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Holocephali (chimaeras) > Chimaeriformes (Chimaeras) > Chimaeridae (Shortnose chimaeras or ratfishes)
Etymology: Hydrolagus: hydro-, combining form of hydor (Gr.), water; lagos (Gr.), hare, i.e., “water rabbit,” probably referring to three pairs of tooth plates, which tend to protrude from the mouth like a rabbit’s incisors (See ETYFish); africanus: -anus (L.), belonging to: Africa, described from deep water off the KwaZulu-Natal South Coast of South Africa (See ETYFish).

Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range Ecology

Marine; bathydemersal; depth range 421 - 750 m (Ref. 3181). Deep-water

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Western Indian Ocean: off Kenya, Mozambique and Natal, South Africa.

Size / Weight / Age

Maturity: L_m ? range ? - ? cm
Max length : 67.0 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 3181)

Short description Identification keys | Morphology | Morphometrics

Dorsal spines (total): 1; Anal spines: 0; Anal soft rays: 0. A shortnose chimaera with the dorsal fin spine longer than the head; 2nd dorsal fin with distinct concavity in the middle (Ref. 5578).

Feeds on ophiuroids (Ref. 27637). Oviparous (Ref. 205). Eggs are encased in horny shells (Ref. 205).

Life cycle and mating behavior Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae

Oviparous (Ref. 205).

Main reference Upload your references | References | Coordinator | Collaborators

Compagno, L.J.V., 1986. Chimaeridae. p. 144-145. In M.M. Smith and P.C. Heemstra (eds.) Smiths' sea fishes. Springer-Verlag, Berlin. (Ref. 3181)

IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435: Version 2024-1)

Least Concern (LC) ; Date assessed: 02 September 2019

CITES

Not Evaluated

CMS (Ref. 116361)

Not Evaluated

Threat to humans

Venomous (Ref. 3181)

Human uses

Fisheries: of no interest

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Estimates based on models

Preferred temperature (Ref. 123201): 8.9 - 11.4, mean 9.7 °C (based on 16 cells).

Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref. 82804): PD₅₀ = 0.5000 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].

Bayesian length-weight: a=0.00331 (0.00137 - 0.00798), b=3.07 (2.86 - 3.28), in cm total length, based on LWR estimates for this (Sub)family-body shape (Ref. 93245).

Trophic level (Ref. 69278): 4.1 ±0.60 se; based on food items.

Resilience (Ref. 120179): Low, minimum population doubling time 4.5 - 14 years (Assuming Fec <100).

Fishing Vulnerability (Ref. 59153): Moderate to high vulnerability (47 of 100).

Hydrolagus africanus (Gilchrist, 1922)