Chimaeras are cartilaginous fish in the

order Order, ORDER or Orders may refer to: * Categorization, the process in which ideas and objects are recognized, differentiated, and understood * Heterarchy, a system of organization wherein the elements have the potential to be ranked a number of d ...

Chimaeriformes , known informally as ghost sharks, rat fish, spookfish, or rabbit fish; the last three names are not to be confused with

rattail Grenadiers or rattails are generally large, brown to black gadiform marine fish of the subfamily Macrourinae, the largest subfamily of the family Macrouridae. Found at great depths from the Arctic to Antarctic, members of this subfamily are amon ...

s, Opisthoproctidae, or Siganidae, respectively. At one time a "diverse and abundant" group (based on the

fossil record A fossil (from Classical Latin , ) is any preserved remains, impression, or trace of any once-living thing from a past geological age. Examples include bones, shells, exoskeletons, stone imprints of animals or microbes, objects preserved ...

), their closest living relatives are

shark Sharks are a group of elasmobranch fish characterized by a cartilaginous skeleton, five to seven gill slits on the sides of the head, and pectoral fins that are not fused to the head. Modern sharks are classified within the clade Selachi ...

s and

ray Ray may refer to: Fish * Ray (fish), any cartilaginous fish of the superorder Batoidea * Ray (fish fin anatomy), a bony or horny spine on a fin Science and mathematics * Ray (geometry), half of a line proceeding from an initial point * Ray (g ...

s, though their last common ancestor with them lived nearly 400 million years ago. Today, they are largely confined to deep water.

Description and habits

Chimaeras live in temperate ocean floors down to deep, with few occurring at depths shallower than . Exceptions include the members of the

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial n ...

'' Callorhinchus'', the rabbit fish and the spotted ratfish, which locally or periodically can be found at shallower depths. Consequently, these are also among the few species from the chimaera order kept in public aquaria. They live in all the oceans except for the Arctic and Antarctic oceans. They have elongated, soft bodies, with a bulky head and a single

gill A gill () is a respiratory organ that many aquatic organisms use to extract dissolved oxygen from water and to excrete carbon dioxide. The gills of some species, such as hermit crabs, have adapted to allow respiration on land provided they ar ...

-opening. They grow up to in length, although this includes the lengthy tail found in some species. In many species, the snout is modified into an elongated sensory organ. Like other members of the class

Chondrichthyes Chondrichthyes (; ) is a class that contains the cartilaginous fishes that have skeletons primarily composed of cartilage. They can be contrasted with the Osteichthyes or ''bony fishes'', which have skeletons primarily composed of bone tissu ...

, chimaera skeletons are composed of cartilage. Their skin is smooth and naked, lacking placoid scales (except in the claspers), and their color can range from black to brownish gray. For defense, most chimaeras have a

venom Venom or zootoxin is a type of toxin produced by an animal that is actively delivered through a wound by means of a bite, sting, or similar action. The toxin is delivered through a specially evolved ''venom apparatus'', such as fangs or a ...

ous spine in front of the

dorsal fin A dorsal fin is a fin located on the back of most marine and freshwater vertebrates within various taxa of the animal kingdom. Many species of animals possessing dorsal fins are not particularly closely related to each other, though through c ...

. They use these fins to "fly" through water. The usual diet of chimaeras consist of crustaceans, and more specifically, they include ophiurans and molluscs. Chimaeras resemble sharks in some ways: they employ claspers for internal fertilization of females and they lay eggs with

leather Leather is a strong, flexible and durable material obtained from the tanning, or chemical treatment, of animal skins and hides to prevent decay. The most common leathers come from cattle, sheep, goats, equine animals, buffalo, pigs and ho ...

y cases. They also use electroreception to find their prey. However, unlike sharks, male chimaeras also have retractable sexual appendages on the forehead (a type of tentaculum) and in front of the pelvic fins. The females lay eggs in spindle-shaped, leathery egg cases. They also differ from sharks in that their upper jaws are fused with their skulls and they have separate anal and urogenital openings. They also have gill covers or opercula like bony fishes. Instead of sharks' many sharp and replaceable teeth, they have just three pairs of large permanent grinding tooth plates. These are unique among vertebrates due to their mineralization. They are made of osteodentin and is covered by an enamel called pleromin formed by mesenchyme-derived cells and made by the mineral whitlockite. Most vertebrates have an enamel of

apatite Apatite is a group of phosphate minerals, usually hydroxyapatite, fluorapatite and chlorapatite, with high concentrations of OH−, F− and Cl− ions, respectively, in the crystal. The formula of the admixture of the three most common ...

