Rhinochimaera atlantica
No common name
NS
G5
Collection Details
Specimens
Photos
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Records
Taxonomic Hierarchy
Chondrichthyes (Cartilaginous Fishes)
Chimaeriformes (Chimaeras)
Rhinochimaeridae (Longnose Chimaeras)
Rhinochimaera
Rhinochimaera atlantica
Description
This species account was compiled from
Composite (multiple sources) (McEachran, J.D. and J.D. Fechhelm. Fishes of the Gulf of Mexico. University of Texas Press, Austin.)
and processed using AI-assisted text extraction.
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Characters
Head is about 50% of distance from tip of snout to origin of dorsal lobe of caudal fin. Eye is broad-oval shaped; horizontal diameter is about 7% of head length. Pectoral fin is one-fourth of distance from tip of snout to posterior margin of second dorsal fin. Dorsal spine is largely connected to anterior margin of first dorsal fin, is about one-fifth as long as distance from tip of snout to posterior margin of pupil, and is slightly higher than first dorsal fin. Posterior margin of dorsal spine is smooth. First dorsal fin has acute tip and concave distal margin. Distance between dorsal fins is about 55% of length of anterior margin of first dorsal fin. Second dorsal fin has nearly straight dorsal margin; its height at midlength is nearly as great as at anterior end. Anal fin is continuous with ventral lobe of caudal fin. Dorsal lobe of caudal fin is very low and possesses a crest of sharp-pointed denticles. Caudal fin is prolonged as short filament, about 3% of distance from tip of snout to posterior margin of second dorsal fin.
Color is light brown to whitish, except fins are slightly darker.
Distribution
In the western North Atlantic it occurs off Nova Scotia and New England and in the eastern Gulf of Mexico.
Habitat Associations
Temperate North Atlantic, depth range: 530 to 1,000 m
Biology
Maximum known size is 140 cm TL.
Found on or near the bottom of continental slopes (Ref. 5578). Forms groups according to sex and size (Ref. 5578). Feeds on shrimps and crabs (Ref. 27637). Oviparous (Ref. 205). Eggs are encased in horny shells (Ref. 205).
Reproductive mode: dioecism; fertilization: internal (oviduct); nonguarders (open water/substratum egg scatterers); parental care: none. Oviparous (Ref. 205).
IUCN Red List Status: Least Concern (LC), assessed 2019-09-02. Resilience: Low (Assuming Fec <100).
Phylogeny and Morphologically Similar Fishes
Distinguished from other species of the family by the combination of characters described.
Commercial or Environmental Importance
Fisheries: commercial.
References
Bigelow and Schroeder 1954b
Schroeder 1955
Stehmann and Biirkel 1984c
Scott and Scott 1988
Compagno et al. 1990
Breder, C.M. and D.E. Rosen (1966) Modes of reproduction in fishes. T.F.H. Publications, Neptune City, New Jersey. 941 p.
Krefft, G. (1990) Rhinochimaeridae. p. 114-116. In J.C. Quero, J.C. Hureau, C. Karrer, A. Post and L. Saldanha (eds.) Check-list of the fishes of the eastern tropical Atlantic (CLOFETA). JNICT, Lisbon; SEI, Paris; and UNESCO, Paris. Vol. 1.
Compagno, L.J.V., D.A. Ebert and M.J. Smale (1989) Guide to the sharks and rays of southern Africa. New Holland (Publ.) Ltd., London. 158 p.
Macpherson, E. and B.A. Roel (1987) Trophic relationships in the demersal fish community off Namibia. S. Afr. J. Mar. Sci. 5:585-596.
Coad, B.W. and J.D. Reist (2018) Marine fishes of Arctic Canada. Toronto (ON, Canada): University of Toronto Press. xiii+618 p.
Comments On Rhinochimaera atlantica