Category: Fish
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Chondrichthyes
Family: Squalidae

Other Names:
Shark, Lucifer Dogfish

Notes
There are 33 describes species of Lucifer or Lantern sharks, They typically have slender bodies with a dark to black underbelly containing brilliant green light organs. The side of the fihs is dark grey and they have transparent white fins. Tey are often caught in trawls on the continental slope in depths of 200-600m deep. Their upper teeth are separate and widely spaced with sharo points while the lower ones are broad and overlapping to create a continuous cutting edge. Stomach contents indicate that these sharks feed on squid, small fish (especially lantern fish) and the occasional shrimp. They often contain pieces bitten from squid much larger than themselves and it has been suggested that they hunt in packs, and it is possible that the green glowing underbelly helps the members of the school remain in contact with each other.


References
Collins Guide to the Sea fishes of NZ: Ayling & Cox