Phylogenetics

Tracing the evolution of these species has been problematic given the paucity of good fossils. DNA sequencing has become the preferred approach to understanding speciation. The group containing Chimeras and their close relatives (

Holocephali Holocephali ("complete heads"), sometimes given the term Euchondrocephali, is a subclass of cartilaginous fish in the class Chondrichthyes. The earliest fossils are of teeth and come from the Devonian period. Little is known about these primit ...

) is thought to have originated about 420 million years ago during the

Silurian The Silurian ( ) is a geologic period and system spanning 24.6 million years from the end of the Ordovician Period, at million years ago (Mya), to the beginning of the Devonian Period, Mya. The Silurian is the shortest period of the Paleozoi ...

. The oldest known Chimaeriform is '' Protochimaera'' from the Early Carboniferous (338-332 million years ago) of Russia, which is more closely related to modern chimeras (Chimaeroidei) than any other known extinct groups of Chimaeriformes. The earliest known remains attributable to modern chimaeras are known from the

Early Jurassic The Early Jurassic Epoch (in chronostratigraphy corresponding to the Lower Jurassic Series) is the earliest of three epochs of the Jurassic Period. The Early Jurassic starts immediately after the Triassic-Jurassic extinction event, 201.3 Ma ...

(

Pliensbachian The Pliensbachian is an age of the geologic timescale and stage in the stratigraphic column. It is part of the Early or Lower Jurassic Epoch or Series and spans the time between 190.8 ± 1.5 Ma and 182.7 ± 1.5 Ma (million years ago). The ...

) of Europe, but egg cases from the

Late Triassic The Late Triassic is the third and final epoch (geology), epoch of the Triassic geologic time scale, Period in the geologic time scale, spanning the time between annum, Ma and Ma (million years ago). It is preceded by the Middle Triassic Epoch ...

of Yakutia, Russia and New Zealand that resemble those of rhinochimaerids and callorhinchids respectively indicates that they had a global distribution prior to the end of the

Triassic The Triassic ( ) is a geologic period and system which spans 50.6 million years from the end of the Permian Period 251.902 million years ago (Mya), to the beginning of the Jurassic Period 201.36 Mya. The Triassic is the first and shortest period ...

. Unlike modern chimaeras,

Mesozoic The Mesozoic Era ( ), also called the Age of Reptiles, the Age of Conifers, and colloquially as the Age of the Dinosaurs is the second-to-last era of Earth's geological history, lasting from about , comprising the Triassic, Jurassic and Creta ...

representatives are often found in shallow water settings. The extant species fall into three families—the Callorhinchidae, Rhinochimaeridae and Chimaeridae with the callorhinchids being the most basal clade.

Parasites

As other fish, chimaeras have a number of parasites. '' Chimaericola leptogaster'' (

Chimaericolidae Chimaericolidae is a family of monogenean parasites. The family was named by Brinkmann in 1942. Species of Chimaericolidae are parasites of Chimaeras Chimaeras are cartilaginous fish in the order Chimaeriformes , known informally as ghost sh ...

) is a

monogenea Monogeneans are a group of ectoparasitic flatworms commonly found on the skin, gills, or fins of fish. They have a direct lifecycle and do not require an intermediate host. Adults are hermaphrodites, meaning they have both male and female reprod ...

n parasite of the

s of '' Chimaera monstrosa''; the species can attain in length.

Classification

In some classifications, the chimaeras are included (as subclass Holocephali) in the class

of cartilaginous fishes; in other systems, this distinction may be raised to the level of class. Chimaeras also have some characteristics of bony fishes. A renewed effort to explore deep water and to undertake taxonomic analysis of specimens in museum collections led to a boom during the first decade of the 21st century in the number of new species identified. A preliminary study found 8% of species to be threatened. There are 50 extant species in six genera and four families are described; an additional three genera and two families are only known from

fossil A fossil (from Classical Latin , ) is any preserved remains, impression, or trace of any once-living thing from a past geological age. Examples include bones, shells, exoskeletons, stone imprints of animals or microbes, objects preserved ...

s):

* †Suborder Squalorajoidei Patterson 1965 (Early Jurassic) ** †Family Squalorajidae Woodward 1886 *** †''

Squaloraja ''Squaloraja polyspondyla'' is an extinct chimaeriform fish from the Lower Jurassic of Europe. Fossils of ''S. polyspondyla'' have been found in Lower Jurassic-aged marine strata of Lyme Regis Lyme Regis is a town in west Dorset, England, ...

