Welcome back to another Halloween edition of Finn Friday! Once again we are traveling to the deep, dark depths of the ocean to learn all about the world’s smallest shark. (They’re in the Guinness Book of World Records and everything!) The Lantern shark only reaches lengths of around 6-8 inches (16-20 cm). These little guys are shrouded in mystery as scientists haven’t been able to study them much, but let’s discuss what we do know!
Where do they live?
Lantern sharks are a deep water species living in the bathypelagic zone. The bathypelagic zone is the part of the pelagic zone, or open ocean, that is at depths between approximately 3,300-13,000 feet (1,000-4,000 m). They have only been found in the Atlantic ocean off the coasts of Colombia and Venezuela.
How long do they live?
Scientists estimate their lifespan to be between 20 to 30 years, but don’t know for sure.
What do they eat?
Lantern sharks eat small fish and shrimp.
What do they like to do?
The short answer is, we don’t really know. Because they live so deep in the ocean, and rarely leave their deep-sea home, it is very difficult for scientists to observe or study them.
Ok, now for one of the coolest things a Lantern shark does; it glows in the dark! Similar to our Cookie Cutter friends we learned about a few weeks ago, the Lantern shark has photophores, or light-emitting organs, along its belly and fins. Scientists think that they most likely use them for camouflage during their rare jaunts up to shallower water. They also think that Lantern sharks may use the light to attract prey when they are hunting in deeper, darker water. It is pretty common for deep sea-dwelling creatures to have some type of light-producing organ to attract prey, so it is very likely that Lantern sharks use them in this way too.
Conservation Status:
Because so little is known about the lantern shark, and they are so rarely seen, the IUCN Red List lists them as data deficient. We do know that they are not a target of any major fishery and are not commonly caught as bycatch, but until more research is done scientists cannot determine their status.
Thank you for venturing into the deep, dark depths of the ocean to learn about the Lantern shark with me! I still can’t get over how small they are; smaller than a human hand! What was your favorite thing you learned about the Lantern shark? Let me know below!
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