| Family: |
Chimaeridae (Shortnose chimaeras or ratfishes) |
| Max. size: |
130 cm TL (male/unsexed); 125 cm TL (female) |
| Environment: |
bathydemersal; marine; depth range 300 - 3000 m |
| Distribution: |
Northeast Atlantic: Rockall Trough along Ireland, northern Bay of Biscay and off Portugal. Reported from Iceland (Ref. 12462). Southwest Atlantic: Uruguay (Ref. 58839). Northwest Atlantic: Newfoundland in Canada to Cape Cod in USA. Probably has a much wider distribution. Possibly occurring off the Cape in South Africa and off Mozambique (Ref. 11228). |
| Diagnosis: |
Lacks a separate anal fin. Pectoral fin does not overlap pelvic fin. Short caudal filament. Dark brown in color (Ref. 6902). |
| Biology: |
Epibenthic (Ref. 58426). Found on continental slopes and down to deep-sea plains. Reported down up to 3000 m along the mid-Atlantic ridge (Ref. 83979, C.Cotton pers.comm. 03/10). Feeds on small fishes and invertebrates (Ref. 6680). Oviparous (Ref. 205). Eggs are encased in horny shells (Ref. 205). It is commercially used as fish meal and to produce high-quality machine oil from the liver (Ref. 117245). |
| IUCN Red List Status: |
Least Concern (LC); Date assessed: 02 September 2019 Ref. (130435)
|
| Threat to humans: |
harmless |
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