how do sharks differ from chimaeras

What is a characteristic trait of sharks, rays and chimaeras?

PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS Chimaeras have large heads and long bodies that taper to a whiplike tail. The skin is smooth and rubbery and has no scales. Sharks and skates and rays have gills that open to the outside, have no swim bladder, and have a sandpaper-like skin covering rather than scales.

What type of fish is a chimera?

cartilaginous fisheschimaera, (subclass Holocephali), also spelled chimera, also called ghost shark, any of numerous cartilaginous fishes related to sharks and rays in the class Chondrichthyes but separated from them as the subclass (or sometimes class) Holocephali.

How are chimaeras different than other cartilaginous fish?

They also differ from sharks in that their upper jaws are fused with their skulls and they have separate anal and urogenital openings. They also have gill covers or opercula like bony fishes. Instead of sharks' many sharp and replaceable teeth, they have just three pairs of large permanent grinding tooth plates.

How the shark and fish differ from each other?

A shark's skeleton is made of cartilage, a type of strong but flexible tissue. Most other fish are covered in smooth, flat scales. A shark is covered in sharp, toothlike scales called denticles. Most other fish have just one gill slit—an organ for breathing—on each side of the body.

Is a chimaera a shark?

Chimaera are closely related to sharks, skates and rays. But they diverged from their shark relatives around 400 million years ago. They differ from sharks as they have: Upper jaws that are fused to their skull.

Is a ghost shark real?

Chimaeras, or ghost sharks, are one of the most elusive fish species in the world, so marine biologists were ecstatic when they spotted a baby ghost shark during a survey of New Zealand's South Island coast.

Why is chimaera called ghost shark?

Also called chimaeras, ghost sharks are dead-eyed, wing-finned fish rarely seen by people. Relatives of sharks and rays, these deep-sea denizens split off from these other groups some 300 million years ago.

Do chimaeras have swim bladders?

Chondrichthyes. Chondrichthyes are a taxonomic class of cartilaginous fishes that encompass sharks and rays (elasmobranchs) and chimaera. Though there are exceptions, in general, Chondrichthyes have exposed gills, no swim bladder, internal fertilization, and placoid denticles.

Do chimaera have teeth?

Chimaeras don't have sharp teeth like sharks. They have one pair of grinding tooth plates in their lower jaw and two pairs of grinding tooth plates in their upper jaw that stick out of their mouth like a rabbit's teeth! They have thick bodies that taper to a long, thin rat-like tail.

What is a major difference between a shark and a fish when comparing reproduction?

A shark has two uterus. The eggs hatch inside of the shark and the juvenile grows there itself before emerging out as a new shark. In most fish, large numbers of eggs and sperm are dispensed into the water and eggs are fertilized outside of the body. Mortality is high.

How many teeth do sharks have?

Sharks have thousands of teeth. By around age 18, we have our complete adult set, totaling 32 teeth. Most sharks have 5 rows of teeth, and can have as many as 3000 teeth at once! It's a good thing sharks never run out of teeth, as they lose up to 100 per day.

Do sharks have gills on both sides?

All sharks have five to seven pairs of gills on the side of the head. Gas exchange occurs at the gills and oxygenated water must always be flowing over the gill filaments for respiration to occur.

What is an example of a chimera?

Human and animal chimeras can have two different blood types at the same time. It may be similar amounts of each blood type. For example, in one case, a female chimera had blood that was 61 percent type O and 39 percent type A. Male tortoiseshell cats are often chimeras.

What 3 animals make a chimera?

Chimera, in Greek mythology, a fire-breathing female monster resembling a lion in the forepart, a goat in the middle, and a dragon behind.

Why is the chimera fish named that?

Chimaera Species Rabbit fish: This species is also known as Chimera monstrosa. Its name comes from its large head and small, tapering body.

What is the most common chimera?

