Chimaera monstrosa Linnaeus, 1758

Rabbit fish

Catalog of Fishes (gen., sp.) | ITIS | CoL

Classification	Holocephali \| Chimaeriformes \| Chimaeridae
Synonyms	Chimaera arctica, Chimaera argentea, Chimaera borealis, ... more
Common names	Chimère commune, Quimera, Borrico, ... more

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Chimaera monstrosa

Picture by Svensen, E.

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AquaMaps Data sources: GBIF OBIS

Main reference

Krefft, G. 1990. (Ref. 4443)
Other references | Biblio | Coordinator | Collaborators

Size / Weight / Age

Max length : 150 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 35388); max. published weight: 2,500 g (Ref. 4645)

Length at first maturity

L_m 45.9 range ? - ? cm

Environment

Bathydemersal; oceanodromous (Ref. 51243); marine; depth range 40 - 1000 m (Ref. 4443), usually 300 - 500 m (Ref. 4443)

Climate / Range

Deep-water; 75°N - 27°N, 32°W - 35°E

Eastern Atlantic: northern Norway and Iceland, Skagerrak and Kattegat south to Morocco including western Mediterranean (some isolated records from eastern part), Azores and Madeira Islands. Records from South Africa are questionable. Reported from Oshima, Japan (FMNH 89161) (Ref. 27954).
Countries | FAO areas | Ecosystems | Occurrences | Introductions

Bathydemersal to benthopelagic generally between 300 and 500 m depth. Found in the upper continental slope. Usually found in deeper waters in southern latitudes, while making a summer inshore migration up to 40-100 m in the northern areas. Sluggish, usually occurring in small groups. Feeds mainly on bottom-living invertebrates. The single dorsal spine is sharp and pointed, and although only mildly venomous can inflict a painful wound. Oviparous. Males have a clasper on the forehead that is probably used to hold on to the female during copulation. Egg capsules are about 17 cm long; young look alike adults and hatch when 10 cm long. Common by-catch when trawling for shrimps in the North Sea or Skaggerak.


IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 57073)	Threat to humans
Near Threatened (NT)	Traumatogenic (Ref. 4690)

Human uses
Fisheries: minor commercial


More information
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