Narrownose chimaera

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Narrownose chimaera (Harriotta raleighana) is a type of longnose chimaera, a cartilaginous fish in the Rhinochimaeridae family. It’s one of eight species of longnose chimaeras across three genera. The species was described in 1895 by Goode and Bean. The genus name Harriotta honors Thomas Harriot, and the species name Raleigh refers to Sir Walter Raleigh.

Description
Narrownose chimaeras have a long snout (rostrum), a slender tail, large eyes, and two dorsal fins; the first dorsal fin has a mild venomous spine. They have two tooth plates in the upper jaw and one pair in the lower jaw. Males grow to about 62 cm, and females to about 76 cm at maturity. Their overall length is typically around 1.0–1.5 meters, with a distinctive long snout and tail.

Habitat
These fish live in temperate seas worldwide, at depths from roughly 200 to 3,100 meters. They are found in the Atlantic (including off Nova Scotia) and in parts of the Pacific. Because they inhabit deep waters, much of their biology is not well known.

Reproduction
Narrownose chimaeras lay eggs (oviparous). The egg case has a central chamber surrounded by a web-like structure. Female longnose chimaeras lay a pair of eggs several times each season.

Conservation status
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) lists the species as Least Concern. In New Zealand, the Department of Conservation classified the narrownose chimaera as Not Threatened in 2018.