The most common form is fetal-maternal microchimerism, where the fetus and mother exchange cells (through the placenta), which can remain in circulation in the mother decades later. One study found nearly 50 percent of female chimeras had Y-chromosomes (presumably from their sons) detected in heart biopsy tissue.

How big are clearnose skates?

Physical characteristics: Clearnose skates reach a total length of 31 inches (79 centimeters). The head, pectoral fins, and trunk are flattened and join to form a broad disk. The tail makes up about one-half of the total length of the skate. The sides of the snout are not clear but are cloudy, like frosted glass. A row of thorns runs down the back. Clearnose skates are brown to gray on the back and whitish to yellowish on the belly. There are dark and light spots and dark bars on the back.

What are the characteristics of a chimaera?

PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS. Chimaeras (kye-MIHR-uhs), sharks, and skates and rays are the class of fishes whose skeleton is made of cartilage (KAR-teh-lej), a tough but flexible supporting tissue. Chimaeras have large heads and long bodies that taper to a whiplike tail. The skin is smooth and rubbery and has no scales.

What are sharks used for?

Sharks are used for their meat, oil, and hides, which are used for leather. Skates and rays are eaten in some areas, and the skin sometimes is used for leather.

How many species of sharks are endangered?

The World Conservation Union (IUCN) lists eight species of sharks and skates and rays as Critically Endangered, seventeen as Endangered, thirty-two as Vulnerable, sixty-four as Lower Risk/Near Threatened, and one as Lower Risk/Conservation Dependent.

How do chimaeras reproduce?

All chimaeras, sharks, and skates and rays reproduce by internal fertilization ( FUR-teh-lih-zay-shun), meaning egg and sperm unite inside the female. Some species lay fertilized (FUR-teh-lyezd) eggs, and the young develop outside the mother. In other species the young develop inside the mother, hatch within the mother, and are born freely swimming.

What do chimeras eat?

Chimaeras eat bottom-dwelling animals such as crabs, clams, and fishes. Some sharks are fierce predators (PREH-duh-terz) that hunt and eat every sort of sea animal. Others simply strain plankton, the microscopic (MY-kro-SKA-pihk), invisible to the eye, plants and animals that drift in bodies of water.

How big do tiger sharks get?

Large females reach a length of 20 feet (6 meters). The teeth curve backward. Geographic range: Tiger sharks live all over the world. Habitat: Tiger sharks live mainly near the shore in muddy waters, where rivers meet the sea, near piers, in coral reefs, and in shallow lagoons.

What are chimaeras related to?

Chimaeras are fishes closely related to sharks, skates, and rays. You may never hear about them, because they commonly live in deep waters up to 3000 meters, and it’s challenging to study them in their natural habitat. Chimaeras also have less coverage in the media compared to their most famous relatives, the sharks. In this post, I´ll try to go “deep” into these amazing fishes. Chondrichthyans are fishes with cartilage skeletons (similar to our ears). This group includes the Elasmobranch, (sharks, skates, and rays) and Holocephalans, in which are the Chimaeras that evolved with different characteristics from elasmobranchs 400 million years ago.

How many species of chimaeras are there?

There are around 49 species of chimaeras in the world so far. These fishes have an elongated and cone-shaped body whit a whip-like tail and smooth skin without scales. Their size, when adults range from 60 to 150 cm. Chimaeras have large eyes, a single gill opening, and a small mouth with a particular pair of teeth in the lower jaw which pops out from the mouth like rodents’ incisors. Due to their teeth, chimaeras are commonly known as ratfish or rabbitfish. They also called spook fish or ghost shark because of their spectral appearance, but don’t be afraid, chimaeras are strange but have some charm.

Where do chimeras live?

While chimeras live in hard-to-reach places, they are sometimes caught incidentally by deep-sea fishing nets. It is also common to observe chimeras in videos of deep-sea exploration with submarines, and this has given us an excellent opportunity to see the chimaeras in their natural habitat. In some fisheries of the northern region of the peninsula of Baja California, Mexico, chimaeras are incidentally caught. But we still know very little about chimaeras. Information is key to identify the possible impacts of fishing in these fishes and to understand what actions to take for its fisheries management and conservation.