'' Europe, Early Jurassic ( Hettangian-

Sinemurian In the geologic timescale, the Sinemurian is an age and stage in the Early or Lower Jurassic Epoch or Series. It spans the time between 199.3 ± 2 Ma and 190.8 ± 1.5 Ma (million years ago). The Sinemurian is preceded by the Hettangian an ...

) * †Suborder Myriacanthoidei Patterson 1965 (Late Triassic-Late Jurassic) ** †Family Chimaeropsidae *** †'' Chimaeropsis'' Zittel 1887 Belgium, Early Jurassic (Sinemurian) ** †Family Myriacanthidae Woodward 1889 *** †''

Acanthorhina ''Acanthorhina'' is an extinct genus of chimaera from the Toarcian age of the Jurassic period. It currently contains a single species, ''A. jaekeli'' known from the Posidonia shale The Posidonia Shale (german: Posidonienschiefer, also called Sc ...

'' Fraas 1910 Posidonia Shale Formation, Germany, Early Jurassic (

Toarcian The Toarcian is, in the ICS' geologic timescale, an age and stage in the Early or Lower Jurassic. It spans the time between 182.7 Ma (million years ago) and 174.1 Ma. It follows the Pliensbachian and is followed by the Aalenian. The Toarc ...

) *** †'' Agkistracanthus'' Duffin and Furrer 1981 Austria, England and Switzerland, Late Triassic-Early Jurassic (

Rhaetian The Rhaetian is the latest age of the Triassic Period (in geochronology) or the uppermost stage of the Triassic System (in chronostratigraphy). It was preceded by the Norian and succeeded by the Hettangian (the lowermost stage or earliest ...

-Sinemurian) *** †''

Alethodontus ''Alethodontus'' is an extinct genus of chimaera from the Hettangian stage of the Jurassic period. It is known from a single species, ''A. bavariensis,'' known from Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a c ...

'' Duffin 1983 Germany, Early Jurassic (Sinemurian) *** †'' Halonodon'' Duffin 1984 Belgium and Luxembourg, Early Jurassic (Sinemurian) *** †'' Metopacanthus'' Zittel 1887 Posidonia Shale Formation, Germany, Early Jurassic (Toarcian) *** †'' Oblidens'' Duffin and Milàn 2017 Hasle Formation, Denmark, Early Jurassic (

) *** †'' Myriacanthus'' Agassiz 1837 United Kingdom, Late Triassic-Early Jurassic (Rhaetian-Sinemurian) *** †'' Recurvacanthus'' Duffin 1981 United Kingdom, Early Jurassic (Sinemurian) *†Suborder Protochimaeroidei Lebedev & Popov, 2021 **†Family Protochimaeridae Lebedev & Popov, 2021 ***†'' Protochimaera'' Lebedev & Popov, 2021 Moscow Region, Russia, Lower Carboniferous ( Viséan– Serpukhovian) * Suborder Chimaeroidei Patterson 1965 **†'' Eomanodon'' Ward and Duffin 1989 United Kingdom, Early Jurassic (Pliensbachian) **Family Callorhinchidae Garman, 1901 *** Genus '' Callorhinchus''

Lacépède Lacepede can refer to: * Bernard Germain de Lacépède (1756–1825), French naturalist and politician. * Lacepede Bay, a bay in South Australia. * Lacépède, Lot-et-Garonne, a ''commune'' in France * Lacepede Islands, a group of four islands in t ...

, 1798 **** '' Callorhinchus callorynchus''

Linnaeus Carl Linnaeus (; 23 May 1707 – 10 January 1778), also known after his ennoblement in 1761 as Carl von Linné Blunt (2004), p. 171. (), was a Swedish botanist, zoologist, taxonomist, and physician who formalised binomial nomenclature, t ...

, 1758 (ploughnose chimaera) **** ''

Callorhinchus capensis The Cape elephantfish, josef, or St Joseph shark (''Callorhinchus capensis'') is a species of fish in the family Callorhinchidae.Branch, G.M., Branch, M.L, Griffiths, C.L. and Beckley, L.E. 2010. ''Two Oceans: a guide to the marine life of southe ...

