Holocephali (chimaeras) >
Chimaeriformes (Chimaeras) >
Chimaeridae (Shortnose chimaeras or ratfishes)
Etymology: Hydrolagus: hydro-, combining form of hydor (Gr.), water; lagos (Gr.), hare, i.e., “water rabbit,” probably referring to three pairs of tooth plates, which tend to protrude from the mouth like a rabbit’s incisors (See ETYFish); mirabilis: Latin for wonderful or strange, allusion not explained, possibly referring to its large eyes and/or typically strange chimaeroid appearance (See ETYFish).
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Marine; bathydemersal; depth range 450 - 1933 m (Ref. 112530), usually 800 - ? m (Ref. 112530). Deep-water; 67°N - 29°S, 98°W - 17°E
Eastern Atlantic: southern coast of Iceland, Faeroe Islands to northern Spain; off Western Sahara, Senegal, and Namibia. Probably more widely distributed in deep water. Western Atlantic: off the Guianas (Ref. 13608).
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ? range ? - ? cm
Max length : 38.0 cm SL male/unsexed; (Ref. 4443); 41.0 cm SL (female)
Moderately common on continental slopes. Feeds on small fishes and invertebrates. Oviparous (Ref. 205). Eggs are encased in horny shells (Ref. 205).
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae
Krefft, G., 1990. Chimaeridae. p. 111-113. In J.C. Quero, J.C. Hureau, C. Karrer, A. Post and L. Saldanha (eds.) Check-list of the fishes of the eastern tropical Atlantic (CLOFETA). JNICT, Lisbon; SEI, Paris; and UNESCO, Paris. Vol. 1. (Ref. 4443)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435: Version 2024-1)
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
Fisheries: commercial
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