What kind of fish is ratfish?
cartilaginous fish
About Spotted Ratfish Spotted Ratfish are a cartilaginous fish distantly related to sharks. This is probably one of the most visually striking fish at the Aquarium. It has a long, scaleless body that tapers to a rat-like tail – which gives the fish its unusual name.
Is Ratfish a true fish?
The spotted ratfish (Hydrolagus colliei) is a chimaera found in the north-eastern Pacific Ocean. Often seen by divers at night in the Pacific Northwest, this cartilaginous fish gets its characteristic name from a pointed rat-like tail.
Can you eat spotted ratfish?
Despite a mildly venomous dorsal spine, the fish is edible, though what little meat the ratfish carries allegedly leaves a strong, unpleasant aftertaste.
How many gill slits do spotted ratfish have?
six gill slits
shark with six gill slits on each side of the head; also the only species with a single dorsal fin. Dentition Lower jaw with 6 comb- shaped teeth. Coloration Dark gray to brown dorsally; light gray to white ventrally. Body shape Stout, with broad, rounded head.
What kind of fish is a spotted ratfish?
The spotted ratfish is a chimera, a group of fish believed to have evolved from sharks 400 million years ago. Chimaeras resemble sharks in that they use claspers for internal fertilization of females and they lay eggs with leathery cases.
What does the clasper on a spotted ratfish do?
The club-line appendage on the forehead of male spotted ratfish, called a clasper, is used during mating to grip the female, typically on the pectoral fin, and aid in ensuring copulation occurs. The long, tapering body of the spotted ratfish is silvery or brownish, often with iridescent shadings of gold, green and blues.
Are there any conservation methods for spotted ratfish?
Like bony fishes, they have gill covers. They retain traces of a third pair of limbs, the only vertebrates that do so. There are no conservation methods being developed for the spotted ratfish except in Oregon where trawlers are using special gear to avoid the fish in their bycatch.
How big does a newborn spotted ratfish get?
Newborn ratfish are about 14 cm (5.5 in) long and resemble an adult ratfish. They grow to a length of 30 cm (1 ft) in their first year. Using their pectoral fins, spotted ratfish swim slowly in search of prey they find primarily by smell. At sundown they migrate from deep to shallower waters on the prowl for a meal.