Narrownose chimaera facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Narrownose chimaera |
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| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Harriotta
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| Species: |
raleighana
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The narrownose chimaera (Harriotta raleighana) is a fascinating deep-sea fish. It's a type of chimaera, which are sometimes called "ghost sharks" because they are related to sharks and rays but look quite different. These unique fish live in cold, deep waters all around the world. They can grow to be about 1 to 1.5 meters long, including their long, pointy snout and a very thin, whip-like tail.
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What's in a Name?
This amazing fish was first officially described in 1895 by two scientists, George Brown Goode and Tarleton Hoffman Bean. The name Harriotta was chosen to honor Thomas Harriot, a famous English astronomer and mathematician. The species name raleighana is a tribute to Sir Walter Raleigh, a well-known English explorer and writer.
What Does It Look Like?
Narrownose chimaeras have a very distinct look. They have a long, pointed snout that tapers to a fine point. Their tails are long and slender, almost like a whip. They also have large pectoral and pelvic fins, which help them move through the water.
Their eyes are quite large, which helps them see in the dark depths where they live. They have two dorsal fins on their back, and the first one has a sharp spine in front of it. Instead of many small teeth, they have two pairs of strong, non-replaceable tooth plates in their upper jaw and one pair in their lower jaw.
Scientists estimate that male narrownose chimaeras grow to about 62.8 cm (about 25 inches) when they are ready to reproduce. Females are a bit larger, reaching about 75.8 cm (about 30 inches) at maturity.
Where Do They Live?
The narrownose chimaera lives in temperate seas all over the world. This means they are found in parts of the Atlantic Ocean, including off the coast of Nova Scotia, and also in parts of the Pacific Ocean. They live in very deep water, usually between 200 and 2,600 meters (about 650 to 8,500 feet) below the surface. Some have even been found as deep as 3,100 meters (over 10,000 feet)!
Because they live so deep, it's very hard for scientists to study them. This means we still have a lot to learn about their daily lives and habits.
Reproduction
Narrownose chimaeras are part of a group of fish called Chondrichthyes. This group includes sharks, rays, and skates. Chimaeras separated from their closest relatives about 400 million years ago!
Like many other fish in the Chondrichthyes group, narrownose chimaeras reproduce by laying eggs. Their egg cases are quite unique. They have a central chamber where the young chimaera develops, surrounded by a web-like structure. Female narrownose chimaeras lay a pair of these special eggs several times during their breeding season.
Conservation Status
The IUCN is an organization that checks on the health of animal populations around the world. They have looked at the narrownose chimaera and classified it as a species of "least concern." This means that, for now, there are enough of them in the wild, and they are not considered to be in danger of disappearing.
In June 2018, the New Zealand Department of Conservation also looked at the narrownose chimaera. They classified it as "Not Threatened" under their New Zealand Threat Classification System. This is good news for this unique deep-sea fish!
Images for kids
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Illustration from the original scientific paper describing the narrownose chimaera.
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A narrownose chimaera swimming in the Gulf of Mexico in 2012.
See also
In Spanish: Narrownose chimaera para niños
