Blackbelly lanternshark
Etmopterus lucifer
A small shark of deep, dark water that carries its own faint light. It lives far below where people dive, so no sighting is ever a promise.
Least Concern (IUCN, 2018) means it is not currently considered at risk of extinction. It lives deep and is of no commercial fishing interest.
Length
Up to about 47 cm (18.5 in) in one source and 55 cm (22 in) in another. Males are about 29 to 42 cm (11.4 to 16.5 in).
Weight
Maximum recorded about 775 g (1.7 lb).
Next to a person
About the length of an adult's forearm and hand.
What it eats
Squid, sometimes larger than the shark itself, as well as small bony fishes, shrimps and other crustaceans. Diet differs by region: lanternfishes in Australia, krill and squid in Japan, and mostly squid off southern Africa.
Around people
Deep water, rarely seen
How it lives
A deep-water shark of outer shelves and upper slopes, recorded from about 150 to 1,357 m. Its underside carries light-producing organs. The glow may attract prey and help the sharks stay together in the dark. Young are born live, about 15 cm long at birth. Little else is known.
Where it goes
Not well studied. An Australian account of the lookalike Etmopterus abernethyi says that species may rise toward the surface at night. I did not find this confirmed for E. lucifer.
We only draw a journey on the map when scientists have tracked it or clearly documented it. For this animal we have not found one yet.
Populations
Least Concern (IUCN, 2018). It is of no commercial fishing interest, New Zealand rates it Not Threatened (Data Poor, Secure Overseas, 2018), and an Australian fisheries report card lists it as Sustainable. Taxonomy has changed: a 2025 revision restricts E. lucifer to the north-western Pacific, from northern Japan to the South China Sea. Australian animals once called E. lucifer are now E. abernethyi, so records elsewhere may belong to related species.
Meet it respectfully
You are very unlikely to meet this shark on a trip, because it lives far deeper than recreational divers go. If you ever see one, for example on a research vessel, leave handling to the specialists. Never take, touch or bait deep-sea animals. I did not read local rules for this species.
Fun fact
Tap the bulb to light it up.
Light-producing organs called photophores cover its underside, giving the black belly a glow.
The light can be controlled through hormones, including melatonin.
It is a small shark, about half a metre long at most.
Blackbelly lanternshark in the Ocean Atlas
Places we have researched where this animal is recorded. It is never guaranteed, and some places are for watching from the boat only.
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Australia
Japan
Namibia
New Caledonia
New Zealand
TaiwanSources for this page
- Wikipedia, Blackbelly lanternshark, 2026
- FishBase, Etmopterus lucifer, 2026
- Fishes of Australia (Bray), 2025
- Shark-References, Etmopterus lucifer, 2026
- GBIF, IUCN category lookup, 2026
Facts checked 5 October 2026. Photos: Unsplash licence, or Creative Commons as shown on each photo.
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