Shortspine chimaera facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Shortspine chimaera |
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|---|---|
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Chimaera
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| Species: |
obscura
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The shortspine chimaera (Chimaera obscura) is a fascinating deep-sea fish. It's also known as the short spine chimaera. This unique creature belongs to a group of fish called chimaeras. It lives in the deep waters off the east coast of Australia.
What Does the Shortspine Chimaera Look Like?
The shortspine chimaera looks a lot like other fish in its family. It has a strong, sturdy body. Its color is usually a dark brown or black all over. One special feature is its spine, which is shorter than its first fin on its back.
Even though it lives in similar areas and looks a bit like the southern chimaera, the shortspine chimaera is darker. It is also smaller than the southern chimaera. Female shortspine chimaeras can grow to be about 95 centimeters (about 37 inches) long, including their tail. Their body, without the tail, can be around 53 centimeters (about 21 inches) long.
Where Do Shortspine Chimaeras Live?
The shortspine chimaera is a fish that loves warm waters. It lives in the deep parts of the ocean, on the upper and middle slopes of the continental shelf. You can find it off the east coast of Australia.
These fish usually live at depths between 450 and 1,080 meters (about 1,476 to 3,543 feet). However, they are most often found in waters deeper than 1,025 meters (about 3,363 feet). They have been seen near Tuncurry, New South Wales. There have been other sightings along the east coast, from Ulladulla to Queensland. But some of these might actually be different types of chimaeras.
People do not usually fish for shortspine chimaeras. Most fishing boats trawl in shallower waters than where these fish typically live. Because of this, there are no special plans right now to protect them. However, they might sometimes get caught by accident by deep-sea fishing boats. We don't know exactly how many shortspine chimaeras there are. But experts believe there are enough of them, so they are listed as "least concern" by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
