neurotoxicity in deep-water sharks. This study evaluated early ontogenetic changes and physiological effects (antioxidant defences, oxidative damage, aerobic metabolism and neurotransmission functions) of Hg accumulation in the white muscle and brain tissues of the velvet belly lantern shark Etmopterus spinax from the southern Iberian coast (NE Atlantic). Results suggested that the low mercury concentrations observed may induce acute effects in E. spinax before they reach sexual maturity. We found different Hg concentrations in E. spinax: [Hg] males > [Hg] females; [Hg] muscle > [Hg] brain. Females appeared to have higher redox capability translated into higher activities and levels of antioxidant defences than males. However, higher levels of oxidative damage were also observed in females. Whilst the mechanisms underlying these effects remain unknown, these results suggest differences in mercury accumulation between tissues and sex, and potentially deleterious effects on oxidative stress status and neurophysiology of E. spinax, potentially impairing swimming performance and reproduction, which could subsequently impact on the health of both individuals and population. info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion

Etmopterus benchleyi Vásquez, Ebert, & Long, 2015. To 51.5 cm (20.3 in) TL. Isla Guadalupe, central Baja California (Personal communication: Scripps Institution of Oceanography Fish Collection, La Jolla, California); Nicaragua to Panama (Vásquez et al. 2015). Depth: 836–1,470 m (2,742 –4,822 ft) (min.: Vásquez et al. 2015; max.: Morera et al. 2019).

The lantern shark genus Etmopterus contains approximately 40 species of deep-sea bioluminescent cartilaginous fishes. They emit blue light mainly from the ventral body surface. The biological functions of this bioluminescence have been discussed based on the luminescence patterns, but the bioluminescence mechanism remains uncertain. In this study, we detected both coelenterazine and coelenterazine-dependent luciferase activity in the ventral photophore tissue of Etmopterus molleri. The results suggested that bioluminescence in lantern sharks is produced using coelenterazine as the substrate for the luciferin-luciferase reaction, as some luminous bony fishes.

Marine organisms are able to produce light using either their own luminous system, called intrinsic bioluminescence, or symbiotic luminous bacteria, called extrinsic bioluminescence. Among bioluminescent vertebrates, Osteichthyes are known to harbor both types of bioluminescence, while no study has so far addressed the potential use of intrinsic/extrinsic luminescence in elasmobranchs. In sharks, two families are known to emit light: Etmopteridae and Dalatiidae. The deep-sea bioluminescent Etmopteridae, Etmopterus spinax, has received a particular interest over the past fifteen years and its bioluminescence control was investigated in depth. However, the nature of the shark luminous system still remains enigmatic. The present work was undertaken to assess whether the light of this shark species originates from a bioluminescent bacterial symbiosis. Using fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) image analyses, this study supports the conclusion that the bioluminescence in the deep-sea lanternshark, Etmopterus spinax, is not of bacterial origin.

Description and notes on distribution of the following two rare squalid sharks are provided: Etmopterus villosus (16 specimens caught in summer 1979 from the Marcus–Necker Ridge) and Scymnodalatias sherwoodi (one specimen caught in summer 1982 from the epipelagic zone of the southeastern Pacific Ocean). The former species is known only by the holotype from the Hawaiian Islands; the latter, by three specimens from the Australia–New Zealand region.

A new species of lanternshark, Etmopterus brosei sp. nov. (Squaliformes: Etmopteridae), is described from the southeastern Atlantic and southwestern Indian oceans. The new species resembles other members of the Etmopterus lucifer Jordan & Snyder, 1902 clade in having linear rows of dermal denticles, and most closely resembles the conspecific E. sculptus Ebert, Compagno, & De Vries, 2011 from the southeastern Atlantic and southwestern Indian oceans. The new species is fairly common along the upper continental slopes off South Africa, Mozambique, and seamounts along the Madagascar Ridge, including Walters Shoal, in 480–1200 m depth. It can be distinguished from other members of the E. lucifer clade by a combination of characteristics, including the arrangement of flank and caudal markings, shape and size of flank marking, the arrangement of dermal denticles along the body, and the presence of dermal denticles on the dorsal fin bases. A revised key to the Etmopterus lucifer clade is provided.

Etmopterus spinax (Linnaeus, 1758) Etmopterus spinax: Gilat & Gelman, 1984a; Gilat & Gelman, 1984b (Heb.); Hornung et al. 1993 (Poll.); Galil & Goren, 1994; Golani, 1996; Pisanty & Golani, 1996; Golani, 1997 (Heb.); Goren & Galil, 2002; Galil, 2004; Golani, 2005; Golani, 2006, Goren & Galil, 2015; Paz et al. 2018 (gen.). SOMNIOSINAE, Published as part of Golani, Daniel, 2021, An updated Checklist of the Mediterranean fishes of Israel, with illustrations of recently recorded species and delineation of Lessepsian migrants, pp. 1-108 in Zootaxa 4956 (1) on page 8, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4956.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/4691195, {"references":["Gilat, E. & Gelman, A. (1984 a) On sharks and fishes observed using underwater photography during a deep-water cruise in the eastern Mediterranean. Fisheries Research, 2, 257 - 271. https: // doi. org / 10.1016 / 0165 - 7836 (84) 90029 - 8","Gilat, E. & Gelman, A. (1984 b) Shark populations in deep waters off the Israeli Mediterranean coast and Cyprus. Fisheries and Fishbreeding in Israel, 17, 3 - 15 [in Hebrew]","Hornung, H., Krom, M. D., Cohen, Y. & Bernhard, M. (1993) Trace metal content in deep-water sharks from the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Marine Biology, 115, 331 - 338. https: // doi. org / 10.1007 / BF 00346351","Galil, B. S. & Goren, M. (1994) The deep sea Levantine fauna. - New records and rare occurrences. Senckenbergiana maritima, 25 (1 / 3), 41 - 52.","Pisanty, S. & Golani, D. (1996) Vertical distribution of the demersal fish on the continental slope of Israel (Eastern Mediterranean). In: Armentrout, N. B. (Ed.), Condition of the World's Aquatic Habitats. Proceedings of the World Fisheries Congress, Theme 1. Oxford & IBH Publishing Company, New Delhi, pp. 386 - 395.","Golani, D. (1997) Handbook of the Fishes of Israel. Keter Publishing House Ltd. Jrusalem. 269 pp. [in Hebrew].","Goren, M. & Galil, B. S. (2002) Records of Cataetyx laticeps and Ophidion barbatum (Ophidiiformes) in the eastern Mediterranean, with comments on the deep sea ichthyofauna. Cybium, 26, 150 - 152.","Galil, B. S. (2004) The limit of the sea: the bathyal fauna of the Levantine Sea. Scientia Marina, 68 (suppl.), 63 - 72. https: // doi. org / 10.3989 / scimar. 2004.68 s 363","Goren, M. & Galil, B. S. (2015) A checklist of the deep sea fishes of the Levant Sea, Mediterranean Sea. Zootaxa, 3994 (4), 507 - 530. https: // doi. org / 10.11646 / zootaxa. 3994.4.2","Paz, G., Yudkovsky, Y., Shaish, L., Stern, N., Lubinevski, H., Mineis, H., Douek, J., Galil, B., Goren M. & Rinkevich, B. (2018) Initiating the DNA barcoding of Eastern Mediterranean deep-sea biota. Mediterranean Marine Science, 19 (3), 416 - 429. https: // doi. org / 10.12681 / mms. 14146"]}

The dwarf lanternshark (Etmopterus perryi) is the smallest known described shark, and practically no information has been available on this species since first described in the mid-1980s. Therefore, the aim of this work is to describe, for the first time, the population structure regarding dwarf lanternshark in the Colombian Caribbean Sea. During deep-water research surveys conducted along the Colombian Caribbean coast, 87 stations were sampled using the swept area method. A total of 153 dwarf lanternshark individuals were caught in depths ranging from 230 to 530 m. This information was used to describe the size structures, morphological measurements including length-at-weight relationship, length at maturity in females and the spatial distribution of mean length and biomass of the species. The lengths of individuals ranged from 78.02 to 289.00 mm total length (TL), which is a new record of maximum length for this species. The spatial distribution of mean lengths and biomass distributions show high abundances and high relative mean lengths in the northeast area off Santa Marta and the area northwest of Riohacha. The mean biomass density in the whole prospected area was 5.52 kg km-2 . Length at 50% maturity in females was estimated in 203 mm TL (95% C.I.: 190-214 mm). Deep-water elasmobranch species, such as the dwarf lantern shark, are expected to show extremely low resilience to fishing exploitation, even when they are not targeted by commercial fishing. Therefore, the information reported in this study can serve as a baseline upon which management measurements can be proposed for the conservation of this shark species.

