Viper dogfish
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| phylum | Chordata | The viper dogfish is a rare species of dogfish shark in the family Etmopteridae, and the only extant member of its genus. It has been found in the Pacific Ocean off southern Japan, the Bonin Islands, Pacific Ocean off northern Taitung County and the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. It inhabits upper continental slopes and seamounts. It may migrate vertically, shifting between bottom waters 270–360m deep during the day and upper waters less than 150m deep at night. A slender, black shark reaching 54 cm in length, the viper dogfish can be recognized by its narrow, triangular jaws and well-spaced, fang-like teeth. It also has two spined dorsal fins, dermal denticles with faceted crowns, and numerous light-emitting photophores concentrated on its ventral surface.
Feeding mainly on bony fishes, the viper dogfish captures prey by protruding its jaws and impaling them with its teeth. Its impressive gape allows it to swallow relatively large fish whole. For more information, visit the Wikipedia entry. Get back to Squaliformes |
| class | Chondrichthyes | |
| order | Squaliformes | |
| family | Etmopteridae | |
| genus | Trigonognathus | |
| species | T. kabeyai |
