Taillight Shark
Euprotomicroides zantedeschia
- Least concern
- Card rarity: Common
- Sharks and rays
The taillight shark is a little-known species of shark in the family Dalatiidae and the only member of its genus. It is known from only four specimens collected from deep oceanic waters in the southern Atlantic Ocean and Pacific Ocean. A small shark with a laterally compressed body and a bulbous snout, this species has unusual adaptations that indicate a specialized lifestyle: its pectoral fins are paddle-like and may be used for propulsion, unlike other sharks and it has a pouch-like gland on its abdomen that emits clouds of luminescent blue fluid. This shark is likely aplacental viviparous and a formidable predator for its size.
Classification
- Class
- Chondrichthyes
- Order
- Squaliformes
- Family
- Dalatiidae
- Genus
- Euprotomicroides