Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Etmopterus brosei sp. nov.: a new lanternshark (Squaliformes: Etmopteridae) from the southeastern Atlantic and southwestern Indian oceans, with a revised key to the Etmopterus lucifer clade

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Marine Biodiversity Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

A new species of lanternshark, Etmopterus brosei sp. nov. (Squaliformes: Etmopteridae), is described from the southeastern Atlantic and southwestern Indian oceans. The new species resembles other members of the Etmopterus lucifer Jordan & Snyder, 1902 clade in having linear rows of dermal denticles, and most closely resembles the conspecific E. sculptus Ebert, Compagno, & De Vries, 2011 from the southeastern Atlantic and southwestern Indian oceans. The new species is fairly common along the upper continental slopes off South Africa, Mozambique, and seamounts along the Madagascar Ridge, including Walters Shoal, in 480–1200 m depth. It can be distinguished from other members of the E. lucifer clade by a combination of characteristics, including the arrangement of flank and caudal markings, shape and size of flank marking, the arrangement of dermal denticles along the body, and the presence of dermal denticles on the dorsal fin bases. A revised key to the Etmopterus lucifer clade is provided.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9
Fig. 10

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Bass AJ, D’Aubrey JD, Kistnasamy N (1976) Sharks of the east coast of southern Africa. VI. The families Oxynotidae, Squalidae, Dalatiidae and Echinorhinidae. S Afr Ass Mar Biol Res Oceanogr Res Inst Invest Rep (45) 103 pp

  • Bigelow HB, Schroeder WC, Springer S (1953) New and little known sharks from the Atlantic and from the Gulf of Mexico. Bull Mus Comp Zool Harvard 109:213–276

    Google Scholar 

  • Bigelow HB, Schroeder WC (1957) A study of the sharks of the suborder Squaloidea. Bull Mus Comp Zool Harvard Collect 117(1):1–150 pls. 1–4

    Google Scholar 

  • Chan WL (1966) New sharks from the South China Sea. J Zool (Lond) 148:218–237

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Collett R (1904) Diagnoses of four hitherto undescribed fishes from the depth south of the Faroe Islands. Forhandlinger i Videnskabs–selskabet i Christiania (for 1904) 9:1–7

    Google Scholar 

  • Compagno LJV, Stehmann M, Ebert DA (1990) Rhinochimaera africana, a new longnose chimaera from southern Africa, with comments on the systematics and distribution of the genus Rhinochimaera Garman, 1901 (Chondrichthyes, Chimaeriformes, Rhinochimaeridae). S Afr J Mar Sci 9(1):201–222. https://doi.org/10.2989/025776190784378646

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Da Silva C, Booth AJ, Dudley SFJ, Kerwath SE, Lamberth SJ, Leslie RW, McCord ME, Sauer WHH, Zweig T (2015) The current status and management of South Africa’s chondrichthyan fisheries. Afr J Mar Sci 37(2):233–248. https://doi.org/10.2989/181.4232X.2015.1044471

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dolganov VN (1986) Description of new species of sharks of the family Squalidae (Squaliformes) from the northwestern part of the Pacific Ocean with remarks of validity of Etmopterus frontimaculatus. Zool Zh 65(1):149–153

    Google Scholar 

  • Dolganov VN, Balanov AA (2018) Etmopterus parini sp. n. (Squaliformes: Etmopteridae), a new shark species from the northwestern Pacific Ocean. Biologiya Morya (Vladivostok) 44(6):427–430

    Google Scholar 

  • Ebert DA, van Hees KE (2015) Beyond jaws: rediscovering the “Lost Sharks” of southern Africa. In: Ebert DA, Huveneers C, Dudley SFJ (eds) Advances in shark research. Afr J Mar Sci 37:141–156. https://doi.org/10.2989/1814232X.2015.1048730

  • Ebert DA, van Hees KE (2018) Etmopterus marshae sp. nov., a new lanternshark (Squaliformes: Etmopteridae) from the Philippine Islands, with a revised key to the Etmopterus lucifer clade. Zootaxa 4508(2):197–210. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4508.2.3

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Ebert DA, Compagno LJV, DeVries MJ (2011) A new lanternshark (Squaliformes: Etmopteridae: Etmopterus) from southern Africa. Copeia 2011(3):379–384. https://doi.org/10.1643/CI-09-183

