A relatively uncommon chimaera species, the African chimaera (Hydrolagus africanus) has a range off southern Africa - think Kenya down to South Africa. However... like many chimaera species, the true identity is a mystery. You see, there may actually be two species of Hydrolagus with overlapping ranges in this region; the second may be a new species or H. mirabilis. Scientists are currently trying to confirm the identification of chimaeroid species from southwestern Africa. Small and brown in color, they are not targeted by commercial fisheries or used for human purposes in its range, however it is most likely taken in as bycatch. And... well, you guessed it. That's all we know about these animals, since it still has data that needs to be analyzed and taxonomic issues to have resolved. The IUCN has assessed these animals as Data Deficient (DD). DID YOU KNOW THIS ALL BEFORE? WHAT DID YOU LEARN THAT'S NEW?GLOSSARY
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE:Comments are closed.
|
AuthorTFUI Founder Melissa C. Marquez is author of all animal bios and "Behind the Fins" segments. SEE MELISSA'S TEDx TALK HERE:
Archives
August 2020
SEARCH BY CATEGORIESREADER FAVORITESFOLLOW ALONG ON INSTAGRAM |