After initial detection of target archival DNA of a 116-year-old syntype specimen of the smooth lantern shark, Etmopterus pusillus , in a single-stranded DNA library, we shotgun-sequenced additional 9 million reads from this same DNA library. Sequencing reads were used for extracting mitochondrial sequence information for analyses of mitochondrial DNA characteristics and reconstruction of the mitochondrial genome. The archival DNA is highly fragmented. A total of 4599 mitochondrial reads were available for the genome reconstruction using an iterative mapping approach. The resulting genome sequence has 12 times coverage and a length of 16 741 bp. All 37 vertebrate mitochondrial loci plus the control region were identified and annotated. The mitochondrial NADH2 gene was subsequently used to place the syntype haplotype in a network comprising multiple E. pusillus samples from various distant localities as well as sequences from a morphological similar species, the shortfin smooth lantern shark Etmopterus joungi . Results confirm the almost global distribution of E. pusillus and suggest E. joungi to be a junior synonym of E. pusillus . As mitochondrial DNA often represents the only available reference information in non-model organisms, this study illustrates the importance of mitochondrial DNA from an aged, wet collection type specimen for taxonomy.

Etmopterus bigelowi Shirai & Tachikawa, 1993 Blurred Lanternshark Etmopterus bigelowi Shirai & Tachikawa, 1993: 487, figs. 1, 2, 5. Holotype: HUMZ 100176. Type locality: off Angola, 11°37'S, 05°13'W, southeastern Atlantic. Local synonymy: Etmopterus bigelowi: Compagno, 1999: 114; Compagno et al., 2005: 95, fig., pl. 8; Ebert, 2013: 83, fig. 104; Ebert et al., 2013 a: 125, fig., pl. 10; Ebert & Mostarda, 2015: 30, fig.; Ebert, 2015: 75, fig. 81; Ebert & Mostarda, 2015: 27, fig.; Ebert & van Hees, 2015: 144; Compagno, 2016: 1186; Weigmann, 2016: 894. South Africa voucher material: FAKU 46064, FSFL-S 427, HUMZ 74378. Several uncatalogued SAM specimens from off Mossel Bay (WC). South Africa distribution: Scattered records from off the west coast (NC) to KZN. Remarks: The occurrence of this species off South Africa is patchy, but this may be due to misidentification with E. pusillus. Conservation status: LC (2020).

Etmopterus granulosus (Günther, 1880) Southern Lanternshark Spinax granulosus G̹nther, 1880: 19, fig. C, pl. 2. Holotype: BMNH 1879.5.14.460. Type locality: Southwestern coast of South America, Challenger station 305. Local synonymy: Etmopterus granulosus: Gilchrist, 1922b: 49; Barnard, 1925: 49, fig. 8, pl. 2; Smith, 1949a: 58, fig. 50; Bigelow & Schroeder, 1957: 55; Smith, 1965: 58, fig. 50; Compagno, 1984a: 77, fig.; Bass et al., 1986: 55 (Cape Point); Compagno et al., 1989: 28, pl.; Straube et al., 2011a: 138; Ebert, 2013: 84, fig. 117; Ebert et al., 2013 a: 132, fig., pl. 9; Ebert & Mostada, 2013: 31, fig.; Ebert, 2015: 78, fig. 91; Ebert & Mostada, 2015: 25, fig.; Ebert & van Hees, 2015: 144; Straube et al., 2015: 11; Weigmann, 2016: 895. Spinax granulosus: Norman, 1935: 37 (SW of Cape Town, 34°08'S, 17°33'E). Etmopterus cf. granulosus: Compagno et al., 1991: 63; Ebert et al., 1992: 605; Compagno, 1999: 114. Etmopterus baxteri: Compagno et al., 2005: 94, pl. 8; Compagno, 2016: 1185. South Africa voucher material: SAIAB 25710, SAIAB 26341, SAIAB 26342, SAIAB 26343, SAIAB 26344, SAIAB 26345, SAIAB 26346, SAIAB 26347, SAIAB 26348, SAIAB 26349, SAIAB 26350, SAIAB 26351, SAIAB 26352, SAIAB 26353, SAIAB 26354, SAIAB 26355, SAIAB 26356, SAIAB 26357, SAIAB 26358, SAIAB 26359, SAIAB 26360, SAIAB 26361, SAIAB 26362, SAIAB 26363, SAIAB 26364, SAIAB 26365, SAIAB 26366, SAIAB 26367, SAIAB 26368, SAIAB 26369, SAIAB 26370, SAIAB 26371, SAIAB 26372, SAIAB 26373, SAIAB 26374, SAIAB 26375, SAIAB 26430, SAIAB 26431, SAIAB 26432, SAIAB 26433, SAIAB 26434, SAIAB 26435, SAIAB 27170, SAIAB 27171, SAIAB 27172, SAIAB 27173, SAIAB 27174, SAIAB 27175, SAIAB 27176, SAIAB 27177, SAIAB 27178, SAIAB 27179, SAIAB 27180, SAIAB 27181, SAIAB 27182, SAIAB 27184, SAIAB 27185, SAIAB 27186, SAIAB 30297, SAIAB 81676, SAIAB 186424, SAIAB 186462. South Africa distribution: West coast from Cape Columbine (WC) to about Algoa Bay (EC). Remarks: The taxonomic history of this species off South Africa, like most members of this genus, has been rather convoluted, although Straube et al. (2015) clarified the name status of this species. Etmopterus granulosus is one of the most common lanternsharks off the South African west coast. It is wide-ranging throughout the Southern Hemisphere at higher latitudes. Conservation status: LC (2018)., Published as part of Ebert, David A., Wintner, Sabine P. & Kyne, Peter M., 2021, An annotated checklist of the chondrichthyans of South Africa, pp. 1-127 in Zootaxa 4947 (1) on page 29, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4947.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/4614567, {"references":["Gilchrist, J. D. F. (1922 b) Deep-sea fishes procured by the S. A. \" Pickle \" (Part I.). Special Report (3), Report of the Fisheries and Marine Biological Survey, Union of South Africa, 2, 41 - 79.","Barnard, K. H. (1925) A monograph of the marine fishes of South Africa. Part I (Amphioxus, Cyclostomata, Elasmobranchii, and Teleostei-Isospondyli to Heterosomata). Annals of the South African Museum, 21, 1 - 418.","Smith, J. L. B. (1949 a) The Sea Fishes of Southern Africa. South Africa Central News Agency Ltd., 550 pp.","Bigelow, H. B. & Schroeder, W. C. (1957) A study of the sharks of the suborder Squaloidea. Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology, 117 (1), 1 - 150.","Smith, J. L. B. (1965) The Sea Fishes of Southern Africa. 5 th Edition. Central News Agency Ltd., 580 pp.","Compagno, L. J. V. (1984 a) FAO Species Catalogue. Sharks of the World. An Annotated and Illustrated Catalogue of Shark Species Known to Date. FAO Fisheries Synopsis. Vol. 4. No. 125. Part 1. Hexanchiformes to Lamniformes. FAO, Rome, pp. 1 - 250.","Bass, A. J. & Compagno, L. J. V. (1986) Families Echinorhinidae, Proscyllidae, Odontaspidiidae, Mitsukurinidae. In: Smith, M. M. & Heemstra, P. C. (Eds.), Smith's Sea Fishes. Macmillan, Johannesburg, pp. 63 + 103 + 104 - 105.","Compagno, L. J. V., Ebert, D. A. & Smale, M. J. (1989) Guide to the Sharks and Rays of Southern Africa. Struik Publishers, Cape Town, 158 pp.","Ebert D. A. (2013) Deep-sea cartilaginous fishes of the Indian Ocean. Vol. 1. Sharks. FAO Species Catalogue for Fishery Purposes No. 8. Vol. 1. FAO, Rome, 256 pp.","Ebert, D. A., Fowler, S. & Compagno, L. J. V. (2013) Sharks of the World: A Fully Illustrated Guide to the Sharks of the World. Wild Nature Press, Plymouth, 528 pp.","Ebert, D. A. (2015) Deep-sea cartilaginous fishes of the Southeastern Atlantic Ocean. FAO Species Catalogue for Fishery Purposes No. 9. FAO, Rome, 251 pp.","Ebert, D. A. & van Hees, K. E. (2015) Beyond jaws: rediscovering the \" Lost Sharks \" of southern Africa. African Journal of Marine Science, 37, 141 - 156. https: // doi. org / 10.2989 / 1814232 X. 2015.1048730","Straube, N., Leslie, R. W., Clerkin, P. J., Ebert, D. A., Rochel, E., Corrigan, S. L., Chenhong, L. & Naylor, G. J. P. (2015) On the occurrence of the southern lanternshark, Etmopteus granulosus, off South Africa, with comments on the validity of E. compagnoi. Deepsea Research II: Topical Studies in Oceanography, 115, 11 - 17. https: // doi. org / 10.1016 / j. dsr 2.2014.04.004","Weigmann, S. (2016) Annotated checklist of the living sharks, batoids and chimaeras (Chondrichthyes) of the world, with a focus on biogeographical diversity. Journal of Fish Biology, 88, 837 - 1037. https: // doi. org / 10.1111 / jfb. 12874","Norman, J. R. (1935) Coast fishes, Part. I. The South Atlantic. ' Discovery' Reports, 12, 1 - 58.","Compagno, L. J. V., Ebert, D. A. & Cowley, P. D. (1991) Distribution of offshore demersal cartilaginous fishes (class Chondrichthyes) of the west coast of southern Africa, with notes on their systematics. South African Journal of Marine Science, 11, 43 - 139. https: // doi. org / 10.2989 / 025776191784287664","Ebert, D. A., Compagno, L. J. V. & Cowley, P. D. (1992) A preliminary investigation of the feeding ecology of squaloid sharks off the west coast of southern Africa. South African Journal of Marine Science, 12, 601 - 609. https: // doi. org / 10.2989 / 02577619209504727","Compagno, L. J. V. (1999) An overview of chondrichthyan systematics and biodiversity in southern Africa. Transactions of the Royal Society of South Africa, 54, 75 - 120. https: // doi. org / 10.1080 / 00359199909520406","Compagno, L., Dando, M. & Fowler, S. (2005) Field Guide to the Sharks of the World. Harper Collins Publishers Ltd, London, 368 pp.","Compagno, L. J. V. (2016) Sharks. In: Carpenter, K. E. & De Angelis, N. (Eds.), The Living Marine Resources of the Eastern Central Atlantic. Vol. 2. Bivalves, Gastropods, Hagfishes, Sharks, Batoid Fishes, and Chimaeras. FAO Species Identification Guide for Fishery Purposes. FAO, Rome, pp. 1122 - 1336."]}

