Euprotomicroides zantedeschia Hulley & Penrith, 1966
Taillight shark
Euprotomicroides zantedeschia
photo by FAO

Family:  Dalatiidae (Sleeper sharks)
Max. size:  42 cm TL (male/unsexed)
Environment:  benthopelagic; marine; depth range - 205 m
Distribution:  Southeast Atlantic: off Cape Town, South Africa. Southwest Atlantic: off Uruguay and Argentina (Ref. 58839).
Diagnosis:  Dorsal spines (total): 0-0; Dorsal soft rays (total): 0-0; Anal spines: 0-0; Anal soft rays: 0-0. A small, compressed dogfish shark with a blunt snout, ear-shaped pectoral fins, and gill slits increasing greatly in width from front to back; cloaca area with a large luminous gland not found in other sharks (Ref. 5578). Brown with black underparts (Ref. 6577); fin margins conspicuously white (Ref. 5578).
Biology:  Probably oceanic but also near the upper slope (Ref. 5578). The holotype was caught in a bottom trawl between 457 and 640 m, a second specimen was collected in the open ocean near the surface at less than 25 m (Ref. 247, 5578). Food unknown but the powerful jaws and sharp teeth suggest that this species can take relatively large prey (Ref. 247). Probably ovoviviparous with few young (Ref. 247).
IUCN Red List Status: Least Concern (LC); Date assessed: 24 April 2018 Ref. (130435)
Threat to humans:  harmless
Country info:   
 


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