| Large-eyed rabbitfish | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Chondrichthyes |
| Order: | Chimaeriformes |
| Family: | Chimaeridae |
| Genus: | Hydrolagus |
| Species: | H. mirabilis |
| Binomial name | |
| Hydrolagus mirabilis (Collett, 1904) | |
The large-eyed rabbitfish (Hydrolagus mirabilis) is a species of fish in the family Chimaeridae. It is found in several areas of the Atlantic Ocean and within the Mediterranean Sea.
There are reported sightings of Hydrolagus mirabilis that stretch from Southern Africa on the coast of Namibia all the way to the far north of Iceland. The most recent accounts come from Syrian waters (500m) within the eastern Mediterranean Sea and the Bay of Biscay between Spain and France. [2] [3] [4] The family Chimaeridae is present worldwide within temperate to tropical waters, below 200m, but prefer to swim within coastal environments. [5] [6] Young members have a tendency to remain at lower depths than the older members, who are more focused on inshore mating and migrations. [7]
The size of this species ranges from 600–2000 mm, displaying sexual dimorphism where the females are significantly larger than the males. [2] [7] The large pectoral wing like fins on the sides of its body project it through the water and allow for additional lift, whilst the long tapered tail adds to its agility in the water. [8] [9] Members of the family Chimaeridae carry a venomous dorsal fin spine as a defense mechanism to ward off predators. [6] Whilst members of the family have two dorsal fins, it is only the primary one that contains venom. Said fin is not fixed in place, but can instead be lifted up in cases when the fish is threatened. [7] The venom itself is not deadly towards humans, but there have been cases where the spine penetrated deeply enough to require surgery. [6] The gill line of this species has a gill cover known as an operculum, which is able to open and close, and both keeps the respiratory system safe whilst collecting further dissolved oxygen to breathe. [7] There are mixed reports on if this species has an anal fin. Some observations categorize the difference between this species and other members of its family is the absence of said fin, whilst others claim that it does have the anal fin and that it leads to the caudal fin. [2] [3]
The name ‘Rabbit Fish’ originates from its large tooth-plates within its upper and lower jaws, giving it a rabbit like appearance. [7] This family is also often referred to as “Rat Fish” as well due to its long tapered tail . [9] [7] The combination of these parts resembling a variety of animals is what gave its family the name Chimaera - representing the creature by the same name in Greek mythology that combined a multitude of beasts. [7]
Adults have migration patterns across coastal plains of continents, where they will find their mate. The species then reproduces uses internal fertilization, when the male uses twin pectoral fins to clasp onto the female during the mating process. [7] [9] The tentaculum (often seen as a white bulge on the head), extends outward to keep the female from straying away. [9] The species is oviparous, where eggs will hatch about 5–10 months after being laid. [7] The egg laying process takes ~18–30 hours, where tendrils hold onto the eggs, dragging them along with the female's movements. [9] [8]
The diet of the Hydrolagus mirabilis may vary greatly due to its abundance throughout the ocean, but it generally consists of small fish, polychaetes, molluscs, echinoderms, anemones, and small crustaceans. [5] [10] [7]
Members of this family are known to be rather distasteful in a meal, but some have placed value within the oils of the fish for commercial uses. [6] The eggs of similar species have been commonly exploited and abused due to their long (5-10 month) hatching period. [7] The Large Eyed Rabbit Fish was marked as near threatened due to overfishing in previous years in which caused a roughly 50% population loss, but is back to Least Concern Status. [7] [11]
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 rattails, Opisthoproctidae, or Siganidae, respectively.
Hydrolagus matallanasi, the striped rabbitfish, is a species of very rare, deep-water chimaera that lives in the ocean at depths to 600 m. It was discovered in 2001 by a team of Brazilian scientists.
The spotted ratfish is a chimaera found in the north-eastern Pacific Ocean. Often seen by divers at night in the Pacific Northwest, this cartilaginous fish gets its characteristic name from a pointed rat-like tail. The ratfish lays leathery egg cases on the bottom of muddy or sandy areas, which are often mistaken by divers as something inanimate. While mainly a deep-water species, it occurs at shallower depths in the northern part of its range. The generic name, Hydrolagus, comes from the Greek words ὕδωρ, meaning water, and λαγώς/λαγῶς, meaning hare, and the specific name honors Alexander Collie, who was a ship surgeon and early naturalist. The spotted ratfish is common in much of its range, not typically eaten by humans, and is not commercially caught.
