Species profile
American Pocket Shark
Tiny deep-sea shark with glowing pocket glands near its front fins.
Mollisquama mississippiensisData Deficient
Overview
The American pocket shark is a tiny deep-sea species known from the Gulf of Mexico. Its fame comes from the small pocket-like glands near the pectoral fins, a feature linked with luminous fluid and one of the strangest silhouettes in the guide.
In this guide it is recorded from Gulf of Mexico and associated with Deep pelagic waters. Listed depth range: 330 to 380 meters. Diet notes here include Small crustaceans and tiny fish. Recorded maximum length: 0.1 m. Conservation status: Data Deficient.
The species was publicly described in 2019 from a specimen collected in 2010, which is why it often appears in modern stories about newly described sharks.
Common nameAmerican Pocket Shark
Scientific nameMollisquama mississippiensis
Familypocket shark
OrderShark
Max length0.1 m
Depth range330 to 380 meters
ConservationData Deficient
RegionGulf of Mexico
DietSmall crustaceans and tiny fish
HabitatDeep pelagic waters
How to recognize it
This is a very small offshore shark. The memorable field mark is the pair of pocket glands near the front fins rather than the broad body cues used for larger sharks.
Range and habitat
Gulf of Mexico. Deep pelagic waters. Listed depth range: 330 to 380 meters.
Field note
The species was publicly described in 2019 from a specimen collected in 2010, which is why it often appears in modern stories about newly described sharks.
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