The Etmopteridae are a
family
Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Idea ...
of
shark
Sharks are a group of elasmobranch fish characterized by a cartilaginous skeleton, five to seven gill slits on the sides of the head, and pectoral fins that are not fused to the head. Modern sharks are classified within the clade Selachi ...
s in the order
Squaliformes, commonly known as lantern sharks. Their name comes from the presence of
light-producing photophore
A photophore is a glandular organ that appears as luminous spots on various marine animals, including fish and cephalopods. The organ can be simple, or as complex as the human eye; equipped with lenses, shutters, color filters and reflectors, ...
s on their bodies. The members of this family are small, under long, and are found in deep waters worldwide.
The 45 species are placed in five genera. Three-quarters of the species are in the genus ''Etmopterus''.
Genera
* ''
Aculeola''
* ''
Centroscyllium''
* ''
Etmopterus''
* †''
Paraetmopterus''
* ''
Trigonognathus''
References
{{Taxonbar, from=Q720466
Shark families
Taxa named by Henry Weed Fowler