How deep do chimaeras live?

Visible on its snout are tiny pores which lead to electroreceptor cells. Chimaeras live in temperate ocean floors down to 2,600 m (8,500 ft) deep, with few occurring at depths shallower than 200 m (660 ft). Exceptions include the members of the genus Callorhinchus, ...

How do chimaeras resemble sharks?

Chimaeras resemble sharks in some ways: they employ claspers for internal fertilization of females and they lay eggs with leathery cases. They also use electroreception to find their prey. However, unlike sharks, male chimaeras also have retractable sexual appendages on the forehead (a type of tentaculum) and in front of the pelvic fins. The females lay eggs in spindle -shaped, leathery egg cases.

What is a chimera fish?

Chimaeras are cartilaginous fish in the order Chimaeriformes / kɪˈmɛrɪfɔːrmiːz /, 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.

What is a ghost shark?

For the film, see Ghost Shark (film). Chimaeras are cartilaginous fish in the order Chimaeriformes / kɪˈmɛrɪfɔːrmiːz /, 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.

How big do chimaeras get?

They grow up to 150 cm (4.9 ft) in length, although this includes the lengthy tail found in some species. In many species, the snout is modified into an elongated sensory organ. Like other members of the class Chondrichthyes, chimaera skeletons are constructed of cartilage.

What is the color of a chimaera?

Their skin is smooth and naked, lacking placoid scales (except in the claspers), and their color can range from black to brownish gray. For defense, most chimaeras have a venomous spine in front of the dorsal fin. They use these fins to "fly" through water.

What fish are found in shallow water?

Exceptions include the members of the genus Callorhinchus, the rabbit fish and the spotted ratfish, which locally or periodically can be found at relatively shallow depths. Consequently, these are also among the few species from the chimaera order kept in public aquaria.

Why do sharks hunt in packs?

Some of the smaller species, in­ cluding the deep-water green dog shark, are thought by some to hunt in packs, because their stomachs often contain the beaks of squid and octopus, repre­ senting prey too large and agile for these small sharks to kill and eat alone.

What do sharks eat?

Some sharks appear to be indiscrimi­ nant in their feeding habits. Curiously, the largest known species feed on the smallest prey, and some of the smallest sharks consume relatively large crea­ tures. The huge whale sharks and basking sharks are primarily filter feeders. These sharks swim with their mouths open anq strain or filter out small planktonic organisms as the water, coming in through the mouth, passes over sievelike gill rakers and out through the gill slits. Examination of stomach contents reveals that these large sharks filter great quantities of small crustacea and minute fishes in this manner, and such small prey con­ stitutes the primary source of food for them. On the other hand, there is little doubt that the whale sharks also, oc­ casionally, consume larger pre y. Fishermen have reported that whale sharks, feeding at the surface on great schools of small fishes, occasionally trap tunas which are also feeding on the small fishes and which, in their quest for food, follow the small fishes straight into the whale shark's mouth.

How many species of sharks are there in the world?

An estimated 300 species of sharks are recognized in the world today. In several instances, especially among the larger, far-ranging species, we have probably described the same sharks under more than one name. There are, however, undoubtedly other species existing that hav.e not been given names as yet, particularly in the deeper sections of the ocean and in the mid- 4 water realms which have not been thoroughly investigated. A few species, including the Green­ land shark and the Pacific sleeper shark, inhabit very cold seas, but the variety and number of sharks are greater in tropical and subtropical waters. Sharks are present in greater variety, and probably also in greater abundance, in moderate depths--from 50 to more than 500 fathoms. Some

How deep are sharks?

sharks are found in much greater depths, although actual captures have not been made as yet in water s deeper than 1,500 fathoms (9, 000 feet). There are also several species that inhabit very shallow waters along the coasts. The se include some of the dogfishes, small blacktip sharks, hammerheads, nur se sharks, sand sharks, and sand­ bar sharks.

