The Dwarf Lanternshark (Etmopterus perryi) is a marine (saltwater) fish in the Etmopteridae family of dogfish sharks. It is an elasmobranch cartilaginous fish — a fish that does not have a bony skeleton.
The Dwarf Lanternshark is dark-brown with a long, flattened head and black markings along its back. It has large eyes. It has several rows of teeth. It has small gill slits, where it takes in water and extracts oxygen to breathe.
The Dwarf Lanternshark is the smallest shark in the world. It grows to about 20 centimetres (8 inches) in length.
It is found on the upper continental slopes in the oceans off the coasts of Colombia and Venezuela in South America.
It is aplacental viviparous, which means that the female has yolk sacs inside her body. The female has 2-3 live young at a time. The young are called pups.
Location of photographs: New York Aquarium, America
Photographer: Martina Nicolls
Martina Nicolls: SIMILAR BUT DIFFERENT IN THE ANIMAL KINGDOM