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ebert DA, Straube N, Leslie RW, Weigmann S (2016) Etmopterus alphus n. sp.: a new lanternshark (Squaliformes: Etmopteridae) from the south-western Indian Ocean. Afr J Mar Sci 38(3):329–340. https://doi.org/10.2989/1814232X.2016.1198275

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ebert DA, Papastamatiou YP, Kajiura SM, Wetherbee BM (2017) Etmopterus lailae sp. nov., a new lanternshark (Squaliformes: Etmopteridae) from the northwestern Hawaiian Islands. Zootaxa 4237(2):371–382. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4237.2.10

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Engelhardt R (1912) Über einige neue Selachier-Formen. Zool Anz 39:643–648

  • Fricke R, Koch I (1990) A new species of the lantern shark genus Etmopterus from southern Africa (Elasmobranchii: Squalidae). Stuttgarter Beitrage zur Naturkunde, Serie A (Biologie) 450(9):1–9

    Google Scholar 

  • Garrick JAF (1957) Studies on New Zealand Elasmobranchii. Part VI. Two new species of Etmopterus from New Zealand. Bull Mus Comp Zool 116(3):171–190

    Google Scholar 

  • Gilbert CH (1905) The deep-sea fishes of the Hawaiian Islands. Part II. Section II. Bull US Fish Commun 23(2):577–713

    Google Scholar 

  • Günther A (1880) Report on the shore fishes. Report on the scientific results of the voyage of H.M.S. Challenger during the years 1873-76. Zoology London 1(6):1–82

    Google Scholar 

  • IUCN (2020) The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2020-2. https://www.iucnredlist.org. Downloaded on 28 November 2020

  • Jordan DS, Snyder JO (1902) Descriptions of two new Squaloid sharks from Japan. Proc U S Natl Mus 25:1279–1287

    Google Scholar 

  • Knuckey JDS, Ebert DA, Burgess GH (2011) Etmopterus joungi sp. nov., a new species of lanternshark (Squaliformes: Etmopteridae) from Taiwanese waters. Aqua Journal of Marine Science 17(2):61–72

    Google Scholar 

  • Kotlyar AN (1990) Dogfish sharks of the genus Etmopterus Rafinesque from the Nazca and Sala y Gómez submarine ridges. Trudy Instituta Okeanologii Imeni P P Shirshova 125:127–147

    Google Scholar 

  • Krefft G (1968) Neue und erstmalig nachgewiesene knorpelfische aus dem Archibenthal des Südwestatlantiks, einschliesslich einer Diskussion einiger Etmopterus – Arten südlicher Meere. Arch. Fischereiwiss 19(1):1–42

    Google Scholar 

  • Last PR, Burgess GH, Séret B (2002) Description of six new species of lanternsharks of the genus Etmopterus (Squaloidea: Etmopteridae) from the Australasian region. Cybium 26(3):203–223

    Google Scholar 

  • Linnaeus C (1758) Systema naturae. Ed. 10. 1: 824 pp. Holmiae

  • Lowe RT (1839) A supplement to a synopsis of the fishes of Madeira. Proc Zool Soc London 1839(pt 7):76–92

    Google Scholar 

  • Naylor GJP, Caira JN, Jensen K, Rosana KAM, White WT, Last PR (2012) A DNA sequence-based approach to the identification of shark and ray species and its implications for global elasmobranch diversity and parasitology. Bull Am Nat Hist Mus 367:1–263. https://doi.org/10.1206/754.1

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Parin NV, Kotlyar AN (1990) AN Kotlyar 1990. Dogfish sharks of the genus Etmopterus from the Nazca and Sala y Gomez submarine ridges. Trans PP Shirshov Inst Oceanol 125:127–147

    Google Scholar 

  • Poey F (1861) Memorias sobre la historia natural de la isla de Cuba. Vluda de Barcina, Havana 2:1–442 pls 1–19

    Google Scholar 

  • Rafinesque CS (1810) Indice d'ittiologia siciliana; ossia, catalogo metodico dei nomi latini, italiani, e siciliani dei pesci, che si rinvengono in Sicilia disposti secondoun metodo naturale e seguito da un appendice che contiene la descrizione de alcuni nuovi pesci sicilian. Messina Indice Ittiol Sicil:1–70

  • Sabaj MH (ed) (2019) Standard symbolic codes for institutional resource collections in herpetology and ichthyology: an online reference, Version 7.1 (21 March 2019). Available from http://www.asih.org/. Accessed 11 March 2020

