The shortspine chimaera (''Chimaera obscura''), also commonly known as the short spine chimaera, is a

chimaera Chimaeras are Chondrichthyes, cartilaginous fish in the order (biology), order Chimaeriformes (), known informally as ghost sharks, rat fish (not to be confused with rattails), spookfish, or rabbit fish; the last two names are also applied to B ...

species in the family

Chimaeridae The Chimaeridae, or short-nosed chimaeras, are a family (biology), family of cartilaginous fish. They resemble other Chimaeriformes, chimaeras in general form and habits, but have short, rounded snouts, without the modifications found in relate ...

, which lives off of the east coast of

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...

Description

The shortspine chimaera is similar to the other species in its genus, but of uniformly dark brown to black colour. It has a robust body, and has a shorter spine than first dorsal fin. Although it has a similar range and appearance to the southern chimaera, the shortspine chimaera is darker in colour and smaller. A maximum size of at least 95 cm total length (including tail) and 53 cm body length (excluding tail) in females has been reported.

Distribution and habitat

The shortspine chimaera is a subtropical species, inhabiting the upper to mid continental slope on the east coast of

, at depths of around 450–1,080 m, although it most commonly lives in waters deeper than 1,025 m. In particular, the species is found near

Tuncurry, New South Wales Tuncurry is a coastal town in the Mid North Coast region of New South Wales, Australia, in the Mid-Coast Council LGA, about north north east of Sydney. It is immediately adjacent to its twin town of Forster, which is the larger of the two ...

; sightings have been reported in other spots on the east coast, from

Ulladulla Ulladulla () is a coastal town in New South Wales, Australia in the City of Shoalhaven local government area. It is on the Princes Highway about south of Sydney, halfway between Batemans Bay to the south and Nowra to the north. Ulladulla has cl ...

Queensland Queensland ( , commonly abbreviated as Qld) is a States and territories of Australia, state in northeastern Australia, and is the second-largest and third-most populous state in Australia. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Austr ...

, but it is probable that these are actually a different species. It is not targeted commercially, and most fisheries trawl in waters shallower than where the species typically lives, so no conservation actions are currently taking place for the species; however, it may be a bycatch for deepwater fisheries. The exact population of the species is unknown, but is listed as least concern by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q2667344 shortspine chimaera Marine fish of Eastern Australia shortspine chimaera