Southern chimaera

3/13/2017

Southern Chimaera, Chimaera fulva. Source: Australian National Fish Collection, CSIRO. License: CC BY Attribution-Noncommercial

The southern chimaera (Chimaera fulva) is a silvery pink to pale brown coloured chimaera. This is not always seen as they have deciduous skin that can flake the colouring off so they look like a completely different colour. They have a pale belly, with dusky fins that are bluish in colour. Like other chimaeras, they have a spine that precedes the first dorsal fin. #Finfact: The males have rather large claspers!

Ghost sharks (chimaeras) are known for their milky eyes, and this one is no different. Their eyes are silvery white in colour with a green pupil. Measuring at 105 cm long, these eyes make up most of their face. This is to help the chimaeras see at the deep depths they reside in. This is on the mid-continental slope off southern Australia in temperate waters down to depths of 1095 metres! Their diet is unknown, but their tooth plates (instead of teeth) means the possible crushing of prey with hard shells.

Males mature at about 66 cm, while females mature at 72 cm. Reproductive methods are unknown, and they are caught as bycatch by commercial trawlers fishing for blue grenadier (Macruronus novaezelandiae). The IUCN is listed as Least Concern (LC).

ever heard of this chimaera?

glossary

Claspers: Sexual reproduction organs found on male elasmobranchs and chimaeras.
Continental shelf: Extends from a continent underwater, resulting in a shallow-water area.
Continental slope: The steep slope from a continental shelf to the ocean floor; usually around 20 km (12.4 miles) wide and made up of mud and silt substrate. It is an ideal area for deep sea fishing.
Deciduous skin: The continuous, periodic or seasonal peeling of their scales/skin.
Dorsal side: The top of an animal.
IUCN: International Union for Conservation of Nature.
Temperate waters: The water between tropical seas and the polar regions (10-21° C, 50-69.8° F).