Holocephali (chimaeras) >
Chimaeriformes (Chimaeras) >
Chimaeridae (Shortnose chimaeras or ratfishes)
Etymology: Hydrolagus: hydro-, combining form of hydor (Gr.), water; lagos (Gr.), hare, i.e., “water rabbit,” probably referring to three pairs of tooth plates, which tend to protrude from the mouth like a rabbit’s incisors (See ETYFish); macrophthalmus: macro-, from makros (Gr.), long; ophthalmos (Gr.), eye, referring to its large oval eyes (See ETYFish).
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Marine; bathydemersal; depth range 590 - 1160 m (Ref. 97389). Subtropical
Eastern Pacific: from the central coast of Mexico, Costa Rica, Peru and Chile.
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ?  range ? - ? cm
Max length : 63.9 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 97389); 58.1 cm TL (female)
This species is distinguished by the following set of characters: slender body; short and bluntly rounded snout; relatively short head (HDL 24.2-24.5% BDL); relatively large eyes (EYL 30.9-34.2% HDL); oral and preopercular lateral line canals sharing a short common branch from the infraorbital canal; relatively large pectoral fins (P1A 36.5-40.8% BDL), extending posterior to the insertion of pelvic fins; trunk's lateral line canal without sinusoidal undulations; the anterior and posterior regions of second dorsal fin considerably taller than middle region; no anal fin; tail region elongate and slender (PCA 58.3-59.9% BDL); caudal-fin axis horizontal with the fin nearly symmetrical, epaxial and hypaxial lobes equal sized; coloration uniform brown across entire body, no white markings and bluish fins (Ref. 97389).
Body shape (shape guide): elongated; Cross section: angular.
Oviparous (Ref. 205). Eggs are encased in horny shells (Ref. 205).
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae
Angulo, A., M.I. López, W.A. Bussing and A. Murase, 2014. Records of chimaeroid fishes (Holocephali: Chimaeriformes) from the Pacific coast of Costa Rica, with the description of a new species of Chimera (Chimaeridae) from the eastern Pacific Ocean. Zootaxa 3861(6):554-574. (Ref. 97389)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435: Version 2025-2)
Threat to humans
Harmless
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