What are the senses of sharks?

The sense of smell is presumed to be highly developed and has been shown experi­ mentally to playa major role in food finding. Sharks also have a sense corresponding to our sense of taste, but organs for t as tin g are widely scattered over the skin of the head and even other parts of the body. Although this sense is in some way related to feeding habits, it is possible that in sharks it serves other functions as well. Sharks I eyesight is apparently adapted best for the detection of movement, but their eyes are extremely complicated structures, adapting especially to low light levels. Some sharks have cal car e 0 us bodies in the chamber of the inner ear which are presumed to be associated with the sense of balance. Sharks are responsive to noises and pressure waves, but the importance of sound and pressure differentials to sharks is not well understood. Experimental pro­ cedures to determine the roles of the ears (internal) and the lateral line organs have met with only limited success. Sharks apparently have a very low intelligence level and many, if not all, of their activities are reflexive. The 8 nervous system of the shark is de:­ centralized to a much greater extent than it is in the higher vertebrates, and the areas of the brain usually re­ garded as thought centers are absent in sharks. Sharks have been shown ex­ perimentally to be capable of develop­ ing rather complicated responses to conditioning stimuli and may t h us be able to learn at the ref lex level.

How much does a thresher shark weigh?

A small thresher shark, Alopios vulpinu$. A l-t-foot specimen of this species, recently taken was estimated to weigh approximately 501) pounds and possessed a caudal lobe measuring 71 feet. The long caudal lobe is apparently used to stun prey.

What is the name of a creature that is often subject to scientific names of Greek or Latin derivation?

creatures confusion. are frequently subject to Scientific names of Greek or Latin derivation are frequently re­ duced to English form and used as English common names. Chimaera is such a name (derived from the Greek

Chondrichthyans

Collectively, sharks, rays, skates and chimaeras are known as Chondrichthyans. In general, this group is characterised by a cartilaginous skeleton (as opposed to a bony one), jaws, paired fins, scales, paired nares (which assist in breathing) and hearts with two chambers.

Difference Between Skates & Rays

Many people find it difficult to tell skates and rays apart as they both appear flat and somewhat round in appearance as they travel along the ocean bed. Skates have a stockier tail with no stinger and pelvic fins comprising of two lobes.

Similarities Between Sharks, Rays & Skates

Sharks, rays and skates have placoid scales, otherwise known as dermal denticles. This gives their skin a rough feel when felt in a certain direction, much like sandpaper. In fact, shark skin has been used as sandpaper for this very reason.

Habitat Of Skates & Rays

Skates and rays can be found in all of the major oceans of the world ;i.e. the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian. They live anywhere between eight metres and 3000 metres below the water’s surface, as well as in areas where rivers flow into the oceans.

Reproduction Of Skates & Rays

Skates produce fertilised eggs in a protective sac, which then hatches a litter after about six to nine months. Rays, on the other hand, give birth to live young (as is the case with human beings). Neither species looks after their young once born or hatched.

Chimaeras

Chimaeras also live on the ocean floor, approximately 2500 metres down. There are exceptions that favour shallower waters. Their bodies are soft and long and their heads relatively large in proportion. Their skin is smooth and usually brown, grey or black in colour.

FASCINATING, MYSTERIOUS & BIZARRE!

Dwelling at the bottom of our oceans are these remarkable enigmas. A close relative of sharks, skates and rays...

WHAT DO THEY LOOK LIKE?

Chimaera have a lot in common with sharks but there are key differences. Chimaera...

CHIMAERA THREATS

We know very little about these creatures. Adding to their mystery. It's difficult for scientists to study them because of where they live, deep at the bottom of the sea. But we do know that they:

What Is a Chimaera?