'' A. H. A. Duméril, 1865 (Cape elephantfish) **** '' Callorhinchus milii''

Bory de Saint-Vincent Jean-Baptiste Geneviève Marcellin Bory de Saint-Vincent was a French natural history, naturalist, Officer (armed forces), officer and politician. He was born on 6 July 1778 in Agen (Lot-et-Garonne) and died on 22 December 1846 in Paris. Biologis ...

, 1823 (Australian ghost shark) ***†'' Brachymylus'' A. S. Woodward 1894 Germany, Early Jurassic (Pliensbachian) ***†''

Bathytheristes ''Bathytheristes'' is an extinct genus of Chimaera Chimaeras are cartilaginous fish in the order Chimaeriformes , known informally as ghost sharks, rat fish, spookfish, or rabbit fish; the last three names are not to be confused with ratt ...

'' Duffin 1995 Posidonia Shale Formation, Germany, Early Jurassic (Toarcian) ***†'' Ottangodus'' Popov, Delsate & Felten, 2019 France, Middle Jurassic (

Bajocian In the geologic timescale The geologic time scale, or geological time scale, (GTS) is a representation of time based on the rock record of Earth. It is a system of chronological dating that uses chronostratigraphy (the process of relatin ...

) ***†'' Moskovirhynchus'' Russia, Upper Jurassic ***†'' Pachymylus'' United Kingdom, France, Middle Jurassic **Family †"Edaphodontidae" ***†'' Ischyodus'' (40 species) Worldwide, Middle Jurassic-Miocene (also placed in Callorhinchidae) ***†'' Elasmodectes'' Europe, Jurassic-Cretaceous ***†'' Elasmodus'' Worldwide, Cretaceous-Paleogene ***†''

Edaphodon ''Edaphodon'' was a fish genus of the family Callorhinchidae (sometimes assigned to Edaphodontidae). As a member of the Chimaeriformes, ''Edaphodon'' was a type of rabbitfish, a cartilaginous fish related to sharks and rays. The genus appeare ...

'' Worldwide, Cretaceous-Neogene ***†''

Ptyktoptychion ''Ptyktoptychion'' is an extinct genus of chimaeras known from the Early Cretaceous The Early Cretaceous ( geochronological name) or the Lower Cretaceous (chronostratigraphic name), is the earlier or lower of the two major divisions of the Cre ...

'' Australia, Early Cretaceous ***†'' Lebediodon'' Europe, Cretaceous ** Family Chimaeridae Bonaparte, 1831 *** Genus '' Chimaera''

, 1758 **** ''

Chimaera argiloba The whitefin chimaera (''Chimaera argiloba'') is a species of fish in the family Chimaeridae. It is found in the Indian Ocean to the NW of Australia, with a restricted distribution. ''Chimaera argiloba'' inhabits marine waters from a depth range ...

Last A last is a mechanical form shaped like a human foot. It is used by shoemakers and cordwainers in the manufacture and repair of shoes. Lasts typically come in pairs and have been made from various materials, including hardwoods, cast iron, and ...

W. T. White W. may refer to: * SoHo (Australian TV channel) (previously W.), an Australian pay television channel * ''W.'' (film), a 2008 American biographical drama film based on the life of George W. Bush * "W.", the fifth track from Codeine's 1992 EP ''Bar ...

& Pogonoski, 2008 (whitefin chimaera) **** ''

Chimaera bahamaensis ''Chimaera bahamaensis'', commonly known as the Bahamas ghost shark, is a species of fish in the family Chimaeridae. It is found in North Atlantic Ocean around the Bahamas, specifically it has been found east of Andros Island. ''Chimaera bahama ...

Kemper Kemper may refer to: Buildings * Kemper Arena, in Kansas City, Missouri * Kemper Building (Chicago), a skyscraper in Chicago, Illinois * Kemper Hall, a 1911 mansion in Kenosha, Wisconsin * Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art, in Kansas City, Misso ...

Ebert Ebert is a surname of German origin. Notable people with the surname include: * Alex Ebert (born 1978), lead singer for the band Ima Robot * Anton Ebert (1845–1896), Austrian painter * Beanie Ebert (1902–1980), American football player * Bla ...