Etmopterus sculptus Ebert, Compagno, & De Vries, 2011 Sculpted Lanternshark Etmopterus sculptus Ebert, Compagno, & De Vries, 2011: 279, figs. 1–2. Holotype: SAM 37569. Type locality: 33°22.9'S, 17°29.1'E, off Cape Town, South Africa. Local synonymy: Etmopterus lucifer: Gilchrist, 1922b: 49; Barnard, 1925: 50; Smith, 1949a: 59, fig. 52; Bigelow & Schroeder, 1957: 56; Smith, 1965: 59, fig. 52; Bass et al., 1976: 25, figs. 17, 18c; Compagno, 1984: 79, fig.; Compagno et al., 2005: 102, fig., pl. 8. Spinax lucifer: Norman, 1935: 37. Etmopterus brachyurus: Bass et al., 1986: 55, fig. 5.11; Compagno et al., 1989: 30, pl.; Compagno et al., 1991: 61. Etmopterus cf. brachyurus: Ebert et al., 1992: 604; Compagno, 1999: 114; Compagno, 2016: 1186, fig. Etmopterus sculptus: Ebert, 2013: 83, fig. 108; Ebert et al., 2013 a: 139, fig., pl. 10; Ebert & Mostada, 2013: 33, fig.; Ebert, 2015: 82, fig. 95; Ebert & Mostada, 2015: 29, fig.; Ebert & van Hees, 2015: 144; Weigmann, 2016: 897. South Africa voucher material: Holotype: SAM 37569. Paratypes: SAM 33011, 37570 (2 specimens), 37571 (2 specimens). Non-types: SAIAB 6191, SAIAB 6195, SAIAB 2430, SAIAB 2431, SAIAB 2432, SAIAB 2588, SAIAB 21930, SAIAB 21931, SAIAB 25308, SAIAB 25309, SAIAB 25735, SAIAB 26256, SAIAB 26258, SAIAB 26259, SAIAB 26265, SAM F41924 -3, SAM F41924 -4. South Africa distribution: Occurs along the entire South African coast from the Orange River (NC) to KZN border with Mozambique. Remarks: Etmopterus sculptus was long misidentified in the South African literature either as E. brachyurus or E. lucifer, but both of these species occur in the Western Pacific. Etmopterus sculptus is one of the most common lanternshark species found in South African waters (after E. granulosus). Conservation status: LC (2019)., Published as part of Ebert, David A., Wintner, Sabine P. & Kyne, Peter M., 2021, An annotated checklist of the chondrichthyans of South Africa, pp. 1-127 in Zootaxa 4947 (1) on pages 29-30, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4947.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/4614567, {"references":["Gilchrist, J. D. F. (1922 b) Deep-sea fishes procured by the S. A. \" Pickle \" (Part I.). Special Report (3), Report of the Fisheries and Marine Biological Survey, Union of South Africa, 2, 41 - 79.","Barnard, K. H. (1925) A monograph of the marine fishes of South Africa. Part I (Amphioxus, Cyclostomata, Elasmobranchii, and Teleostei-Isospondyli to Heterosomata). Annals of the South African Museum, 21, 1 - 418.","Smith, J. L. B. (1949 a) The Sea Fishes of Southern Africa. South Africa Central News Agency Ltd., 550 pp.","Bigelow, H. B. & Schroeder, W. C. (1957) A study of the sharks of the suborder Squaloidea. Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology, 117 (1), 1 - 150.","Smith, J. L. B. (1965) The Sea Fishes of Southern Africa. 5 th Edition. Central News Agency Ltd., 580 pp.","Bass, A. J., D'Aubrey, J. D. & Kistnasamy, N. (1976) Sharks of the east coast of southern Africa. VI. The families Oxynotidae, Squalidae, Dalatiidae and Echinorhinidae. Investigational Report. Oceanographic Research Institute, Durban, 45, 1 - 103.","Compagno, L. J. V. (1984 a) FAO Species Catalogue. Sharks of the World. An Annotated and Illustrated Catalogue of Shark Species Known to Date. FAO Fisheries Synopsis. Vol. 4. No. 125. Part 1. Hexanchiformes to Lamniformes. FAO, Rome, pp. 1 - 250.","Compagno, L., Dando, M. & Fowler, S. (2005) Field Guide to the Sharks of the World. Harper Collins Publishers Ltd, London, 368 pp.","Norman, J. R. (1935) Coast fishes, Part. I. The South Atlantic. ' Discovery' Reports, 12, 1 - 58.","Bass, A. J. & Compagno, L. J. V. (1986) Families Echinorhinidae, Proscyllidae, Odontaspidiidae, Mitsukurinidae. In: Smith, M. M. & Heemstra, P. C. (Eds.), Smith's Sea Fishes. Macmillan, Johannesburg, pp. 63 + 103 + 104 - 105.","Compagno, L. J. V., Ebert, D. A. & Smale, M. J. (1989) Guide to the Sharks and Rays of Southern Africa. Struik Publishers, Cape Town, 158 pp.","Compagno, L. J. V., Ebert, D. A. & Cowley, P. D. (1991) Distribution of offshore demersal cartilaginous fishes (class Chondrichthyes) of the west coast of southern Africa, with notes on their systematics. South African Journal of Marine Science, 11, 43 - 139. https: // doi. org / 10.2989 / 025776191784287664","Ebert, D. A., Compagno, L. J. V. & Cowley, P. D. (1992) A preliminary investigation of the feeding ecology of squaloid sharks off the west coast of southern Africa. South African Journal of Marine Science, 12, 601 - 609. https: // doi. org / 10.2989 / 02577619209504727","Compagno, L. J. V. (1999) An overview of chondrichthyan systematics and biodiversity in southern Africa. Transactions of the Royal Society of South Africa, 54, 75 - 120. https: // doi. org / 10.1080 / 00359199909520406","Compagno, L. J. V. (2016) Sharks. In: Carpenter, K. E. & De Angelis, N. (Eds.), The Living Marine Resources of the Eastern Central Atlantic. Vol. 2. Bivalves, Gastropods, Hagfishes, Sharks, Batoid Fishes, and Chimaeras. FAO Species Identification Guide for Fishery Purposes. FAO, Rome, pp. 1122 - 1336.","Ebert D. A. (2013) Deep-sea cartilaginous fishes of the Indian Ocean. Vol. 1. Sharks. FAO Species Catalogue for Fishery Purposes No. 8. Vol. 1. FAO, Rome, 256 pp.","Ebert, D. A., Fowler, S. & Compagno, L. J. V. (2013) Sharks of the World: A Fully Illustrated Guide to the Sharks of the World. Wild Nature Press, Plymouth, 528 pp.","Ebert, D. A. (2015) Deep-sea cartilaginous fishes of the Southeastern Atlantic Ocean. FAO Species Catalogue for Fishery Purposes No. 9. FAO, Rome, 251 pp.","Ebert, D. A. & van Hees, K. E. (2015) Beyond jaws: rediscovering the \" Lost Sharks \" of southern Africa. African Journal of Marine Science, 37, 141 - 156. https: // doi. org / 10.2989 / 1814232 X. 2015.1048730","Weigmann, S. (2016) Annotated checklist of the living sharks, batoids and chimaeras (Chondrichthyes) of the world, with a focus on biogeographical diversity. Journal of Fish Biology, 88, 837 - 1037. https: // doi. org / 10.1111 / jfb. 12874"]}

