Fish
Longnose Chimaera
Harriotta raleighana · also called narrownose chimaera
Trailing a long, whip-like tail behind an exaggerated, pointed snout, a longnose chimaera drifts through some of the deepest ocean habitat any chimaera species is known to inhabit, laying its egg cases on soft sediment far beyond the reach of sunlight.
Overview
The longnose chimaera, Harriotta raleighana, is a deep-sea cartilaginous fish native to deep ocean habitat recorded across multiple ocean basins worldwide. Its dramatically elongated snout, long whip-like tail, and life spent almost entirely beyond the reach of sunlight make it one of the more visually distinctive chimaera species found anywhere in the deep sea.
A shape built for the deep
Few chimaera species carry their signature elongated snout to quite the extreme seen in this species, a feature that, together with its whip-like tail, gives it one of the most exaggerated silhouettes of any cartilaginous fish living at such extreme ocean depth.
Status
Least Concern, though population trends remain largely unknown given the difficulty of surveying its deep-sea habitat.
Longnose Chimaera: common questions
Why does the longnose chimaera have such an unusual snout?
This species has a dramatically elongated, pointed snout, one of the most exaggerated examples of this feature among chimaera species, though the exact sensory function of the extreme length is still being studied.
How deep does the longnose chimaera live?
This species is typically found at depths ranging from around 200 metres down to over 2,000 metres, well beyond where sunlight penetrates, making it a genuine deep-sea specialist among chimaeras.
Does the longnose chimaera lay eggs or give birth to live young?
This species lays eggs, depositing tough egg cases onto soft seafloor sediment, each containing a single developing embryo, rather than giving birth to live young.
Is the longnose chimaera dangerous to humans?
It carries a venomous spine in front of its dorsal fin, but this is used purely for defence against predators, and the species poses little to no risk to humans given how rarely it is encountered at such extreme depth.