R & C | ICHTHYOLOGY | SHARKS: FACT AND FANTASY

Spined pygmy shark

Squaliolus laticaudus
Length to 25 centimeters (10 inches)
One of the smallest known sharks, spined pygmy sharks inhabit the cold, dark, deep sea. Like lightning bugs on land, these sharks and many other marine organisms produce their own light, called bioluminescence. This light is used to attract or locate prey or mates, to blind or trick predators, or for camouflage.