  • Schaaf-Da Silva JA, Ebert DA (2006) Etmopterus burgessi sp. nov., a new species of lanternshark (Squaliformes: Etmopteridae) from Taiwan. Zootaxa 1373:53–64

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schofield PJ, Burgess GH (1997) Etmopterus robinsi (Elasmobranchii, Etmopteridae), a new species of deepwater lantern shark from the Caribbean Sea and Western North Atlantic, with a redescription of Etmopterus hillianus. Bull Mar Sci 60(3):1060–1073

    Google Scholar 

  • Shirai S, Tachikawa H (1993) Taxonomic resolution of the Etmopterus pusillus species group (Elasmobranchii, Etmopteridae) with a description of E. bigelowi, n. sp. Copeia 1993(2):483–495

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Smith HM, Radcliffe L (1912) The squaloid sharks of the Philippine Archipelago, with descriptions of new genera and species. Proc U S Natl Mus 41(1877):677–685

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Springer S, Burgess GH (1985) Two new dwarf dogsharks (Etmopterus, Squalidae), found off the Caribbean coast of Colombia. Copeia 1985(3):584–591

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Straube N, Iglésias SP, Sellos DY, Kriwet J, Schliewen UK (2010) Molecular phylogeny and node time estimation of bioluminescent lanternsharks (Elasmobranchii: Etmopteridae). Mol Phylogenet Evol 56:905–917. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ympev.2010.04.042

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Straube N (2011) Description of a new deep-sea lantern shark Etmopterus viator sp. nov. (Squaliformes: Etmopteridae) from the Southern Hemisphere. In: Duhamel G, Welsford D (eds) The Kerguelen Plateau: Marine Ecosystem and Fisheries, Cybium, 35 (Supp.):137–150

  • Straube N, White WT, Ho H-C, Rochel E, Corrigan S, Li C, Naylor GJP (2013) A DNA sequence-based identification checklist for Taiwanese chondrichthyans. Zootaxa 3752(1):256–278. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.3752.1.16

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Straube N, Leslie RW, Clerkin PJ, Ebert DA, Richel E, Corrigan S, Li C, Naylor GJP (2015) On the occurrence of the Southern Lanternshark, Etmopterus granulosus, off South Africa, with comments on the validity of E. compagnoi. Deep-Sea Res Pt II 115:11–17. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dsr2.2014.04.004

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Vásquez VE, Ebert DA, Long DJ (2015) Etmopterus benchleyi n. sp. (Squaliformes : Etmopteridae), a new lanternshark from the central eastern Pacific Ocean. J Ocean Sci Found 17:43–55

  • Weigmann S (2016) Annotated checklist of the living sharks, batoids and chimaeras (Chondrichthyes) of the world, with a focus on biogeographical diversity. J Fish Biol 88(3):837–1037. https://doi.org/10.1111/jfb.12874

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Weigmann S (2017) Reply to Borsa (2017): Comment on ‘Annotated checklist of the living sharks, batoids and chimaeras (Chondrichthyes) of the world, with a focus on biogeographical diversity by Weigmann (2016)’. J Fish Biol 90(4):1176–1181. https://doi.org/10.1111/jfb.13234

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Weigmann S, Stehmann MFW, Thiel R (2013) Planonasus parini n. g. and n. sp., a new genus and species of false cat sharks (Carchariniformes, Pseudotriakidae) from the deep northwestern Indian Ocean off Socotra Islands. Zootaxa 3609(2):163–181. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.3609.2.3

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Weigmann S, Stehmann MFW, Thiel R (2015) Okamejei ornata n. sp., a new deep-water skate (Elasmobranchii, Rajidae) from the northwestern Indian Ocean off Socotra Islands. Deep-Sea Res Pt II 115:18–29. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dsr2.2013.09.005

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • White WT, Ebert DA, Mana RR, Corrigan S (2017) Etmopterus samadiae n. sp., a new lanternshark (Squaliformes: Etmopteridae) from Papua New Guinea. Zootaxa 4244(3):339–354. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4244.3.3

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Whitley M (1939) Studies in ichthyology. No. 12. Rec Aust Mus 20(4):264–277

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yamakawa T, Taniuchi T, Nose Y (1986) Review of the Etmopterus lucifer group (Squalidae) in Japan. In: Uyeno T, Arai R, Taniuchi T, Matsuura K (eds) Indo-Pacific Fish Biology: Proceedings of the Second International Conference on Indo-Pacific Fishes. Ichtyological Society of Japan, Tokyo, pp 197–202

