Chimaeridae

Hydrolagus colliei

The short-faced chimeras ( Chimaeridae ) (Size: Chimaira " goat " chimaera " hermaphrodites " ) are among the cartilaginous fishes ( Chondrichthyes ).

Features

The fish are 40 to 150 inches long. Their muzzle is in contrast to the other two families of the chimaeras ( Chimaeriformes ) short and rounded or conical. The lateral line is open pore and extends to the head.

The more than 30 species belonging to the two genera Chimaera and Hydrolagus. In Hydrolagus the anal and the caudal fin diphycerke have grown into a Flossensaum while they are separated at Chimaera. In both species the first dorsal fin is high and front protected by a sting, the second dorsal fin is low and saumförmig elongated. The sting is connected to a poison gland in conjunction. A stitch in humans leads to painful wounds.

The egg capsules of the short nose chimeras are spindle-shaped, relatively small, typically measuring 17 x 2.5 cm. They have a dorsal keel.

Dissemination

Short nose chimeras live in temperate and tropical areas of the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian oceans, usually at depths below 200 meters. The only species in European waters, the sea cat ( Chimaera monstrosa ).

Genera and species

• Chimaera Linnaeus, 1758 Chimaera argiloba load, White & Pogonoski, 2008
• Chimaera cubana Howell Rivero, 1936
• Chimaera fulva Didier, load & White, 2008
• Chimaera Jordanian Tanaka, 1905
• Chimaera lignaria Didier, 2002
• Chimaera macro spina Didier, load & White, 2008
• Seekatze ( Chimaera monstrosa ) Linnaeus, 1758
• Chimaera Nocka You & Rasmi, 2009
• Chimaera obscura Didier, load & White, 2008
• Chimaera opalescens Luchetti, Iglésias & Sellos, 2011
• Chimaera owstoni Tanaka, 1905
• Chimaera panthera Didier, 1998
• Chimaera phantasma Jordan & Schneider, 1900

• Hydrolagus affinis ( Brito Capello, 1868)
• Hydrolagus africanus ( Gilchrist, 1922)
• Hydrolagus Alphus Quaranta, Didier, Long & Ebert, 2006
• Hydrolagus barbouri ( Garman, 1908)
• Hydrolagus bemisi Didier, 2002
• Hydrolagus colliei ( Lay & Bennett, 1839)
• Hydrolagus deani Smith & Radcliffe in Smith, 1912
• Hydrolagus eidolon ( Jordan & Hubbs, 1925)
• Hydrolagus homonycteris Didier, 2008
• Hydrolagus lemures Whitley, 1939
• Hydrolagus macrophthalmus de Buen, 1959
• Hydrolagus marmoratus Didier, 2008
• Hydrolagus matallanasi Soto & Vooren, 2004
• Hydrolagus mccoskeri Barnett, Didier, Long & Ebert, 2006
• Hydrolagus mirabilis ( Collett, 1904)
• Hydrolagus mitsukurii ( Jordan & Schneider, 1904)
• Hydrolagus novaezealandiae ( Fowler, 1911)
• Hydrolagus ogilbyi ( Waite, 1898)
• Hydrolagus pallidus Hardy & Stehmann, 1990
• Hydrolagus purpurescens ( Gilbert, 1905)
• Hydrolagus trolli Didier & Seret, 2002
• Hydrolagus waitei Fowler, 1907

Phylogeny

The family is fossil evidence since the Early Cretaceous ( Belgorodon genus ), the genus Chimaera fossil is known from the Upper Cretaceous and Eocene of Antarctica.