| 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, 1758 |
|
Chimaera monstrosa, also known as the rabbit fish or rat fish, is a species of fish in the Chimaeridae family.
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.
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.