Etmopterus sentosus Bass, D’Aubrey, & Kistnasamy, 1976 Thorny Lanternshark Etmopterus sentosus Bass, D’Aubrey, & Kistnasamy, 1976: 22, figs. 15, 18a. Holotype: SAIAB 6201 [ex ORI 2369]. Type locality: near Bazaruto Island, southern Mozambique. Local synonymy: Etmopterus sentosus: Bass et al., 1976: 22, figs. 15, 18a; Compagno, 1984a: 64, fig.; Bass et al., 1986: 57, fig. 5.15; Compagno et al., 1989: 30, pl.; Compagno, 1999: 115; Compagno et al., 2005: 107, fig., pl. 8.; Ebert, 2013: 82, fig. 101; Ebert et al., 2013 a: 139, fig., pl. 11; Ebert & van Hees, 2015: 144; Weigmann, 2016: 897. South Africa voucher material: SAIAB 6200 [former ORI 1391]. South Africa distribution: Occurs from off Durban to northern KZN. Remarks: This distinctive lanternshark species appears to be common where it occurs, especially off southern Mozambique. Conservation status: LC (2019)., Published as part of Ebert, David A., Wintner, Sabine P. & Kyne, Peter M., 2021, An annotated checklist of the chondrichthyans of South Africa, pp. 1-127 in Zootaxa 4947 (1) on page 30, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4947.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/4614567, {"references":["Bass, A. J., D'Aubrey, J. D. & Kistnasamy, N. (1976) Sharks of the east coast of southern Africa. VI. The families Oxynotidae, Squalidae, Dalatiidae and Echinorhinidae. Investigational Report. Oceanographic Research Institute, Durban, 45, 1 - 103.","Compagno, L. J. V. (1984 a) FAO Species Catalogue. Sharks of the World. An Annotated and Illustrated Catalogue of Shark Species Known to Date. FAO Fisheries Synopsis. Vol. 4. No. 125. Part 1. Hexanchiformes to Lamniformes. FAO, Rome, pp. 1 - 250.","Bass, A. J. & Compagno, L. J. V. (1986) Families Echinorhinidae, Proscyllidae, Odontaspidiidae, Mitsukurinidae. In: Smith, M. M. & Heemstra, P. C. (Eds.), Smith's Sea Fishes. Macmillan, Johannesburg, pp. 63 + 103 + 104 - 105.","Compagno, L. J. V., Ebert, D. A. & Smale, M. J. (1989) Guide to the Sharks and Rays of Southern Africa. Struik Publishers, Cape Town, 158 pp.","Compagno, L. J. V. (1999) An overview of chondrichthyan systematics and biodiversity in southern Africa. Transactions of the Royal Society of South Africa, 54, 75 - 120. https: // doi. org / 10.1080 / 00359199909520406","Compagno, L., Dando, M. & Fowler, S. (2005) Field Guide to the Sharks of the World. Harper Collins Publishers Ltd, London, 368 pp.","Ebert D. A. (2013) Deep-sea cartilaginous fishes of the Indian Ocean. Vol. 1. Sharks. FAO Species Catalogue for Fishery Purposes No. 8. Vol. 1. FAO, Rome, 256 pp.","Ebert, D. A., Fowler, S. & Compagno, L. J. V. (2013) Sharks of the World: A Fully Illustrated Guide to the Sharks of the World. Wild Nature Press, Plymouth, 528 pp.","Ebert, D. A. & van Hees, K. E. (2015) Beyond jaws: rediscovering the \" Lost Sharks \" of southern Africa. African Journal of Marine Science, 37, 141 - 156. https: // doi. org / 10.2989 / 1814232 X. 2015.1048730","Weigmann, S. (2016) Annotated checklist of the living sharks, batoids and chimaeras (Chondrichthyes) of the world, with a focus on biogeographical diversity. Journal of Fish Biology, 88, 837 - 1037. https: // doi. org / 10.1111 / jfb. 12874"]}

Etmopterus viator Straube, 2011 Traveler Lanternshark Etmopterus viator Straube, in Straube et al., 2011: 143, figs. 2a, b, 3, 5. Holotype: MNHN 2008-1899. Type locality: Kerguelen Plateau, 49°39'29''S, 72°45'00''E, Indian Ocean. Local synonymy: Etmopterus viator; Straube, 2011a: 143, figs. 2a, b, 3, 5 (distribution including South Africa); Ebert, 2013: 84, fig. 116; Ebert et al., 2013 a: 142, fig., pl. 10; Ebert & Mostada, 2013: 34, fig.; Ebert, 2015: 75, fig. 86; Ebert & van Hees, 2015: 144; Weigmann, 2016: 898. South Africa voucher material: None. South Africa distribution: Straube (2011) mentions that this species was recorded from three locations in South African waters, but provides no location information or cites any specimens in museum collection. Remarks: This appears to be a wide-ranging species around seamounts and islands in the Southern Ocean. Conservation status: LC (2018)., Published as part of Ebert, David A., Wintner, Sabine P. & Kyne, Peter M., 2021, An annotated checklist of the chondrichthyans of South Africa, pp. 1-127 in Zootaxa 4947 (1) on page 30, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4947.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/4614567, {"references":["Straube, N., Kriwet, J. & Schliewen, U. K. (2011 b) Cryptic diversity and species assignment of large lantern sharks of the Etmopterus spinax clade from the Southern Hemisphere (Squaliformes, Etmopteridae). Zoologica Scripta, 40 (1), 61 - 75. https: // doi. org / 10.1111 / j. 1463 - 6409.2010.00455. x","Ebert D. A. (2013) Deep-sea cartilaginous fishes of the Indian Ocean. Vol. 1. Sharks. FAO Species Catalogue for Fishery Purposes No. 8. Vol. 1. FAO, Rome, 256 pp.","Ebert, D. A., Fowler, S. & Compagno, L. J. V. (2013) Sharks of the World: A Fully Illustrated Guide to the Sharks of the World. Wild Nature Press, Plymouth, 528 pp.","Ebert, D. A. (2015) Deep-sea cartilaginous fishes of the Southeastern Atlantic Ocean. FAO Species Catalogue for Fishery Purposes No. 9. FAO, Rome, 251 pp.","Ebert, D. A. & van Hees, K. E. (2015) Beyond jaws: rediscovering the \" Lost Sharks \" of southern Africa. African Journal of Marine Science, 37, 141 - 156. https: // doi. org / 10.2989 / 1814232 X. 2015.1048730","Weigmann, S. (2016) Annotated checklist of the living sharks, batoids and chimaeras (Chondrichthyes) of the world, with a focus on biogeographical diversity. Journal of Fish Biology, 88, 837 - 1037. https: // doi. org / 10.1111 / jfb. 12874"]}

Etmopterus pusillus (Lowe, 1839) Smooth Lanternshark Acanthidium pusillum Lowe, 1839: 91. Syntypes: BMNH 1855.11.29.27 (2 specimens). Type locality: Madeira, eastern Atlantic. Local synonymy: Etmopterus pusillus: Bass et al., 1976: 23, fig. 16 (KZN); Compagno, 1984: 82, fig.; Bass et al., 1986: 56, fig. 5.14; Compagno et al., 1989: 30, pl.; Compagno et al., 1991: 64; Ebert et al., 1992: 605; Compagno, 1999: 115; Compagno et al., 2005: 107, fig., pl. 7; Ebert, 2013: 83, fig. 105; Ebert et al., 2013 a: 137, fig., pl. 9; Ebert & Mostada, 2013: 30, fig.; Ebert, 2015: 80, fig. 93; Ebert & Mostada, 2015: 27, fig.; Ebert & van Hees, 2015: 144; Compagno, 2016: 1188; Weigmann, 2016: 897. South Africa voucher material: SAIAB 6182 [former ORI 1104], SAIAB 6183 [former ORI 1477], SAIAB 6184 [former ORI 2866], SAIAB 6185 [former ORI 2867], SAIAB 6186 [former ORI 2868], SAIAB 6187 [former ORI 2869]. South Africa distribution: West coast from the Orange River (NC) to Cape Point (WC) and off KZN, but not yet confirmed from the EC. Remarks: Widespread, but patchy off South Africa, this species is often misidentified with E. bigelowi. Conservation status: LC (2020)., Published as part of Ebert, David A., Wintner, Sabine P. & Kyne, Peter M., 2021, An annotated checklist of the chondrichthyans of South Africa, pp. 1-127 in Zootaxa 4947 (1) on page 29, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4947.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/4614567, {"references":["Lowe, R. T. (1839) A supplement to a synopsis of the fishes of Madeira. Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London, 1839 (Pt. 7), 76 - 92.","Bass, A. J., D'Aubrey, J. D. & Kistnasamy, N. (1976) Sharks of the east coast of southern Africa. VI. The families Oxynotidae, Squalidae, Dalatiidae and Echinorhinidae. Investigational Report. Oceanographic Research Institute, Durban, 45, 1 - 103.","Compagno, L. J. V. (1984 a) FAO Species Catalogue. Sharks of the World. An Annotated and Illustrated Catalogue of Shark Species Known to Date. FAO Fisheries Synopsis. Vol. 4. No. 125. Part 1. Hexanchiformes to Lamniformes. FAO, Rome, pp. 1 - 250.","Bass, A. J. & Compagno, L. J. V. (1986) Families Echinorhinidae, Proscyllidae, Odontaspidiidae, Mitsukurinidae. In: Smith, M. M. & Heemstra, P. C. (Eds.), Smith's Sea Fishes. Macmillan, Johannesburg, pp. 63 + 103 + 104 - 105.","Compagno, L. J. V., Ebert, D. A. & Smale, M. J. (1989) Guide to the Sharks and Rays of Southern Africa. Struik Publishers, Cape Town, 158 pp.","Compagno, L. J. V., Ebert, D. A. & Cowley, P. D. (1991) Distribution of offshore demersal cartilaginous fishes (class Chondrichthyes) of the west coast of southern Africa, with notes on their systematics. South African Journal of Marine Science, 11, 43 - 139. https: // doi. org / 10.2989 / 025776191784287664","Ebert, D. A., Compagno, L. J. V. & Cowley, P. D. (1992) A preliminary investigation of the feeding ecology of squaloid sharks off the west coast of southern Africa. South African Journal of Marine Science, 12, 601 - 609. https: // doi. org / 10.2989 / 02577619209504727","Compagno, L. J. V. (1999) An overview of chondrichthyan systematics and biodiversity in southern Africa. Transactions of the Royal Society of South Africa, 54, 75 - 120. https: // doi. org / 10.1080 / 00359199909520406","Compagno, L., Dando, M. & Fowler, S. (2005) Field Guide to the Sharks of the World. Harper Collins Publishers Ltd, London, 368 pp.","Ebert D. A. (2013) Deep-sea cartilaginous fishes of the Indian Ocean. Vol. 1. Sharks. FAO Species Catalogue for Fishery Purposes No. 8. Vol. 1. FAO, Rome, 256 pp.","Ebert, D. A., Fowler, S. & Compagno, L. J. V. (2013) Sharks of the World: A Fully Illustrated Guide to the Sharks of the World. Wild Nature Press, Plymouth, 528 pp.","Ebert, D. A. (2015) Deep-sea cartilaginous fishes of the Southeastern Atlantic Ocean. FAO Species Catalogue for Fishery Purposes No. 9. FAO, Rome, 251 pp.","Ebert, D. A. & van Hees, K. E. (2015) Beyond jaws: rediscovering the \" Lost Sharks \" of southern Africa. African Journal of Marine Science, 37, 141 - 156. https: // doi. org / 10.2989 / 1814232 X. 2015.1048730","Compagno, L. J. V. (2016) Sharks. In: Carpenter, K. E. & De Angelis, N. (Eds.), The Living Marine Resources of the Eastern Central Atlantic. Vol. 2. Bivalves, Gastropods, Hagfishes, Sharks, Batoid Fishes, and Chimaeras. FAO Species Identification Guide for Fishery Purposes. FAO, Rome, pp. 1122 - 1336.","Weigmann, S. (2016) Annotated checklist of the living sharks, batoids and chimaeras (Chondrichthyes) of the world, with a focus on biogeographical diversity. Journal of Fish Biology, 88, 837 - 1037. https: // doi. org / 10.1111 / jfb. 12874"]}

