Giant chimaera facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Carpenter's chimaera |
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|---|---|
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Chimaera
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| Species: |
lignaria
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The carpenter's chimaera (Chimaera lignaria), also known as the giant chimaera or the giant purple chimaera, is a type of fish that lives in the deep ocean. It belongs to a family of fish called Chimaeridae.
What Does the Carpenter's Chimaera Look Like?
The carpenter's chimaera is a very large and strong fish. It can grow to about 128 centimeters (50 inches) long. The biggest one ever found was a male, measuring 142 centimeters (56 inches)! Some of these fish might even reach up to 150 centimeters (59 inches).
This chimaera is described as "distinctly large and robust." It has a purple color and a very big head. Male chimaeras have special parts called claspers. These claspers are purple where they connect to the body, but their tips are white. About one-third of the clasper's end is divided.
Where Does It Live and How Does It Live?
The carpenter's chimaera is a marine species, meaning it lives in the ocean. It is usually found in deep parts of the ocean, on slanted or flat areas of the continental slope. Sometimes, it can even be found in the bathyal zone, which is an even deeper part of the ocean.
This fish lives in a wide range of depths, from 400 meters (1,300 feet) to 1,800 meters (5,900 feet) deep. It usually prefers the deeper end of this range. The carpenter's chimaera is a benthic fish. This means it is heavier than water and lives right on the bottom of the seafloor.
When it comes to reproduction, the carpenter's chimaera is an oviparous animal. This means it lays eggs. Its egg shells have special "horns" on them. Male chimaeras become mature when their body length is about 60 centimeters (24 inches). Females mature at about 70 centimeters (28 inches) in body length. This usually means they are about 100 centimeters (39 inches) long in total. We don't know much else about the daily life of this species.
Where Can You Find It and Is It Safe?
The carpenter's chimaera lives in the southwest Pacific Ocean and the eastern Indian Ocean. You can find it especially around Tasmania, Australia, and New Zealand. We don't know exactly how many of these fish there are. However, many have been found by fishing boats and scientists in deep waters. Because of this, scientists think the species is common in the areas where it lives.
This species can sometimes be caught by accident in fishing nets called trawls. These trawls are usually looking for other deep-sea fish. Aside from this, there are no other big threats to the carpenter's chimaera. People do not fish for this species on purpose to sell it.
Studies show that more carpenter's chimaeras were caught by accident in New Zealand from 1990 to 2011. But in Australia, they are not caught very often now. This is partly because a specific fishing area in Australia, the South Tasman Rise Trawl Fishery, closed down in 2007. The deep waters where this fish lives also offer some protection from fishing.
Currently, no special conservation actions are happening just for this species. However, some parts of its home range are in protected areas. In June 2018, the New Zealand Department of Conservation said the carpenter's chimaera was "Not Threatened" under their classification system. The International Union for Conservation of Nature also lists it as "Least Concern" as of February 18, 2015. This means they are not worried about it becoming endangered soon.
