- Chimaera monstrosa
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Not to be confused with Rabbitfish.
Chimaera monstrosa 
Conservation status Scientific classification Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Chondrichthyes Order: Chimaeriformes Family: Chimaeridae Genus: Chimaera Species: C. monstrosa Binomial name Chimaera monstrosa
Linnaeus, 1758Chimaera monstrosa, also known as the rabbit fish or rat fish, is a species of fish in the Chimaeridae family.
Anatomy and appearance
Illustration by P.J. Smit
The rat fish can grow up to 1.5 meters long, and weigh 2.5 kg. The color is brown, with marmor-white stripes in all directions. The eyes are big with a green lens. The Lateral line can be seen clearly on the head. On the dorsal fin the rat fish has a poisonous spike, that can cause a lot of pain.
Distribution and habitat
The rat fish lives on depths from 50–1000 meters. Sick or dying fish are sometimes observed in shallower water. Distribution is from the eastern-Atlantic, from west-Africa all the way up to northern-Norway and Iceland. They are also reported in the western parts of the Mediterranean sea. Another species located south of Africa is also possibly a Rat Fish.
References
- Dagit, D.D. & Caldas, J.P. 2007. Chimaera monstrosa. 2008 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Downloaded on 2009-01-02.
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