Etmopterus alphus Ebert, Straube, Leslie, & Weigmann, 2016 Whitecheek Lanternshark Etmopterus alphus Ebert, Straube, Leslie, & Weigmann, 2016: 2, figs. 1–6. Holotype: SAM MB-F37564. Type locality: east of the Zambezi River, central Mozambique, 18°14'S, 37°31'E. Local synonymy: Etmopterus alphus: Ebert et al., 2016: 2, figs. 1–6. South Africa voucher material: SAIAB 190352. South Africa distribution: New record. Recently recorded off Durban (KZN). Remarks: This recently described species was known only from off Mozambique, but is reported here for the first time in South African waters. It also occurs off Madagascar and on the Madagascar Ridge. Conservation status: LC (2019).

Etmopterus compagnoi Fricke & Koch, 1990 Brown Lanternshark Etmopterus compagnoi Fricke & Koch, 1990: 2, figs. 1–2. Holotype: SMNS 8999. Type locality: off Cape Town, Western Cape Province, South Africa, 34°41'S, 18°37'E, southeastern Atlantic. Local synonymy: Etmopterus spinax: Gilchrist, 1922b: 49; Barnard, 1925; Barnard, 1947: 20, fig. 5, pl. 3; Smith, 1949a: 59, fig. 51; Smith, 1965: 59, fig. 51; Compagno, 1984: 85, fig. Spinax spinax: Norman, 1935: 37. Etmopterus gracilispinis: Karrer, 1973: 199; Shcherbachev et al., 1978: 186; Compagno, 1984: 76, fig.; Compagno et al., 1989: 28, pl.; Compagno, 2016: 1187. Etmopterus sp.: Bass et al., 1986: 57, fig. 5.16. Etmopterus compagnoi: Fricke & Koch, 1990: 2, figs. 1–2; Compagno et al., 1991: 61; Ebert et al., 1992: 605; Compagno, 1999: 114; Straube et al., 2011a: 146; Ebert, 2013: 84, fig. 114; Ebert et al., 2013 a: 128, fig., pl. 10; Ebert & Mostarda, 2013: 34, fig.; Ebert, 2015: 76, fig. 87; Ebert & Mostarda, 2015: 28, fig.; Ebert & van Hees, 2015: 144; Straube et al., 2015: 11; Weigmann, 2016: 894. Etmopterus unicolor: Compagno et al., 2005: 108, fig., pl. 9. South Africa voucher material: SAIAB 25737, SAIAB 26271, SAIAB 27586, SAIAB 27587, SAIAB 27588, SAIAB 27589, SAIAB 27590, SAIAB 27591, SAIAB 27592, SAIAB 27593, SAIAB 27594, SAIAB 27595, SAIAB 27596, SAIAB 27597, SAIAB 27598, SAIAB 61706, SAIAB 87361, SAIAB 186423, SAIAB 186458, SAIAB 189169, SAIAB 193038. South Africa distribution: The Orange River (NC) to at least Port Alfred (EC) and possibly KZN. Remarks: Etmopterus compagnoi has a convoluted taxonomic history with most early literature accounts referring to it as either E. spinax or E. gracilispinis. However, Straube et al. (2015) found this species to be distinct from these other lanternsharks. Etmopterus compagnoi was thought to be a South African endemic (Compagno et al., 1989; Straube et al., 2015). However, it appears to have a wider geographic range occurring from southern Namibia to Cape Point (WC), where it is quite common, and east to off Port Alfred (EC) (Ebert, 2015). It also occurs off southern Mozambique and the northern Madagascar Plateau. However, specimens from outside the WC and EC should be closely examined to confirm their identification. Conservation status: LC (2019)., Published as part of Ebert, David A., Wintner, Sabine P. & Kyne, Peter M., 2021, An annotated checklist of the chondrichthyans of South Africa, pp. 1-127 in Zootaxa 4947 (1) on page 28, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4947.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/4614567, {"references":["Fricke, R. & Koch, I. (1990) A new species of the lantern shark genus Etmopterus from southern Africa (Elasmobranchii: Squalidae). Stuttgarter Beitrage zur Naturkunde, Series A (Biologie), 450, 1 - 9.","Gilchrist, J. D. F. (1922 b) Deep-sea fishes procured by the S. A. \" Pickle \" (Part I.). Special Report (3), Report of the Fisheries and Marine Biological Survey, Union of South Africa, 2, 41 - 79.","Barnard, K. H. (1925) A monograph of the marine fishes of South Africa. Part I (Amphioxus, Cyclostomata, Elasmobranchii, and Teleostei-Isospondyli to Heterosomata). Annals of the South African Museum, 21, 1 - 418.","Barnard, K. H. (1947) A Pictorial Guide to South African Fishes. Marine and Freshwater. Maskew Miller Ltd, Cape Town, 226 pp.","Smith, J. L. B. (1949 a) The Sea Fishes of Southern Africa. South Africa Central News Agency Ltd., 550 pp.","Smith, J. L. B. (1965) The Sea Fishes of Southern Africa. 5 th Edition. Central News Agency Ltd., 580 pp.","Compagno, L. J. V. (1984 a) FAO Species Catalogue. Sharks of the World. An Annotated and Illustrated Catalogue of Shark Species Known to Date. FAO Fisheries Synopsis. Vol. 4. No. 125. Part 1. Hexanchiformes to Lamniformes. FAO, Rome, pp. 1 - 250.","Norman, J. R. (1935) Coast fishes, Part. I. The South Atlantic. ' Discovery' Reports, 12, 1 - 58.","Karrer, C. (1973) Uber Fische aus dem S ʾ dostatlantik. Mitteilungen aus dem Zoologischen Museum in Berlin, 49 (1), 191 - 257. https: // doi. org / 10.1002 / mmnz. 4830490113","Shcherbachev, Y. N. (1978) Long-nosed chimaeras (Rhinochimaeridae, Chimaeriformes) from the waters of South Africa. Trudy Institute Okeanology P. P. Shirshova, 111, 7 - 9.","Compagno, L. J. V., Ebert, D. A. & Smale, M. J. (1989) Guide to the Sharks and Rays of Southern Africa. Struik Publishers, Cape Town, 158 pp.","Compagno, L. J. V. (2016) Sharks. In: Carpenter, K. E. & De Angelis, N. (Eds.), The Living Marine Resources of the Eastern Central Atlantic. Vol. 2. Bivalves, Gastropods, Hagfishes, Sharks, Batoid Fishes, and Chimaeras. FAO Species Identification Guide for Fishery Purposes. FAO, Rome, pp. 1122 - 1336.","Bass, A. J. & Compagno, L. J. V. (1986) Families Echinorhinidae, Proscyllidae, Odontaspidiidae, Mitsukurinidae. In: Smith, M. M. & Heemstra, P. C. (Eds.), Smith's Sea Fishes. Macmillan, Johannesburg, pp. 63 + 103 + 104 - 105.","Compagno, L. J. V., Ebert, D. A. & Cowley, P. D. (1991) Distribution of offshore demersal cartilaginous fishes (class Chondrichthyes) of the west coast of southern Africa, with notes on their systematics. South African Journal of Marine Science, 11, 43 - 139. https: // doi. org / 10.2989 / 025776191784287664","Ebert, D. A., Compagno, L. J. V. & Cowley, P. D. (1992) A preliminary investigation of the feeding ecology of squaloid sharks off the west coast of southern Africa. South African Journal of Marine Science, 12, 601 - 609. https: // doi. org / 10.2989 / 02577619209504727","Compagno, L. J. V. (1999) An overview of chondrichthyan systematics and biodiversity in southern Africa. Transactions of the Royal Society of South Africa, 54, 75 - 120. https: // doi. org / 10.1080 / 00359199909520406","Ebert D. A. (2013) Deep-sea cartilaginous fishes of the Indian Ocean. Vol. 1. Sharks. FAO Species Catalogue for Fishery Purposes No. 8. Vol. 1. FAO, Rome, 256 pp.","Ebert, D. A., Fowler, S. & Compagno, L. J. V. (2013) Sharks of the World: A Fully Illustrated Guide to the Sharks of the World. Wild Nature Press, Plymouth, 528 pp.","Ebert, D. A. & Mostarda, E. (2013) Identification Guide to the Deep-sea Cartilaginous Fishes of the Indian Ocean. FishFinder Programme, FAO, Rome, 76 pp.","Ebert, D. A. (2015) Deep-sea cartilaginous fishes of the Southeastern Atlantic Ocean. FAO Species Catalogue for Fishery Purposes No. 9. FAO, Rome, 251 pp.","Ebert, D. A. & Mostarda, E. (2015) Identification Guide to the Deep-sea Cartilaginous Fishes of the Southeastern Atlantic Ocean. FishFinder Programme, FAO, Rome, 70 pp.","Ebert, D. A. & van Hees, K. E. (2015) Beyond jaws: rediscovering the \" Lost Sharks \" of southern Africa. African Journal of Marine Science, 37, 141 - 156. https: // doi. org / 10.2989 / 1814232 X. 2015.1048730","Straube, N., Leslie, R. W., Clerkin, P. J., Ebert, D. A., Rochel, E., Corrigan, S. L., Chenhong, L. & Naylor, G. J. P. (2015) On the occurrence of the southern lanternshark, Etmopteus granulosus, off South Africa, with comments on the validity of E. compagnoi. Deepsea Research II: Topical Studies in Oceanography, 115, 11 - 17. https: // doi. org / 10.1016 / j. dsr 2.2014.04.004","Weigmann, S. (2016) Annotated checklist of the living sharks, batoids and chimaeras (Chondrichthyes) of the world, with a focus on biogeographical diversity. Journal of Fish Biology, 88, 837 - 1037. https: // doi. org / 10.1111 / jfb. 12874","Compagno, L., Dando, M. & Fowler, S. (2005) Field Guide to the Sharks of the World. Harper Collins Publishers Ltd, London, 368 pp."]}

