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.

Distribution by collection data

Ozcam map of Pacific Spookfish specimens in the Australian Museums.

What does this mean?

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,