The African chimaera is a species of fish in the family Chimaeridae found near Kenya, Mozambique, Namibia, and South Africa. Its natural habitat is deep-waters up to the depth of 750 m Eight species of chimaera are found in the southern African region, representing the three families and all six genera.
Hydrolagus is a genus of fish in the family Chimaeridae found in the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Oceans.
The pointy-nosed blue chimaera, 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.
The Chimaeridae, or short-nosed chimaeras, are a family of cartilaginous fish.
Chimaera monstrosa, also known as the rabbit fish or rat fish, is a northeast Atlantic and Mediterranean species of cartilaginous fish in the family Chimaeridae. The rabbit fish is known for its characteristically large head and small, tapering body. With large eyes, nostrils, and tooth plates, the head gives them a rabbit-like appearance, hence the nickname “Rabbit fish”. They can grow to 1.5 metres (5 ft) and live for up to 30 years.
The small-eyed rabbitfish is a species of fish in the family Chimaeridae. It has very wide distribution almost everywhere in Northern Atlantic at depths from 300 to 2,410 m, being most common below 1,000 m. Its total length ranges from 32 to 147 cm. It has a short nose with a blunt tip. The small mouth is located on the lower part of the head and has thick lips. Its back slopes gradually and ends in a fine tail.
The streaked spinefoot, also known as the Java rabbitfish, blue-spotted spinefoot, blue-spotted trevally, Java spinefoot or white-spotted rabbit-fish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a rabbitfish belonging to the family Siganidae. It is found throughout most of the Indo-Pacific region.
The streamlined spinefoot, also known as the forktail rabbitfish, schooling rabbitfish or silver spinefoot, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a rabbitfish belonging to the family Siganidae. It is found in the Indo-Pacific region.
The dusky spinefoot, also known the squaretail rabbitfish,is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a rabbitfish belonging to the family Siganidae. It is native to the western Indian Ocean which has spread to the Mediterranean Sea through the Suez Canal. Its fin spines contain venom. It is regarded as a food fish.
The whitefin chimaera 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 of 370–520 m. It is abundant within its range.
Siganus rivulatus, the marbled spinefoot, rivulated rabbitfish or surf parrotfish, is a gregarious, largely herbivorous ray-finned fish of the family Siganidae. Its natural range encompasses the western Indian Ocean and the Red Sea from where it colonised the Mediterranean Sea by Lessepsian migration through the Suez Canal. It is the type species of the genus Siganus.
The black ghostshark, 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 of 500–1,450 m (1,640–4,760 ft). It has a black or dark brown body; males have a total length of 108 cm (43 in). The species is closely related to the abyssal ghostshark. Although it is sometimes caught as a bycatch, it does not have any major threats and is listed as least concern by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
The whitespot ghost shark is a chimaera species in the family Chimaeridae, which lives in parts of the Galápagos Islands in the southeast Pacific Ocean. It lives in waters with steep slopes and boulders and grows to a total length of around 40–50 cm (16–20 in).
The Galápagos ghostshark is a chimaera species in the family Chimaeridae, likely endemic to the Galápagos Islands. It was discovered by John E. McCosker in 1995 and described in 2006, scientifically named in honor of McCosker. This chimaera has a brown compressed, elongate body. The holotype and paratype of the species, both juvenile females, had a total length of 38.1 centimetres (15.0 in) and 22.7 centimetres (8.9 in), respectively. It lives in rocky habitats close to the sea floor, in waters about 395–510 metres (1,296–1,673 ft) deep. It is listed as least concern on the IUCN Red List.
Siganus fuscescens, the mottled spinefoot, black rabbitfish, black spinefoot, dusky rabbitfish, fuscous rabbitfish, happy moments, mi mi, pearl-spotted spinefoot, pin-spotted spinefoot, stinging bream or West Australian rabbitfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a rabbitfish belonging to the family Siganidae. It is found in the Western Pacific Ocean.
Hydrolagus erithacus, or Robin's ghostshark, is a species of fish in the family Chimaeridae. It is found in the southeastern Atlantic and southwestern Indian oceans.