Centroscyllium fabricii (Reinhardt, 1825) Black Dogfish Spinax fabricii Reinhardt, 1825: 3. Syntypes: ZMUC P 07106 [ex 185] (1 stuffed). Type locality: Julianehåb, Greenland, western North Atlantic. Local synonymy: Centroscyllium fabricii: Compagno, 1984a: 47, fig.; Compagno et al., 1989: 28, pl.; Compagno et al., 1991: 56; Ebert et al., 1992: 603; Compagno, 1999: 114; Ebert et al., 2013 a: 122, fig., pl. 8; NPOA, 2013: 37; Ebert, 2015: 71, fig. 77; Ebert & Mostarda, 2015: 24, fig.; Ebert & van Hees, 2015: 144; Compagno, 2016: 1185; Weigmann, 2016: 893. South Africa voucher material: SAIAB 25708, SAIAB 25736, SAIAB 26338, SAIAB 26339, SAIAB 26340, SAIAB 26424, SAIAB 26425, SAIAB 26426, SAIAB 26427, SAIAB 26428, SAIAB 26429, SAIAB 27183, SAIAB 30309. South Africa distribution: From the Orange River (NC) to southwest of Cape Agulhas (WC). Remarks: Compagno (1984a) reported the first South African record of this species from off the southwestern Cape. Previous southern African records were from off Namibia (Bass et al., 1976). This is one of the most common species of deep-sea lanternsharks off the South African west coast. Conservation status: LC (2020). Genus Etmopterus Rafinesque, 1810a Lanternsharks Etmopterus Rafinesque, 1810a: 14. Type species: Etmopterus aculeatus Rafinesque, 1810a, by monotypy., Published as part of Ebert, David A., Wintner, Sabine P. & Kyne, Peter M., 2021, An annotated checklist of the chondrichthyans of South Africa, pp. 1-127 in Zootaxa 4947 (1) on page 27, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4947.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/4614567, {"references":["Reinhardt, J. C. H. (1825) Ichthyologiske bidrag. In: H. C. Orsted. Oversigt over det Kongelige Danske Videnskabernes Selskabs Forhandlinger og dets Medlemmers Arbeider (KjObenhavn), 1824 - 25, pp. 1 - 35.","Compagno, L. J. V. (1984 a) FAO Species Catalogue. Sharks of the World. An Annotated and Illustrated Catalogue of Shark Species Known to Date. FAO Fisheries Synopsis. Vol. 4. No. 125. Part 1. Hexanchiformes to Lamniformes. FAO, Rome, pp. 1 - 250.","Compagno, L. J. V., Ebert, D. A. & Smale, M. J. (1989) Guide to the Sharks and Rays of Southern Africa. Struik Publishers, Cape Town, 158 pp.","Compagno, L. J. V., Ebert, D. A. & Cowley, P. D. (1991) Distribution of offshore demersal cartilaginous fishes (class Chondrichthyes) of the west coast of southern Africa, with notes on their systematics. South African Journal of Marine Science, 11, 43 - 139. https: // doi. org / 10.2989 / 025776191784287664","Ebert, D. A., Compagno, L. J. V. & Cowley, P. D. (1992) A preliminary investigation of the feeding ecology of squaloid sharks off the west coast of southern Africa. South African Journal of Marine Science, 12, 601 - 609. https: // doi. org / 10.2989 / 02577619209504727","Compagno, L. J. V. (1999) An overview of chondrichthyan systematics and biodiversity in southern Africa. Transactions of the Royal Society of South Africa, 54, 75 - 120. https: // doi. org / 10.1080 / 00359199909520406","Ebert, D. A., Fowler, S. & Compagno, L. J. V. (2013) Sharks of the World: A Fully Illustrated Guide to the Sharks of the World. Wild Nature Press, Plymouth, 528 pp.","NPOA. (2013) National Plan of Action for the Conservation and Management of Sharks (NPOA-Sharks). Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (DAFF), Rogge Bay, Cape Town, 63 pp.","Ebert, D. A. (2015) Deep-sea cartilaginous fishes of the Southeastern Atlantic Ocean. FAO Species Catalogue for Fishery Purposes No. 9. FAO, Rome, 251 pp.","Ebert, D. A. & Mostarda, E. (2015) Identification Guide to the Deep-sea Cartilaginous Fishes of the Southeastern Atlantic Ocean. FishFinder Programme, FAO, Rome, 70 pp.","Ebert, D. A. & van Hees, K. E. (2015) Beyond jaws: rediscovering the \" Lost Sharks \" of southern Africa. African Journal of Marine Science, 37, 141 - 156. https: // doi. org / 10.2989 / 1814232 X. 2015.1048730","Compagno, L. J. V. (2016) Sharks. In: Carpenter, K. E. & De Angelis, N. (Eds.), The Living Marine Resources of the Eastern Central Atlantic. Vol. 2. Bivalves, Gastropods, Hagfishes, Sharks, Batoid Fishes, and Chimaeras. FAO Species Identification Guide for Fishery Purposes. FAO, Rome, pp. 1122 - 1336.","Weigmann, S. (2016) Annotated checklist of the living sharks, batoids and chimaeras (Chondrichthyes) of the world, with a focus on biogeographical diversity. Journal of Fish Biology, 88, 837 - 1037. https: // doi. org / 10.1111 / jfb. 12874","Bass, A. J., D'Aubrey, J. D. & Kistnasamy, N. (1976) Sharks of the east coast of southern Africa. VI. The families Oxynotidae, Squalidae, Dalatiidae and Echinorhinidae. Investigational Report. Oceanographic Research Institute, Durban, 45, 1 - 103.","Rafinesque, C. S. (1810 a) s. n. In: Caratteri di alcuni nuovi generi e nuove specie di animali e piante della Sicilia, con varie osservazioni sopra i medisimi. Part 1 (involves fishes). Sanfilippo, Palermo, pp. 3 - 69. https: // doi. org / 10.5962 / bhl. title. 104418"]}

The morphology of the articular region of the pectoral girdle and associated basals in Etmopteridae is revised in light of new evidence provided by taxa unavailable for previous studies. Such studies considered that etmopterids plesiomorphically had a single pectoral articular condyle, and only Etmopterus had two separate ones. Our reanalysis indicates that the possession of two separate condyles, one for the articulation of the propterygium and the second for the meso- and metapterygium, is the most widespread condition in this group. However, the presence of two separate articular condyles is not recovered as a synapomorphy for Etmopteridae. Previous studies also proposed that etmopterids lack a hook-like process on the anteroproximal margin of the anteriormost pectoral basal. We document that the hook-like process is plesiomorphically present in Etmopteridae, thus corroborating the hypothesis of closer relationships between this family and the other squaliforms that also share this process, namely Centrophoridae, Dalatiidae, Oxynotidae, and Somniosidae.

