Animal Species:Pacific Spookfish, Rhinochimaera pacifica (Mitsukuri, 1895)

The Pacific Spookfish is a very strange-looking, deepsea fish that has has a long, flexible snout.

Pacific Spookfish, Rhinochimaera pacifica

Pacific Spookfish, Rhinochimaera pacifica
Mark McGrouther © NORFANZ Founding Parties

Identification

The Pacific Spookfish has a long, flexible snout, small eyes and smooth tooth plates. It has two dorsal fins, the first is short-based and tall with a strong spine. The second is long-based and low. The species has a long caudal fin, the upper lobe of which has a row of fleshy tubercles.

It is brown above and grey-brown below. It has a white snout and black teeth.

Size range

The Pacific Spookfish grows to over 1.2 m in length (without the caudal filament).

Distribution

The species is found in scattered localities in the Western Indian and Pacific Oceans.

Habitat

It is known from depths of 760 m to 1290 m.

Classification

Species:
pacifica
Genus:
Rhinochimaera
Family:
Rhinochimaeridae
Order:
Chimaeriformes
Class:
Chondrichthyes
Subphylum:
Vertebrata
Phylum:
Chordata
Kingdom:
Animalia

What does this mean?

References

  1. Last, P.R. & J.D. Stevens. 1994 Sharks and Rays of Australia. CSIRO. Pp. 513.
  2. Last, P.R. & J.D. Stevens. 2009. Sharks and Rays of Australia.Second edition. CSIRO. Pp. 644


Mark McGrouther , Collection Manager, Ichthyology
Last Updated:

Tags fishes, ichthyology, Pacific Spookfish, Rhinochimaera pacifica, Rhinochimaeridae,