The Caribbean lanternshark, Etmopterus hillianus, is a shark in the Etmopteridae family. It is found in the eastern and western Atlantic around 180-720 meters (590-2362 feet) deep. Here, it can be found on the upper continental and insular slopes of the ocean, preferring sandy bottoms.
It is a small (up to 0.5 meters; 1.64 feet) deepwater shark, and it often confused with E. robinsi. Little is known of its biology, except that it is viviparous with yolk-sac, has a small litter size (4 to 5 pups) and can be taken as bycatch in some deepwater fisheries. These sharks are listed as Least Concern (LC) by the IUCN, as they seem to not have any significant threats. However, like many deepwater chondrichthyans, there is more information needed in order to properly assess them. Until then…
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