Narrownose chimaera

The narrownose chimaera (Harriotta raleighana) is a longnose chimaera of the family Rhinochimaeridae,[2] the longnose chimaeras, consisting of eight species belonging three genera.[3] This species is found in temperate seas worldwide, at depths between 200 and 2,600 m.[2] Its length is between 1.0 and 1.5 m, including a long, tapering snout and a long, filamentous tail.[4]

Narrownose chimaera
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Chondrichthyes
Order: Chimaeriformes
Family: Rhinochimaeridae
Genus: Harriotta
Species:
H. raleighana
Binomial name
Harriotta raleighana

Taxonomy

This species was first described by George Brown Goode and Tarleton Hoffman Bean in 1895.[5] The genus Harriotta refers to Thomas Harriot and the species name references Sir Walter Raleigh.[6][7]

Description

Narrownose chimaeras have elongate rostra, slender tails, large pectoral and pelvic fins, large eyes, and two dorsal fins, the first being preceded by a spine.[6][7] They possess two pairs of non-replaceable tooth plates in the upper jaw and a one pair in the lower jaw.[8] Male H. raleighana are estimated to reach 62.8 cm and female 75.8 cm at maturity, respectively.[3]

Habitat

The narrownose chimaera is found off Nova Scotia and in much of the rest of the Atlantic Ocean,[9] and in parts of the Pacific Ocean to depths of 3100 metres.[6] Very little is known of their biology due to their deep water habitats.[8]

Reproduction

Longnose chimaeras are members of the class Chondrichthyes, diverging from their closest relatives (sharks, rays, and skates) approximately 400 million years ago.[10] Like many other Chondrichthyes, longnose chimaeras reproduce by laying eggs. Egg cases consist of a central chamber surrounded by a web-like structure.[8] Female longnose chimaeras lay a pair of eggs several times per season.[10]

Conservation status

The IUCN has classified this species as being of least concern.[1] In June 2018 the New Zealand Department of Conservation classified the narrownose chimaera as "Not Threatened" under the New Zealand Threat Classification System.[11]

  • Illustration from paper giving the original description
  • Harriotta raleighana in the Gulf of Mexico in 2012

References
  1. Dagit, D.D.; Walls, R.H.L.; Buscher, E. (19 February 2015). "Harriotta raleighana". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 19 February 2015. Retrieved 20 January 2019.
  2. Torres, Armi G.; Sampang-Reyes, Arlene G. "Harriotta raleighana Goode & Bean, 1895 Pacific longnose chimaera". Fishbase. Retrieved 20 January 2019.
  3. Finucci, B.; Dunn, M. R.; Jones, E. G.; Anderson, J. (2017-02-01). "Reproductive biology of the two deep-sea chimaerids, longnose spookfish (Harriotta raleighana) and Pacific spookfish (Rhinochimaera pacifica)". Deep Sea Research Part I: Oceanographic Research Papers. 120: 76–87. doi:10.1016/j.dsr.2016.11.008. ISSN 0967-0637.
  4. Laura Gegel (2016-03-22). "Freaky winged fish with glowing green eyes mystifies fishermen". CBS News. Retrieved 2016-03-23.
  5. Goode, G. Brown; Bean, Tarleton H. (1895). "Scientific results of explorations by the U. S. Fish Commission steamer Albatross. No. XXX. On Harriotta, a new type of chimaeroid fish from the deeper waters of the northwestern Atlantic". Proceedings of the United States National Museum. 17: 471–473 – via Biodiversity Heritage Library.
  6. "FAMILY Details for Rhinochimaeridae - Longnose chimaeras". www.fishbase.org. Retrieved 2020-07-21.
  7. Goode, G.B.; Bean, T.H. (1895). "Scientific results of explorations by the US Fish Commission steamer Albatross. No. XXX. On Harriotta, a new type of chimaeroid fish from the deeper waters of the northwestern Atlantic" (PDF). Proceedings of the United States National Museum. 17: 471–473.
  8. Didier, Dominique A. "Phylogeny and classification of extant Holocephali." Biology of sharks and their relatives 4 (2004): 115-138.
  9. McMillan, Elizabeth (March 7, 2016). "Creepy deepwater fish surprises Nova Scotia fisherman". CBC News. Retrieved July 21, 2020.
  10. "Chimaera". The Shark Trust. Retrieved 2020-07-21.
  11. Duffy, Clinton A. J.; Francis, Malcolm; Dunn, M. R.; Finucci, Brit; Ford, Richard; Hitchmough, Rod; Rolfe, Jeremy (2018). Conservation status of New Zealand chondrichthyans (chimaeras, sharks and rays), 2016 (PDF). Wellington, New Zealand: Department of Conservation. p. 10. ISBN 9781988514628. OCLC 1042901090.
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