, Didier & Compagno, 2010 (Bahamas ghost shark) **** '' Chimaera compacta'' Iglésias,

& Naylor, 2022Iglésias, S.P., Kemper, J.M. & Naylor, G.J.P. Chimaera compacta, a new species from southern Indian Ocean, and an estimate of phylogenetic relationships within the genus Chimaera (Chondrichthyes: Chimaeridae). Ichthyol Res 69, 31–45 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10228-021-00810-9 **** '' Chimaera cubana'' Howell-Rivero, 1936 **** '' Chimaera fulva'' Didier,

, 2008 (southern chimaera) **** ''

Chimaera jordani Jordan's chimaera (''Chimaera jordani'') is a species of fish in the family Chimaeridae found near Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacifi ...

'' S. Tanaka (I), 1905 (Jordan's chimaera) **** ''

Chimaera lignaria The carpenter's chimaera (''Chimaera lignaria''), also known as the giant chimaera or the giant purple chimaera, is a species of fish in the family Chimaeridae. Description The carpenter's chimaera grows to in length; the largest specimen re ...

'' Didier, 2002 (carpenter's chimaera) **** ''

Chimaera macrospina The longspine chimaera (''Chimaera macrospina'') is a chimaera species in the family Chimaeridae. It is found off of the eastern and western coasts of Australia, and lives in tropical and temperate waters 435–1,300 meters deep. Males and femal ...

'' Didier,

, 2008 (longspine chimaera) **** '' Chimaera monstrosa''

, 1758 (rabbit fish) **** ''

Chimaera notafricana The cape chimaera (''Chimaera notafricana'') is a chimaera species in the family Chimaeridae, which lives in South Africa and Namibia. Taxonomy The cape chimaera is one of 16 species in the genus Chimaera. The species was described in 2010 ...

, Compagno & Didier, 2010 Cape chimaera **** ''

Chimaera obscura The shortspine chimaera (''Chimaera obscura''), also commonly known as the short spine chimaera, is a chimaera species in the family Chimaeridae, which lives off of the east coast of Australia. Description The shortspine chimaera is similar to ...

'' Didier,

, 2008 (shortspine chimaera) **** '' Chimaera opalescens'' Luchetti, Iglésias & Sellos, 2011 **** ''

Chimaera owstoni Owston's chimaera, ''Chimaera owstoni'', is a species of fish in the family Chimaeridae endemic to Japan. Its natural habitat is open sea The sea, connected as the world ocean or simply the ocean, is the body of salty water that covers app ...

'' S. Tanaka (I), 1905 (Owston's chimaera) **** ''

Chimaera panthera The leopard chimaera, ''Chimaera panthera'', is a species of fish in the family Chimaeridae endemic to New Zealand. Its natural habitat is open seas. This species is considered rare and any specimens obtained should be sent to the New Zealand Nat ...

'' Didier, 1998 (leopard chimaera) **** '' Chimaera phantasma''

Jordan Jordan ( ar, الأردن; tr. ' ), officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan,; tr. ' is a country in Western Asia. It is situated at the crossroads of Asia, Africa, and Europe, within the Levant region, on the East Bank of the Jordan Ri ...

& Snyder, 1900 (silver chimaera) *** Genus '' Hydrolagus''

Gill A gill () is a respiratory organ that many aquatic organisms use to extract dissolved oxygen from water and to excrete carbon dioxide. The gills of some species, such as hermit crabs, have adapted to allow respiration on land provided they ar ...

, 1863 **** ''

Hydrolagus affinis The small-eyed rabbitfish (''Hydrolagus affinis'') is a species of fish in the family Chimaeridae. It has very wide distribution almost everywhere in Northern Atlantic The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, wi ...

'' Brito Capello, 1868 (smalleyed rabbitfish) **** ''

Hydrolagus africanus The African chimaera (''Hydrolagus africanus'') is a species of fish in the family Chimaeridae found near Kenya, Mozambique, Namibia, and South Africa. Its natural habitat In ecology, the term habitat summarises the array of resources, p ...

'' Gilchrist, 1922 (African chimaera) **** ''

Hydrolagus alberti The gulf chimaera (''Hydrolagus alberti'') is a species of cartilaginous fish in the family Chimaeridae found near Mexico, the United States, and possibly Suriname Suriname (; srn, Sranankondre or ), officially the Republic of Surinam ...