A chimaera is a strange fish that has a network of lines over its surface. The lines often look like seams. They give the impression that the animal's body has been created by stitching together parts of other creatures. The appearance is reminiscent of the chimera, a creature in Ancient Greek mythology whose body consisted of parts of different animals joined together.

Why is a ratfish called a ratfish?

This is one reason why the fish is called a "rat" fish. The teeth enable a ratfish to grind the shells of its prey very effectively.

What is a chimaera's head?

A chimaera has a big head with large eyes and a snout in front of its eyes. The snout looks like a duck's bill. Some chimaeras are known as ratfish because their body tapers into a long, rat-like tail and their teeth look somewhat like rat incisors.

What is the name of the fire breathing monster in Greek mythology?

The chimera was a fire-breathing monster in Ancient Greek mythology. It had the head of a lion, the body of a goat, and the tail of a snake. The chimaera probably reminded earlier naturalists of the chimera due to the body parts that resemble different animals and the seam-like lateral line system of the fish.

What is the name of the long-nosed chimaera?

Rhinochimaeridae : long-nosed chimaeras. Some fish in the first two families listed above are known as ghost sharks, even though chimaeras are not sharks. In addition, there are bony fish (class Osteichthyes) with the same common name as some chimaeras. A bony rabbitfish and a bony elephant fish exist, for example.

What is the appearance of a chimaera?

The body surface has the typical seamed appearance of a chimaera. The eyes contain a tapetum lucidum that reflects light, like a cat's eye, giving the fish an eerie, ghost-like appearance. Other chimaeras share this feature, which is one reason why some species are known as ghost sharks.

How do chimeras move?

Chimaeras move by flapping the large pectoral fins on the sides of their body, which makes them like they are flying through the water. Many species have a sharp, poisonous spine in front of the first dorsal fin on the top of their body. The chemicals released by the spine seem to be only mildly poisonous to humans, but the structure can inflict a painful wound.

How many tons of chimaeras are there in the Pacific Northwest?

While there not many species of chimaeras in the Pacific Northwest, they are a common by-catch (about 700 tons per year) within the commercial trawl fishery for skates. Since Ratfish are of no commercial value, they are discarded at sea. As such, rates of discard mortality remain unknown. Advertisements.

What is a chimaera?

Chimaeras are known as “chondrichthyans” or species whose skeletons are formed from cartilage as opposed to bone. The term chondrichthyans is also used to describe all sharks (Elasmobranchii), skates and rays (Batoidea) and chimaeras (Chimaeriformes) species. Chimaeras are also known informally as Ghost Sharks, Ratfish, Spookfish or Rabbitfishes.

What is the meaning of stingrays?

Stingrays are ovoviviparous meaning that their eggs develop & hatch inside the mother, who then gives birth to live young. These rays can be found in all parts of the world, even in fresh water. Commonly recognized species of stingray include the Southern Stingray, the Spotted Eagle Ray and the Blue-spotted Stingray.

How big are manta rays?

Manta Rays can be easily identified by their great size. The largest Manta Rays have a wing spans up to 25 feet and weigh as much as 3,000 pounds. Despite their size, Manta Rays are not vicious predators. They filter feed and have large padded lobes on either side of their heads to direct food into their mouths.

How are rays identified?

Rays are easily identifiable by their unique shape and behavior. While all rays have flattened bodies, the type of ray can frequently be distinguished by its body shape (round, diamond, or triangular), its method of swimming, thickness of its tail and the presence of stings or barbs.

What is the oldest fish in the world?

Chimaeras are also known informally as Ghost Sharks, Ratfish, Spookfish or Rabbitfishes. The closest living relatives to chimaeras are sharks although in evolutionary terms, they branched off nearly 400 million years ago. They are believed to be the oldest and most enigmatic groups of fishes alive today.

How deep do electric rays swim?

Electric Rays are found at many depths, from shallow waters to as far as to 3,000 feet below the surface. Rays are easily identifiable by their unique shape and behavior.

Overview

Description and habits

Phylogenetics

Parasites

Classification

See also