To see photographs of Chimaeras click here.
Shortnose Chimaeras. Chimaeridae species.
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protected: © 2002 Kelvin Aitken.
All rights reserved. Students may use this information for personal research
only. Not for commercial use.
In Australian waters there are nine species of shortnose chimaeras and
three spookfish species. Very little is known about the lives of these
chimaeras and even less of spookfish. Swimmers or amateur anglers would
not see one of these animals but some are commercial species and they
may be found at times in southern fish markets.
Australian deep-sea chimaeras live at depths of 120–1400 m on the
continental slope and abyssal plains where they feed on small fish and
squid. All share a similar body structure with smooth scaleless skin,
a rounded rabbit-like head with luminous green eyes, large pectoral fins,
a single pair of gill openings, pelvic fins, a high first dorsal fin with
a single spine, a low second dorsal fin along the back and a small leaf-shaped
tail bearing a long filament.
The name Chimaera comes from a ledgendary goat shaped monstor that spouted
fire and in the english language refers to something that is beyond belief
or wild fancy. Part of the chimaera family belong to the hydrolagus genus,
a name which means water hare or rabbit, alluding to their rabbit-like
face.
The Chimaera pictured above is an Ogilbys Chimaera (Chimaera ogilbyi).