Blackbelly Lanternshark, Etmopterus abernethyi Garrick 1957
Other Names: Blackbelly Lantern Shark, Lucifer Dogfish, Lucifer Shark, Luminous Shark
Blackbelly Lanternshark, Etmopterus lucifer. Source: Robin McPhee & Kerryn Parkinson / NORFANZ Founding Parties. License: All rights reserved
Summary:
A moderately large lanternshark with a distinct black streak above and behind the pelvic fins, a bioluminescent belly, and paler fins. The pelvic flank marking is below the second dorsal-fin spine, and the anterior branch is usually longer than the posterior branch; the caudal marking is considerably longer than the precaudal marking.
In Australia, the Blackbelly Lanternshark was previously known as Etmopterus lucifer, a species restricted to the northwestern Pacific.
In Australia, the Blackbelly Lanternshark was previously known as Etmopterus lucifer, a species restricted to the northwestern Pacific.
Cite this page as:
Bray, D.J. 2025, Etmopterus abernethyi in Fishes of Australia, accessed 20 May 2025, https://fishesofaustralia.net.au/home/species/3505
Blackbelly Lanternshark, Etmopterus abernethyi Garrick 1957
More Info
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Distribution |
Southeastern, southern, and southwestern Australia; elsewhere the species occurs in New Caledonia, the Tasman Sea, and around New Zealand, at depths of 180–872 m. Benthopelagic on the outer continental and insular shelves, upper slopes, and seamounts at depths of 158-1,357 m - most abundant around 500 m in New Zealand. The species is also mesopelagic, and may undertake vertical migrations to the epipelagic zone at night. |
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Features |
A moderately large Etmopterus belonging to the E. lucifer group by with elongated anterior and posterior branches of lateral flank marking, and differing from other members by the following combination of characters: hook-like dermal denticles not overlapping each other, in well-defined rows; origin of second dorsal fin anterior to origin of base of flank-marking; infracaudal marking connected with caudal-fin base marking through pair of luminous lines; posterior caudal-fin marking long, length 30.2–46.5% caudal-fin length; and ventral pectoral marking strongly curved. |
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Colour |
When fresh, body generally shiny grey to dark grey, black ventrally; transition between lateral and ventral sides strongly demarcated. Dorsal midline with pale stripe; P1 and P2 generally translucent, with darker bases; dorsal fins mostly pale grey in the proximal two-thirds of ceratotrichia. Caudal-fin dorsal and postventral margins black, without a dark blotch on mid-caudal fin. No black blotch between infracaudal marking and caudal-base marking. Caudal fin with distinct black tip at terminal margin |
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Fisheries |
Taken incidentally in midwater and benthic trawls and on longlines. |
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Remarks |
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Similar Species |
Differs from the similar Moller's Lanternshark, Etmopterus molleri, in having the origin of the flank marking base behind a vertical line through D2 origin (vs. the origin of the flank marking base well before a vertical line through D2 origin in E. molleri), the infracaudal marking connected to the caudal-base marking by a pair of lines (vs. not connected), fewer diplospondylous trunk vertebrae (11–18 vs. 20–21) and dorsal fins heavily covered with denticles in adults (vs. largely naked). The length of anterior branch of the flank marking relative to the posterior branch is also significantly higher in E. abernethyi than in E. molleri. |
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Etymology |
The species is named "for Mr. Fred Abernethy who has contributed greatly to the collection of New Zealand elasmobranchs". |
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Species Citation |
Etmopterus abernethyi Garrick 1957, Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology 116(3): 181, Figs. 3-4. Type locality: 7 miles south of Kaikoura, New Zealand, depth 200 fathoms. |
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Author |
Bray, D.J. 2025 |
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Resources |
Blackbelly Lanternshark, Etmopterus abernethyi Garrick 1957
References
Galland, A.R. 2015. Demographics of Etmopterus lucifer (Lucifer dogfish). MSc Thesis. Victoria University of Wellington, 91 pp. See ref online
Garrick, J.A.F. 1957. Studies on New Zealand Elasmobranchii. Part VI. Two new species of Etmopterus from New Zealand. Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology 116( 3): 171-190. See ref at BHL
Garrick, J.A.F. 1960. Studies of New Zealand Elasmobranchii. Part XII. Squaloids of the genera Deania, Etmopterus, Oxynotus, and Dalatias in New Zealand waters. Transactions and Proceedings of the Royal Society of New Zealand 88: 489–517. (as Etmopterus molleri, in part)
Last, P.R. & Stevens, J.D. 2009. Sharks and Rays of Australia. Collingwood : CSIRO Publishing Australia 2, 550 pp. (as Etmopterus lucifer)
Last, P.R. & Stewart, A.L. 2015. 25 Family Etmopteridae, pp. 139-147 in Roberts, C.D., Stewart, A.L. & Struthers, C.D. (eds). 2015. The Fishes of New Zealand. Wellington : Te Papa Press Vol. 2 pp. 1-576. (as Etmopterus lucifer)
Ng, S.-L., Straube, N., Liu, K.-M. & Joung, S.-J. 2025. Confusions across the hemispheres: Taxonomic re-evaluation of two lanternshark species, Etmopterus lucifer and E. molleri (Squaliformes: Etmopteridae). Vertebrate Zoology 75: 59-86. https://doi.org/10.3897/vz.75.e126067
Stevens, J.D. 1994. Families Echinorhinidae, Squalidae, Oxynotidae, Parascyllidae, Orectolobidae. pp. 91-118 figs 28-73 in Gomon, M.F., Glover, C.J.M. & Kuiter, R.H. (eds). The Fishes of Australia's South Coast. Adelaide : State Printer 992 pp. 810 figs. (as Etmopterus lucifer, in part)
White, W.T. 2008. Shark Families Heterodontidae to Pristiophoridae. pp. 32-100 in Gomon, M.F., Bray, D.J. & Kuiter, R.H. (eds). Fishes of Australia's Southern Coast. Sydney : Reed New Holland 928 pp. (as Etmopterus lucifer)