'' Bigelow & Schroeder, 1951 **** '' Hydrolagus alphus'' Quaranta, Didier, Long &

, 2006 (whitespot ghost shark) **** ''

Hydrolagus barbouri The ninespot chimaera (''Hydrolagus barbouri'') is a species of chimaera endemic to the waters off Japan and the South China Sea in the Northwest Pacific. Its natural habitat is open seas and its depth range is . It can reach a maximum total leng ...

'' Garman, 1908 **** ''

Hydrolagus bemisi The pale ghost shark (''Hydrolagus bemisi'') is a shortnose chimaera of the family Chimaeridae. It is endemic to New Zealand waters. Taxonomy This species was first described by Dominique A. Didier in 2002. Although it had been recognised, th ...

'' Didier, 2002 (pale ghost shark) **** '' Hydrolagus colliei'' Lay & E. T. Bennett, 1839 (spotted ratfish) **** '' Hydrolagus deani'' H. M. Smith & Radcliffe, 1912 (Philippine chimaera) **** ''

Hydrolagus eidolon ''Hydrolagus'' is a genus of fish in the family (biology), family Chimaeridae found in the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Indian Ocean, Indian and Pacific Oceans.Weigmann, S. (2016)Annotated checklist of the living sharks, batoids and chimaeras (Chond ...

& Hubbs, 1925 **** ''

Hydrolagus homonycteris The black ghostshark (''Hydrolagus homonycteris''), also known as the black chimaera, is a chimaera species within the family Chimaeridae. The species lives off the coasts of Australia and New Zealand, in the southwestern Pacific Ocean, in depths ...

'' Didier, 2008 (black ghostshark) **** '' Hydrolagus lemures'' Whitley, 1939 (blackfin ghostshark) **** ''

Hydrolagus lusitanicus ''Hydrolagus'' is a genus of fish in the family Chimaeridae found in the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Oceans.Weigmann, S. (2016)Annotated checklist of the living sharks, batoids and chimaeras (Chondrichthyes) of the world, with a focus on biogeog ...

'' Moura, Figueiredo, Bordalo-Machado, Almeida &

Gordo Gordo (Spanish and Portuguese for "fat") may refer to: People * Afonso II of Portugal (1185–1223), King of Portugal nicknamed "''o Gordo'' ("the Fat") * Gordon Cooper (1927–2004), one of the seven original American astronauts, nicknamed "Gord ...

, 2005 **** ''

Hydrolagus macrophthalmus The bigeye chimaera (''Hydrolagus macrophthalmus'') is a species of fish in the family Chimaeridae. It is found in Chile and possibly Ecuador. Its natural habitat is open seas. It is only known from the preabyssal zone off Valparaiso, and may o ...

'' de Buen, 1959 **** '' Hydrolagus marmoratus'' Didier, 2008 marbled ghostshark **** '' Hydrolagus matallanasi'' Soto & Vooren, 2004 (striped rabbitfish) **** '' Hydrolagus mccoskeri'' Barnett, Didier, Long &

, 2006 (Galápagos ghostshark) **** ''

Hydrolagus melanophasma The Eastern Pacific black ghostshark (''Hydrolagus melanophasma'', literally a combination of "water rabbit" and "black ghost") is a species of fish in the family Chimaeridae.Carlos Bustamante, Hernán Flores, Yhon Concha-Pérez, Carolina Vargas ...

'' K. C. James,

, Long & Didier, 2009 (Eastern Pacific black ghostshark) **** '' Hydrolagus mirabilis'' Collett, 1904 (large-eyed rabbitfish) **** ''

Hydrolagus mitsukurii ''Hydrolagus mitsukurii'' is a species of fish in the family Chimaeridae found in China, Japan, South Korea, the Philippines, Taiwan, and possibly Indonesia. Its natural habitat is open seas. It is one of several species commonly called "spookfis ...

& Snyder, 1904 (spookfish) **** '' Hydrolagus novaezealandiae'' Fowler, 1911 (dark ghostshark) **** ''

Hydrolagus ogilbyi Ogilby's ghostshark (''Chimaera ogilbyi''), also known as the whitefish, is a species of chimaera, native to the waters of Australia and southern Indonesia. It lives near the ocean floor on the continental shelf and continental slope deep. It rea ...

