Kingdom Animalia Phylum Chordata Order Chimaera | Scientific name Rhinochimaeridae Rank Family | |
Lower classifications Rhinochimaera, Narrownose chimaera, Neoharriotta, Smallspine spookfish |
The Rhinochimaeridae, commonly known as long-nosed chimaeras, are a family of cartilaginous fish. They are similar in form and habits to other chimaeras, but have an exceptionally long conical or paddle-shaped snout. The snout has numerous sensory nerve endings, and is used to find food such as small fish. The first dorsal fin includes a mildly venomous spine, used in defense.
Long-nosed chimaeras are found in temperate and tropical seas worldwide, from 200 to 2,000 m (660 to 6,560 ft) in depth. They range from 60 to 140 cm (2.0 to 4.6 ft) in maximum total length, depending on species.
Species
The eight known species are in three genera:
Family Rhinochimaeridae
References
Rhinochimaeridae Wikipedia(Text) CC BY-SA