Philippine chimaera

Hydrolagus deani (SMITH & RADCLIFFE,1912)

​Let’s take a quick jaunt over to the Philippines where we will meet our next animal- a chimaera! Commonly known as the Philippine chimaera, Hydrolagus deani, they are found from 460 metres deep down to 770 metres… meaning they love the deep, dark, cold just like many other chimaeras. They are rare and seen only in the upper continental slopes, it seems.

​Only known from the Philippines, they could be endemic here but we know so little about them we can’t just outright make assumptions. An oviparous animal, their eggs are also protected by horny shells, although not much else is known about reproduction.
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One male specimen was measured to be 67 cm in total length (TL), while a female was measured at about 73 cm TL. Nothing else is known about this animal and we could not find their IUCN Assessment page.

WHAT DID YOU LEARN ABOUT THIS ANIMAL?

GLOSSARY

• Artisanal fishery: There is, as yet, no universally-accepted definition; the term is used interchangeably with ‘small scale fishery.’ In general, artisanal fishing will be family-based, employing small or no boats and simple and/or traditional methods.
• Bycatch: The part of a fishery’s catch that is made up of non-target species.  
• Commercial fishery: The activity of catching fish and other seafood for profit.​
• IUCN: International Union for Conservation of Nature.​​

SAY HELLO!

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