Holocephali (chimaeras) > Chimaeriformes
(Chimaeras) > Chimaeridae
(Shortnose chimaeras or ratfishes)
Etymology: Chimaera: Latin, chimaera = marine monster, 1634 (Ref. 45335); lignaria: Specific name means of or belonging to wood, after K.J. Dagit, a woodworker and carpenter by trade.
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Marine; bathydemersal; depth range 400 - 1800 m (Ref. 45044), usually 800 - 1800 m (Ref. 45044). Deep-water
Pacific: New Zealand and Tasmania. Commonly collected from the fishing grounds of the Tasman Rise, Hikurangi Trough, Challenger Plateau, and Lord Howe Rise.
Length at first maturity / Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm 100.0  range ? - ? cm
Max length : 142 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 45044)
Morphology | Morphometrics
Purplish color. Massive head with blunt snout. Preopercular and oral lateral line canals sharing a common branch. Males with bifurcated claspers, divided for the distal 1/3 of length, purple at the base with white fleshy tips. Skin firm and not deciduous.
Males and females reach sexual maturity at 60-70 cm BDL (usually 100 cm TL) (Ref. 45044). Oviparous (Ref. 205). Eggs are encased in horny shells (Ref. 205).
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae
Didier, D.A., 2002. Two new species of chimaeroid fishes from the southwestern Pacific Ocean (Holocephali, Chimaeridae). Ichthyol. Res. 49(4):299-306. (Ref. 45044)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 119314)
CITES (Ref. 115941)
Threat to humans
ReferencesAquacultureAquaculture profileStrainsGeneticsAllele frequenciesHeritabilityDiseasesProcessingMass conversion
Estimates of some properties based on models
Preferred temperature (Ref. 115969
): 2.5 - 5.7, mean 3.6 (based on 978 cells).
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref. 82805
= 0.5000 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.00309 (0.00126 - 0.00755), b=3.10 (2.89 - 3.31), in cm Total Length, based on LWR estimates for this (Sub)family-body shape (Ref. 93245
Trophic Level (Ref. 69278
): 3.7 ±0.6 se; Based on size and trophs of closest relatives
Resilience (Ref. 69278
): Low, minimum population doubling time 4.5 - 14 years (Assuming fecundity<100).
Vulnerability (Ref. 59153
): High to very high vulnerability (71 of 100) .