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

chimaera Chimaeras are cartilaginous fish in the order Chimaeriformes , known informally as ghost sharks, rat fish, spookfish, or rabbit fish; the last three names are not to be confused with rattails, Opisthoproctidae, or Siganidae, respectively. At ...

species in the family Chimaeridae, which lives off of the east coast of

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

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 southern chimaera (''Chimaera fulva'') is a chimaera species in the family Chimaeridae. It lives in Australia, usually in marine waters 780 to 1095 meters deep. It can grow to a maximum length of at least 100 centimeters, and is sometimes con ...

, 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; 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 c ...

to Queensland, 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