Spotted ratfish

Spotted sea rat ( Hydrolagus colliei )

The spotted sea rat ( Hydrolagus colliei ) is a species in the family of short nose chimaeras ( Chimaeridae ).

It occurs on the coast of North America in the eastern Pacific. The range extends from Cape Spencer at the south end of Glacier Bay National Park ( Alaska ) to the Bahía de Sebastián Vizcaíno on the west coast of Baja California (Mexico). An isolated population there is in the north of the Gulf of California.

Features

The spotted sea rat is a maximum of 97 inches long. The body ends in a long tail thread. The high first dorsal fin is supported by ten fin rays and protected by a preceding poisonous sting. The pectoral fins are triangular, its base is fleshy. The slimy skin of the spotted sea rat is scaleless. Their color is silvery to brown, white spotted, often with an iridescent golden, greenish or bluish shimmer. Dorsal and caudal fin have dark edges. The eyes are green. The lateral line is clearly visible.

Way of life

The spotted sea rat lives close to the ground from the intertidal zone to depths of over 900 meters. It feeds on molluscs, crustaceans and fish. The fish breed in spring and summer. The brown egg capsules are 13 cm long.

Use

The flesh of the spotted sea rat is edible, but bland and leaves an unpleasant aftertaste. From the liver oil is produced. In the U.S., it is shown in cooled pool in several public aquariums.