'' Waite, 1898 **** ''

Hydrolagus pallidus ''Hydrolagus pallidus'' is a marine species of fish in the family Chimaeridae found in the Northeast Atlantic Ocean, specifically near Iceland and the Canary Islands. It is commonly known as the pale chimaera or pale ghost shark, although it is ...

Hardy Hardy may refer to: People * Hardy (surname) * Hardy (given name) * Hardy (singer), American singer-songwriter Places Antarctica * Mount Hardy, Enderby Land * Hardy Cove, Greenwich Island * Hardy Rocks, Biscoe Islands Australia * Hardy, Sout ...

& Stehmann, 1990 **** ''

Hydrolagus purpurescens The purple chimaera or purple ghostshark (''Hydrolagus purpurescens'') is a species of fish in the family Chimaeridae found off Japan and Hawaii. Its natural habitat is open sea The sea, connected as the world ocean or simply the ocean, is ...

Gilbert Gilbert may refer to: People and fictional characters *Gilbert (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters *Gilbert (surname), including a list of people Places Australia * Gilbert River (Queensland) * Gilbert River (South A ...

, 1905 (purple chimaera) **** ''

Hydrolagus trolli The pointy-nosed blue chimaera (''Hydrolagus trolli''), also known as the pointy-nosed blue ratfish, Ray Troll's chimaera or abyssal ghostshark, is a species of deep-sea fish in the family Chimaeridae. Etymology The specific name ''trolli'' hon ...

'' Didier & Séret, 2002 (pointy-nosed blue chimaera) **** ''

Hydrolagus waitei ''Hydrolagus'' is a genus of fish in the family Chimaeridae found in the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Oceans.Weigmann, S. (2016)Annotated checklist of the living sharks, batoids and chimaeras (Chondrichthyes) of the world, with a focus on biogeog ...

'' Fowler, 1907 ***†'' Canadodus'' Popov, Johns & Suntok, 2020 Sooke Formation, Canada,

Oligocene The Oligocene ( ) is a geologic epoch of the Paleogene Period and extends from about 33.9 million to 23 million years before the present ( to ). As with other older geologic periods, the rock beds that define the epoch are well identified but ...

** Family Rhinochimaeridae Garman, 1901 *** Genus '' Harriotta''

Goode Goode ( or , depending on family) is a surname. Notable people Notable people with the surname include: * Alex Goode (Born 1988), British rugby union player * Alexander D. Goode (1911-1943), US Army chaplain * Andy Goode (born 1980), British ru ...

Bean A bean is the seed of several plants in the family Fabaceae, which are used as vegetables for human or animal food. They can be cooked in many different ways, including boiling, frying, and baking, and are used in many traditional dishes t ...

, 1895 **** '' Harriotta haeckeli'' Karrer, 1972 (smallspine spookfish) **** '' Harriotta raleighana''

, 1895 (Pacific longnose chimaera) *** Genus ''

Neoharriotta ''Neoharriotta'' is a genus of fish in the family Rhinochimaeridae. Species * '' Neoharriotta carri'' Bullis & J. S. Carpenter, 1966 (Dwarf sicklefin chimaera) * ''Neoharriotta pinnata'' Schnakenbeck, 1931 (Sicklefin chimaera) * ''Neoharriotta ...

'' Bigelow & Schroeder, 1950 **** ''

Neoharriotta carri The dwarf sicklefin chimaera (''Neoharriotta carri'') is a species of fish in the family Rhinochimaeridae found in Colombia and Venezuela. Its natural habitat is open seas. It is threatened by habitat loss Habitat destruction (also termed ...

'' Bullis & J. S. Carpenter, 1966 (dwarf sicklefin chimaera) **** '' Neoharriotta pinnata'' Schnakenbeck, 1931 (sicklefin chimaera) **** '' Neoharriotta pumila'' Didier & Stehmann, 1996 (Arabian sicklefin chimaera) *** Genus '' Rhinochimaera'' Garman, 1901 **** '' Rhinochimaera africana'' Compagno, Stehmann &

, 1990 (paddle-nose chimaera) **** '' Rhinochimaera atlantica'' Holt & Byrne, 1909 (straightnose rabbitfish) **** '' Rhinochimaera pacifica'' Mitsukuri, 1895 (Pacific spookfish) ***†'' Amylodon'' Europe, Late Cretaceous

References

{{Authority control Extant Early Devonian first appearances

Description and habits

Phylogenetics

Parasites

Classification

See also

References