Holocephali (chimaeras) >
Chimaeriformes (Chimaeras) >
Chimaeridae (Shortnose chimaeras or ratfishes)
Etymology: Chimaera: Named for the mythological creature composed of parts of multiple animals, referring to their odd mix of characteristics (See ETYFish); compacta: Latin for stocky or stubby, referring to its “stubby body, short tail and massive head” (See ETYFish).
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Marine; bathydemersal; depth range 595 - 655 m (Ref. 123898). Deep-water
Southern Indian Ocean: French Southern and Antarctic Lands, off Amsterdam I.
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ?  range ? - ? cm
Max length : 84.3 cm TL (female)
Short description
Identification keys | Morphology | Morphometrics
This species is distinguished from its congeners by the following set of characters: massive head with a short snout; trunk stocky and relatively long 44% BDL, short tail with second dorsal fin base 72% BDL; pelvic fin long, its anterior margin 26% BDL; caudal fin dorsal origin slightly posterior to caudal fin ventral origin; skin firm, non-deciduous; preopercular and oral lateral line canals sharing a common branch; specifc CO1 and NADH2 sequences. Colouration: brown color with yellow blotches on body both on both fresh and preserved specimen (Ref. 123898).
Cross section: compressed.
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae
Iglésias, S.P., J.M. Kemper and G.J.P. Naylor, 2022. Chimaera compacta, a new species from southern Indian Ocean, and an estimate of phylogenetic relationships within the genus Chimaera (Chondrichthyes: Chimaeridae). Ichthyol. Res. 69(1):31-45. (Ref. 123898)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435: Version 2025-2)
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
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