Etmopterus spinax (Linnaeus 1758) ���Velvet belly lantern shark Taxonomy. First record from Lebanon as Etmopterus spinax by Aguillar et al. (2018: 81). Distribution. Western Baltic Sea, northern North Sea, Mediterranean Sea, eastern Atlantic: Iceland and Norway to Senegal. Conservation. IUCN: Global (LC: 1 December 2008); Med. (LC: 25 March 2016). Capture and threats: Unknown. Occurrence: Very rare. Low priority for conservation action., Published as part of Bariche, Michel & Fricke, Ronald, 2020, The marine ichthyofauna of Lebanon: an annotated checklist, history, biogeography, and conservation status, pp. 1-157 in Zootaxa 4775 (1) on page 19, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4775.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/3983887

A single albino specimen of the lanternshark, Lucifer's dogfish (Etmopterus lucifer), is reported here. The specimen was found among museum collections, having been captured near Cape Palliser, off the North Island of New Zealand in 1984. Morphometrics are reported, and with no retainment of pigmentation, the specimen is considered a complete albino. This is the first record of albinism for the family Etmopteridae and one of a handful of records for any deep-sea chondrichthyans.

This study aims to assess the litter ingestion in some demersal elasmobranchs, combining a classical gastro-intestinal tract (GIT) analysis with a procedure methodology to reduce airborne fibres contamination. In order to prevent the overestimation of litter ingestion, we applied severe mitigation measures to avoid airborne contamination during the analyses, integrating a new approach for the correction of estimates of fibres abundance using control procedure. In this study, we assessed the anthropogenic litter ingestion in four elasmobranch species from the southern Tyrrhenian Sea: Scyliorhinus canicula (n= 27), Etmopterus spinax (n= 16), Galeus melastomus (n= 12) and Raja clavata (n= 6). The gastro-intestinal tract of each specimen was analysed by visual sorting and the polymers identified by FT-IR spectroscopy technique. Overall, 19 litter particles were found in the gastro-intestinal tract of 13 demersal elasmobranchs (%O= 21) and for the first time, evidence of litter ingestion by R. clavata in Mediterranean waters was also reported. In G. melastomus and R. clavata all anthropogenic particles were plastics, whereas in S. canicula other litter categories were also found. No litter ingestion was instead observed in E. spinax. More than 50% of litter particles belonged to microlitter category (< 5 mm). Polyamide was the only polymer typology found in all examined species. We described the procedures to control the airborne contamination applied at each step of laboratory analysis and, thanks to the application of our control method, it was possible to exclude the 95% of fibres found in samples from the assessment. Moreover, we compared fibres abundances observed in samples and controls. This study, combining an approach for minimizing the bias associated to airborne fibre contamination, provided a reliable assessment of marine litter ingestion in demersal elasmobranchs.

10 pages, 5 figures, 6 tables, supplementary material https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dsr.2018.09.010, The study of the feeding ecology of marine predators is crucial to understanding their ecological roles and advancing our knowledge of marine ecosystem functioning, especially in highly human-impacted areas. Here, we examined the trophic ecology of three abundant demersal sharks, the velvet belly lantern shark Etmopterus spinax, the blackmouth catshark Galeus melastomus and the small-spotted catshark Scyliorhinus canicula, and the rare kitefin shark Dalatias licha of the western Mediterranean Sea. Data were obtained from two deep-water areas with different degrees of human impact: a fishery restricted area (FRA) in the Gulf of Lions and a highly human-impacted area in the Catalan Sea (non-FRA). We combined analyses of individual stomach contents and stable isotope values from different individuals of each shark species. Our results revealed that D. licha is a predator located higher up on the food web, while G. melastomus, E. spinax and S. canicula are located in lower trophic positions. These results confirm that shark species play important and, most likely, complementary roles as predators in the western Mediterranean Sea. Results also revealed that despite some differences in the diet of the shark species, as revealed by the stomach contents, in the long term (isotopic results) the four species showed similar diet habits and similar trophic relationships in both FRA and non-FRA. This may be due to the fact that despite the fishing regulations in the FRA area, the population of the prey species probably do not vary between the two areas. Overall, this study provides new insights into the trophic ecology of these sharks and contributes to an understanding of their ecological roles within the community, CB was supported by a predoctoral fellowship CONICYT- Becas Chile. JN was supported by the Spanish National Program Ramón y Cajal (RYC-2015-17809). This study is a contribution to the project ECOTRANS (CTM2011-26333, Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competiveness, Spain)

Summary: Etmopterus spinax is a deep-sea shark species that inhabits the northeast Atlantic and the western Mediterranean Sea. Skagerrak and Kattegat are reported to be part of the distribution of the species, but it has never been noted in the southern Baltic. Lacking any commercial value and commonly discarded in trawl and longline fisheries, E. spinax has been poorly studied. We reported on the first record of one specimen of E. spinax caught in the Pomeranian Bay on October 13, 2016 at a depth of 10 m. It was a female measuring 42.7 cm in total length. The morphological examination of the specimen was supported with COI barcode analysis, whereas species assignment to the population of origin was conducted based on a control region (CR) sequence of mtDNA. COI and CR sequence searches against GeneBank confirmed its identity as E. spinax and revealed that the specimen shared identical haplotypes with fish from populations in the Azores, Rockall Trough, and west of Ireland in the northeast Atlantic. The stomach contents, parasitic fauna, and hepatosomatic index of the individual were also examined. Only one L3 larval Anisakis simplex nematode specimen was collected from the stomach lumen of the shark. The specimen could have arrived in the Pomeranian Bay along with an inflow from the North Sea. In December 2014, a strong Major Baltic Inflow brought large amounts of water into the Baltic Sea, followed by some inflows of moderate intensity. Keywords: Etmopterus spinax, Anisakis simplex, Pomeranian Bay, Southern Baltic Sea, Inflow from the North Sea

The blurred smooth lanternshark, Etmopterus bigelowi Shirai and Tachikawa, 1993 was recorded for the first time from Indonesian waters based on two specimens collected from a deepwater shark fishery operated in the Flores Sea, eastern Indonesia. This is also the second confirmed record of Etmopterus species from this country.

Si bien, aunque actualmente no existe una pesquería de aguas profundas en el Caribe colombiano, es importante conocer la biología y ecología de la ictiofauna de aguas profundas para identificar el impacto de la pesca sobre estas comunidades. Con fines de aportar conocimiento que sirva como línea base para su conservación, el objetivo del presente estudio fue determinar la composición específica, y aspectos de su estructura poblacional y ecológica tales como abundancia y distribución (espacial y batimétrica) de los condrictios de aguas profundas en el mar Caribe colombiano. Se realizaron cuatro muestreos a bordo de un barco de arrastre camaronero entre 200 y 550 m de profundidad, durante agosto y diciembre de 2009 y, marzo y mayo de 2010. Se encontró un total de 331 especímenes de 13 especies correspondientes a nueve familias. Las especies que se capturaron con más de 15% de frecuencia de ocurrencia fueron Etmopterus perryi, Galeus cadenati, Anacanthobatis americanus y Gurgesiella atlantica. La zona donde se encontró la mayor abundancia relativa de especies e individuos fue el norte del Caribe colombiano, denominada Ecoregión La Guajira. Although currently there is no deep-sea fishery in the Colombian Caribbean Sea, however it is important to know the biology and ecology of the deep-sea ichthyofauna in order to identify the impact of the fishing on these communities. Therefore, to produce the baseline biological knowledge for their conservation, the objective of the present study was to determine the specific composition and describe some aspects of their population and ecology, as their abundance and distribution (spatial and bathymetric) of the deep-sea chondrichthyes at the Colombian Caribbean Sea. We carried out four samplings on board of a shrimp fishing vessel, trawling between 200 and 550 m of depth, during the months of August and December 2009 and March and May 2010. We found a total 331 specimens of thirteen species corresponding to nine families. The species that were captured with more than 15% of appearance frequency were Etmopterus perryi, Galeus cadenati, Anacanthobatis americanus and Gurgesiella atlantica. The higher relative abundances of species and individuals were found in the northern area of the Colombian Caribbean Sea (La Guajira Ecoregion).

International audience; Multiple paternity seems common within elasmobranchs. Focusing on two deep-sea shark species, the velvet belly lanternshark (Etmopterus spinax) and the slendertail lanternshark (Etmopterus molleri) we inferred the paternity in 31 E. spinax litters from Norway (three to 18 embryos per litter) and six E. molleri litters from Japan (three to six embryos), using 21 and 10 specific microsatellites, respectively. At least two E. spinax litters were sired from multiple fathers each, with highly variable paternal skew (1:1 to 9:1). Conversely, no clear signal of genetic polyandry was found in E. molleri.

