16 Sharks: The Animal Answer Guidethe smallest being the Dwarf Lantern Shark, Etmopterus perryi, at 17 to 21
cm (7–8 in) and 15 g (0.5 oz), and several that are slightly larger, measur-
ing 21 to 25 cm (9–11 in). These include the Cylindrical Lantern Shark,
Etmopterus carteri; two dalatiids, the Spined Pygmy Shark (Squaliolus lati-
caudus) and the Smalleye Pygmy Shark (S. aliae); and the proscyliid Pygmy
Ribbontail Catshark (Eridacnis radcliffei). All of these small sharks live in
very deep water.
Among batoids, the largest sawfish is the Narrowsnout Sawfish (Pristis
zijsron) of the Indo-West Pacific, reliably measured at 7.3 m (24 ft) long,
with an estimated weight of 1,418 kg (3,120 lb). The Smalltooth Saw-
fish, Pristis pectinata, may reach 9.4 m (30.8 ft) in length and weigh 2,591
kg (5,700 lb). Two species hold the claim for largest stingray. The Giant
Freshwater Stingray (Himantura chaophraya), of large rivers and estuaries
of Southeast Asia, can be 4.6 m (15 ft) long, 1.9 m (6.2 ft) across, and 500
to 600 kg (1,100–1,300 lb). H. chaophraya also has the largest barb of any
stingray, at 38 cm (15 in) long. The largest marine stingray is the Smalleye
Stingray (Dasyatis microps) of Indo-Pacific reefs, which can reach a width
of 2.2 m (7.2 ft) and a total length of 3.2 m (10 ft). The largest ray is the
Giant Manta Ray, reputed to measure up to 6.7 m (22 ft) from “wingtip”
to “wingtip” and weigh in excess of 1,360 kg (2,290 lb). Among the small-
est rays are some gymnurid butterfly rays, at only 30 cm (12 in) long. The
Finless Sleeper Ray (Temera hardwickii) of Southeast Asia is even smaller,
maturing at 8.2 cm (3.2 in) long and seldom exceeding 15 cm (5.9 in) in
length, which would make it the smallest chondrichthyan anywhere. TheThe world’s smallest shark, the
17 -cm, 15 -g Dwarf Lantern Shark,
from deep waters off northern
South America. Photo by Javontae Murphy,
Wikimedia Commons, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/
File:Dwarf_Lanternshark.jpg
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