    Google Scholar 

  • Yano K (1988) A new lanternshark Etmopterus splendidus from the East China Sea and Java Sea. Japanese J Ichthyol 34(4):421–425

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

The following individuals are sincerely thanked for their assistance and support: Angus Paterson, Alan Whitfield, Paul Cowley, Roger Bills, Nkoshinathia Mazungula, Mzwandile Dwani, Vuyani Hanisi, and the fish collection staff (South African Institute of Aquatic Biodiversity), Dave Catania and Jon Fong (California Academy Sciences), Albé Bosman (Iziko–South African Museum), Gavin Naylor (University of Florida, Shark Research Program), Rachel Aitchison and Paul Clerkin (Pacific Shark Research Center, Moss Landing Marine Laboratories), and Marsha Englebrecht for facilities, logistical, photo- and radiography support. Furthermore, SW is very grateful to Ralf Thiel (ZMH) for granting access to specimens and radiography facilities at ZMH, Irina Eidus (ZMH) for her help with the radiography and collection database, and Matthias F.W. Stehmann (ICHTHYS), who collected four paratypes and comparative specimens from cruise 17 of R/V Vityaz and kindly provided station details, fresh total length measurements and a photograph of one of the paratypes taken directly after catching. Finally, thanks to the two anonymous reviewers whose comments helped to improve the manuscript.

Support for this project was provided to DAE through the South African Shark and Ray Protection Project, implemented by the WILDTRUST, funded by the Shark Conservation Fund and the South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity. The California Academy of Sciences and the Pacific Shark Research Center, Moss Landing Marine Laboratories provided support for this project, and National Science Foundation grant (Jaws and Backbone: Chondrichthyan Phylogeny and a Spine for the Vertebrate Tree of Life, DEB 1132229) to Gavin Naylor, University of Florida, Shark Research Program.

Funding

This project was supported in part by the South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity and South African Shark and Ray Protection Project, implemented by the WILDTRUST, funded by the Shark Conservation Fund.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Pacific Shark Research Center, Moss Landing Marine Laboratories, Moss Landing, CA, USA

    David A. Ebert

  2. South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity, Grahamstown, South Africa

    David A. Ebert

  3. Department of Ichthyology, California Academy of Sciences, San Francisco, CA, USA

    David A. Ebert

  4. Branch: Fisheries Management, Department of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries, Cape Town, South Africa

    Robin W. Leslie

  5. Department Ichthyology and Fisheries Sciences, Rhodes University, Grahamstown, South Africa

    Robin W. Leslie

  6. Elasmo-Lab, Elasmobranch Research Laboratory, Georg-Bonne-Str. 83, 22609, Hamburg, Germany

    Simon Weigmann

  7. Center of Natural History, University of Hamburg, Martin-Luther-King-Platz 3, 20146, Hamburg, Germany

    Simon Weigmann

Authors
  1. David A. Ebert
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Robin W. Leslie
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Simon Weigmann
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to David A. Ebert.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of interest

The authors declare no competing interests.

Ethical approval

All applicable international, national, and/or institutional guidelines for animal testing, animal care and use of animals were followed by the authors.

Sampling and field studies

All necessary permits for sampling and observational field studies have been obtained by the authors from the competent authorities and are mentioned in the acknowledgements, if applicable. The study is compliant with CBD and Nagoya protocols.

Data availability

All data generated or analyzed during this study are included in this published article.

Author contribution

DAE and RWL conceived and designed the research; DAE, RWL, and SW conducted examinations; DAE and RWL wrote the initial version of the manuscript; and DAE, RWL, and SW revised and approved the manuscript.

Additional information

Communicated by W. White

Publisher’s note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

This article is a contribution to the Topical Collection Systematics and Biodiversity of Indian Ocean Sharks, Rays, and Chimaeras (Chondrichthyes)

This article is registered in ZooBank under http://zoobank.org/B1573130-5E68-40B2-AAF8-C007EB98B974

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Ebert, D.A., Leslie, R.W. & Weigmann, S. Etmopterus brosei sp. nov.: a new lanternshark (Squaliformes: Etmopteridae) from the southeastern Atlantic and southwestern Indian oceans, with a revised key to the Etmopterus lucifer clade. Mar. Biodivers. 51, 53 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12526-021-01173-0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12526-021-01173-0

Keywords

Search

Navigation