The viper dogfish or viper shark (Trigonognathus kabeyai) 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. This species inhabits upper continental slopes and seamounts. It may migrate vertically, shifting between bottom waters 270–360 m (890–1,180 ft) deep during the day and upper waters less than 150 m (490 ft) deep at night. A slender, black shark reaching 54 cm (21 in) 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.

The viper dogfish has a slender, cylindrical body and a moderately flattened head with a very short and blunt snout. Behind the large oval eyes are narrow, elliptical spiracles. The nostrils are nearly vertical slits. The jaws are long and narrowly triangular, and can be protruded from the head. The teeth are distinctively fang-like and widely spaced; the most anterior teeth are grooved lengthwise. Six to 10 upper and seven to 10 lower tooth rows occur on each side, along with a single tooth row at the upper and lower symphyses (jaw midpoints). The teeth are largest at the symphysis and decline in size towards the corners of the mouth. When the mouth is closed, the upper symphysial tooth overlaps the lower, while the lateral teeth interlock. Five gill slits are seen, with the fifth pair longer than the others.

Most specimens of the viper dogfish have been collected from a relatively small area of the northwestern Pacific Ocean off the Kii Peninsula in Japan. A number of specimens were also recovered from the stomachs of predatory fishes caught in the Bonin Islands. One specimen was caught from the Hancock Seamount, located some 300 km (190 mi) northwest of Kure Atoll in the northwestern Hawaiian Islands. During the day, this species has been caught close to the bottom on the upper reaches of continental slopes and seamounts, at depths of 270–360 m (890–1,180 ft). At night, it has been caught between the surface and a depth of 150 m (490 ft) in water over 1.5 km (0.93 mi) deep. This pattern suggests the viper dogfish performs a diel vertical migration, spending the day in deeper water and rising towards the surface at night; such daily movement may relate to feeding.