Chimaeras are not actually Elasmobranchs but are included as part of a larger group of animals known as Chondrichthyes, based on the fact that they have a cartilaginous skeleton. They usually live in the deep ocean and very little is known about their biology.
As an important oceanic species, and a close relative of the Elasmobranchii, we include them in the remit of the Irish Elasmobranch Group.
They differ from elasmobranchs because they have
- A single external gill opening
- An operculum
- Smooth skin
- A fixed upper jaw
- Three pairs of large grinding tooth plates
Species found in Irish waters include;
| CHIMAERIDAE (Shortnose Chimaeras or Ratfishes) | |
| Rabbitfish | Chimaera monstrosa |
| Opaline Rabbitfish | Chimaera opalescens |
| Large-eyed Rabbitfish | Hydrolagus mirabilis |
| Ghost Shark | Hydrolagus pallidus |
| Small-eyed Rabbitfish | Hydrolagus affinis |
| RHINOCHIMAERIDAE (Longnose Chimaeras) | |
| Straightnose Rabbitfish | Rhinochimaera atlantica |
| Bentnose Rabbitfish | Harriotta raleighana |
| Smallspine Spookfish | Harriotta haeckeli |
The above list is only possible with a huge thanks to Declan Quigley for his boundless passion and dedicated investigations and record keeping
Angel Sharks 