| Family: |
Rhinochimaeridae (Longnose chimaeras) |
| Max. size: |
81.8 cm TL (male/unsexed) |
| Environment: |
bathydemersal; marine; depth range 549 - 1450 m |
| Distribution: |
Southeast Atlantic: southern Africa and Mozambique Channel. Pacific Ocean: Japan (off Hokkaido and northern Honshu) to the east China Sea, including Taiwan; Costa Rica and Peru. |
| Diagnosis: |
This species is distinguished by the following characters: elongate body with an elongate, broad and paddle-shaped pointed snout extending anterior to head (SNL 47.7% HDL), tapering to a slender tail; the junction of supraorbital and infraorbital canals on ventral side of snout is closer to the tip of the snout than to the nasal canal; ONC/TIO is greater than 1.4 (ONC/TIO= 1.64); TIO/SWF is less than 1.5 (TIO/SWF= 1.47); TIO/LNC is less than 3.0 (TIO/LNC= 2.75); tooth-plates are nearly smooth; eyes are relatively small (EYL 6.4% BDL), distinctly behind level of mouth; the first and second dorsal fins are separated by a relatively long interdorsal space (IDS 23.6% BDL) and not connected by a web of skin; caudal-fin axis weakly raised with the fin asymmetrical, the epaxial caudal-fin lobe narrower than hypaxial lobe; dorsal caudal tubercles 25; caudal filament vestigial; coloration uniformly dark brown across entire body, except the oronasal region which is abruptly paler than the body (Ref. 97389). |
| Biology: |
Rare (Ref. 11228). Oviparous (Ref. 205). Eggs are encased in horny shells (Ref. 205). |
| IUCN Red List Status: |
Data deficient (DD); Date assessed: 24 February 2016 Ref. (130435)
|
| Threat to humans: |
harmless |
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