Author: (Poey, 1861)
Diagnostic Features:
A moderately stout-bodied lanternshark with a moderately long tail, distance from pelvic insertions to ventral caudal origin about as long as from tip of snout to second gill openings, slightly less than 1.3 times in distance between pectoral and pelvic bases, and about equal to interdorsal space; distance between pectoral and pelvic bases moderately long in adults, about 1.2 times head length; distance from snout tip to first dorsal spine about equal to distance from first dorsal spine to second dorsal insertion. Head width about equal to preoral snout; prespiracular length about 1.5 times distance from spiracles to pectoral origins; gill openings very short, about as wide as spiracle, 1/3 eye length or less; upper teeth generally with less than 3 pairs of cusplets. Origin of first dorsal fin just behind free rear tips of pectoral fins, first dorsal base considerably closer to oectoral bases than pelvics: interdorsal space short, about as long as distance from snout tip to third gill slits; 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, Inegth of dorsal caudal margin about equal to head length. Lateral trunk denticles with slender, 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 grey or dark brown above, with underside of snout and abdomen abruptly black, with an elongated broad black rnark running above and behind pelvic fins,
and other elongated black marks at caudal fin base and along its axis.
Geographical Distribution:
Western North Atlantic: Virginia to southern Florida (USA) Cuba, Bermuda, St. Kitts.
Habitat and Biology:
A lanternshark of the upper continental and insular slopes, on or near bottom, at 380 to 717 m depth. Ovoviviparous, number of young 4 to 5.
Size:
Maximum total length about 50 cm; males mature at about 25 to 27 cm; females mature at about 30 cm; size at birth about 9 cm.
Interest to Fisheries:
Slight, caught with hook-and-line off Cuba and probably not very important; method of utilization unknown.
Type material:
Holotype: Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard, MCZ-1025, 269 mm female, presumably adult.Type Locality: Off Havana, Cuba.