| Lantern sharks | |
|---|---|
| |
| Velvet belly lanternshark, Etmopterus spinax | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Chondrichthyes |
| Subclass: | Elasmobranchii |
| Order: | Squaliformes |
| Family: | Etmopteridae Fowler, 1934 |
The Etmopteridae are a family of sharks in the order Squaliformes, commonly known as lantern sharks. Their name comes from the presence of light-producing photophores on their bodies. The members of this family are small, under 90 cm (35 in) long, and are found in deep waters worldwide.[1] The 45 species are placed in five genera. Three-quarters of the species are in the genus Etmopterus.
- ^ Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.). "Family Etmopteridae". FishBase. February 2011 version.