Another member of the genus Etmopterus is the Lucifer shark or Lucifer’s dogfish (Etmopterus lucifer), named not after the devil but the Latin origin “light-bearer” (just like the enzyme that enables all lantern sharks to glow without needing a light source first). This biochemical processes (bioluminescence) inside special photophores seem to form species-specific luminescent patterns.
This member of the family Etmopteridae or Lantern sharks is also known as Blackbelly Lantern•shark and has been found at patchy areas all over the Pacific (off Russia, Japan, New Caledonia, Australia and New Zealand) and Indian Ocean (off Australia), and maybe even off Argentina, Brazil, China, Namibia, South Africa, Taiwan, Tanzania and Uruguay. However, since specimens are frequently misidentified and really belong to another member of the lucifer group, the latter is questionable.
Here it inhabits the bottom of outer continental and insular shelves, upper slopes, and seamounts at depths between 518 and 4,452 ft – 158 and 1,357 m -, but also above in the open sea (since it seems to migrate vertically at night).
This up to 18.5 in – 47 cm – long shark looks mostly like the ninja or velvet belly lantern shark with its dark grey to black body, but there has been found a rare Albino specimen, too. Males mature at a length of 13 in – 34 cm – and about 10 years of age, females at 16 in – 41 cm – and 13 years. Up to 7 embryos feed from yolk inside the womb of their mother (ovoviviparous). It’s numbers are increasing off New Zealand, that’s why the Lucifer shark is considered least concern.
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