International audience; Etmopterus spinax (Linnaeus, 1758) and Etmopterus molleri (Whitley, 1939) are two bioluminescent deep-sea sharks, usually caught in large numbers as bycatch by deep-water fisheries. Yet, no study has ever involved population status of these two species using genetic tools. In order to investigate population genetic structure, diversity and connectivity of these two lanternsharks, 29 and 19 microsatellite loci were isolated from E. spinax DNA library for E. spinax and E. molleri, respectively. These loci were tested on 32 E. spinax individuals from the North Sea and seven E. molleri from the East China Sea. The number of alleles per locus ranged from 2 to 13. The observed heterozygosity ranged from 0.031 to 0.839 for E. spinax and from 0.000 to 1.000 for E. molleri, while the expected heterozygosity ranged from 0.031 to 0.903 and from 0.143 to 0.821, respectively. Almost all loci (24 and 16, respectively) were at Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium for both species and no linkage disequilibrium among loci was detected. These loci represent useful tools to better understand the population structure of these two species. Besides, they could also be suitable for other lanternsharks in general, as these latter remain largely understudied, specially in terms of understanding the basic science that will serve into their conservation.

Parasites play an important role in ecology due to their potential influence on the biodiversity and dynamics of ecosystems. The complexity of interaction between parasites and their hosts is crucial to understanding the host’s populations dynamics, behaviour as well as interconnections between food chains in an ecosystem. Parasites have wide applications as bio-indicators for example to detect and monitor pollution and to provide additional information on the host’s population connectivity. With increasing fishing pressures globally, an understanding of affected ecosystems including the species and their dynamics therein is crucial in order to implement effective management strategies. The velvet belly lanternshark (Etmopterus spinax) is a small deep-sea shark which is a common bycatch species in North Sea fisheries. There have been only few studies on the parasites of E. spinax in Norwegian waters and none of them included mature individuals studying the entire parasite community. Therefore, this study investigated a total of 115 E. spinax specimens from box sexes in different sexual stages were sampled at eight stations with different depths in the North Sea in January 2016. In addition, this thesis aimed to review all available literature on metazoan parasites within the entire genus Etmopterus to lay the basis for the expectations of the empirical study and to identify potential knowledge gaps. The literature review indicated 21 existing parasite species on 9 host species belonging to the Etmopterus genus, on 13 different sites of the host’s body. The empirical data from eight stations in southern Norwegian waters revealed fairly low parasite prevalence and diversity on E. spinax. From a total of 115 studied shark specimen in this study only a total of four different parasite species (from four taxonomic groups) were recorded and only 18 host specimens were infected with at least one parasite species. The comparison of E. spinax individuals showed that larger sharks had a significantly higher prevalence of the parasite species A. simplex and A. squalicola, although the same could not be found for the other two parasite species. The generally lower values compared to the literature could be explained by e.g. parasite seasonality, diet shifts or methodological constraints, which are all discussed. The parasites species found here presented both strong and weak points for potential use as biological tags for host dynamics and food web interactions in the future.

Luminous deep-sea etmopterid sharks use hormonal control to regulate bioluminescence. Melatonin and prolactin trigger light emission and, conversely, α-melanocyte stimulating hormone actively reduces ongoing luminescence. Interestingly, these hormones are also known as regulators of skin pigment motion in teleost fish and epipelagic elasmobranchs. On the other hand, the melanin-concentrating hormone (MCH) is another regulator of the skin pigment motion in fish melanophores. Here, we studied the putative effect of MCH on the light emission control of the velvet belly lanternshark, Etmopterus spinax (Etmopteridae). In parallel, the presence of the MCH receptor in our model is investigated through database searches. Our results show that MCH is not involved in the bioluminescence triggering in the velvet belly lanternshark. Moreover, no MCH receptor transcript was found in a specific transcriptome of the luminous ventral skin of E. spinax.

Counterilluminating animals produce a ventral light to hide their silhouette in the water column. This midwater camouflage technique requires a fine and dynamic control of the wavelength, angular distribution, and intensity of their luminescence, which needs to continuously match ambient downwelling light. Recently, extraocular opsins have been suggested to play a role in the bioluminescence control of several organisms, such as squids, comb jellies, or brittle stars, providing a way for photogenic structures to perceive their own light output. By analysing a growing embryonic series of the velvet belly lanternshark, Etmopterus spinax, we show that the development of lanternshark luminescence competence is associated with the expression of encephalopsin within epidermal cells and in the light-regulating structure of the photogenic organs. Such an intra-uterine expression of encephalopsin strongly supports this blue-sensitive extraocular opsin to allow bioluminescence perception in lanternshark photophores and suggests a clear physiological interaction between photoemission and photoperception.

This study analyzes microplastic ingestion by three deep-water elasmobranch species ( Galeus melastomus , Scyliorhinus canicula and Etmopterus spinax ) from the Tyrrhenian Sea, discriminating between stomach and intestine contents. The absence of significant differences in frequency and abundance of plastic items into stomachs seems to suggest that ecological diversity among the three sharks does not strongly influence the probability of plastic ingestion in the study area. On the other hand, the detected differences in the microplastic content into the intestine might be due to a different retention time of microplastics, suggesting how feeding habits could influence metabolic features, and therefore affect the recovery of ingested plastic items. This information would improve the future development of marine micro-litter monitoring systems, following the MSFD requirements. Moreover, this study shows that all the three examined elasmobranch species can give important information even with relatively small sample sizes (N ≈ 30), and they could be used as target species for monitoring micro-litter ingestion in deep-water habitats.

Deep-sea sharks play a valuable ecological role helping maintain food web balance, yet they are vulnerable to commercial fishing because of slow growth rates and low reproductive capacity. Overfishing of sharks can heavily impact marine ecosystems and the fisheries these support. Knowledge of stock structure is integral to sustainable management of fisheries. The present study analysed vertebral chemistry using laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) to assay concentrations of 7Li, 23Na, 24Mg, 55Mn, 59Co, 60Ni, 63Cu, 66Zn, 85Rb, 88Sr, 138Ba and 208Pb to assess stock structure in a deep-sea shark, Etmopterus spinax, in Norwegian and French waters. Few studies have applied this technique to elasmobranch vertebrae and the present study represents its first application to a deep-sea shark. Three stocks were identified at the regional scale off western Norway, southern Norway, and France. At finer spatial scales there was evidence of strong population mixing. Overall, the general pattern of stock structure outlined herein provides some indication of the spatial scales at which stocks should be viewed as distinct fisheries management units. The identification of an effective multi-element signature for distinguishing E. spinax stocks utilizing Sr, Ba, Mg, Zn and Pb and the methodological groundwork laid in the present study could also expedite future research into stock structure for E. spinax and deep-sea elasmobranchs more generally.

A new species of lanternshark, Etmopterus alphus (Squaliformes: Etmopteridae), is described from the south-western Indian Ocean. The new species resembles other members of the ‘Etmopterus lucifer’ clade in having linear rows of dermal denticles and most closely resembles E. molleri from the south-western Pacific. The new species is fairly common along the upper continental slopes off central Mozambique, at depths between 472 and 558 m, and is also found on the southern Madagascar Ridge in 650–792 m depth. It can be distinguished from other members of the E. lucifer clade by a combination of characteristics, including arrangement of flank and caudal markings, dimension of flank markings and shape, size and arrangement of dermal denticles along the body. Molecular analysis further supports the distinction of E. alphus from other members of the E. lucifer clade.

The velvet belly lanternshark, Etmopterus spinax, is a deep-sea bioluminescent squaloid shark, found predominantly in the Northeast Atlantic and Mediterranean Sea. It has been exposed to relatively high levels of mortality associated with by-catch in some regions. Its late maturity and low fecundity potentially renders it vulnerable to over-exploitation, although little remains known about processes of connectivity between key habitats/regions. This study utilised DNA sequencing of partial regions of the mitochondrial control region and nuclear ribosomal internal transcribed spacer 2 to investigate population structure and phylogeography of this species across the Northeast Atlantic and Mediterranean Basin. Despite the inclusion of samples from the range edges or remote locations, no evidence of significant population structure was detected. An important exception was identified using the control region sequence, with much greater (and statistically significant) levels of genetic differentiation between the Mediterranean and Atlantic. This suggests that the Strait of Gibraltar may represent an important bathymetric barrier, separating regions with very low levels of female dispersal. Bayesian estimation of divergence time also places the separation between the Mediterranean and Atlantic lineages within the last 100,000 years, presumably connected with perturbations during the last Glacial Period. These results demonstrate population subdivision at a much smaller geographic distance than has generally been identified in previous work on deep-sea sharks. This highlights a very significant role for shallow bathymetry in promoting genetic differentiation in deepwater taxa. It acts as an important exception to a general paradigm of marine species being connected by high levels of gene-flow, representing single stocks over large scales. It may also have significant implications for the fisheries management of this species.

As part of the study of their bioluminescence, the deep-sea lanternshark Etmopterus spinax and Etmopterus molleri (Chondrichthyes, Etmopteridae) received growing interest over the past ten years. These mesopelagic sharks produce light thanks to a finely tuned hormonal control involving melatonin, adrenocorticotropic hormone and α-melanocyte-stimulating hormone. Receptors of these hormones, respectively the melatonin receptors and the melanocortin receptors, are all members of the G-protein coupled receptor family i.e. coupled with specific G proteins involved in the preliminary steps of their transduction pathways. The present study highlights the specific localization of the hormonal receptors, as well as of their associated G-proteins within the light organs, the so-called photophores, in E. spinax and E. molleri through immunohistofluorescence technic. Our results allow gaining insight into the molecular actors and mechanisms involved in the control of the light emission in Etmopterid sharks.