Rhinochimaeridae

The Rhinochimaeridae, commonly known as long-nosed chimaeras, are a family of cartilaginous fish. They are similar in form and habits to other chimaeras, but have an exceptionally long conical or paddle-shaped snout. The snout has numerous sensory nerve endings, and is used to find food such as small fish. The first dorsal fin includes a mildly venomous spine, used in defense.

Long-nosed chimaeras are found in temperate and tropical seas worldwide, from 200 to 2000 m in depth. In August 2020, a long-nosed chimaera was brought up from 460 fathom off the Grand Banks of Newfoundland.

They range from 60 to 140 cm in maximum total length, depending on species.



Species
The eight known species are in three genera:

Family Rhinochimaeridae
 * Genus Harriotta Goode & Bean, 1895
 * Harriotta haeckeli Karrer, 1972 (smallspine spookfish)
 * Harriotta raleighana Goode & Bean, 1895 (narrownose chimaera)
 * Genus Neoharriotta Bigelow & Schroeder, 1950
 * Neoharriotta carri Bullis & J. S. Carpenter, 1966 (dwarf sicklefin chimaera)
 * Neoharriotta pinnata Schnakenbeck, 1931 (sicklefin chimaera)
 * Neoharriotta pumila Didier & Stehmann, 1996 (Arabian sicklefin chimaera)
 * Genus Rhinochimaera Garman, 1901
 * Rhinochimaera africana Compagno, Stehmann & Ebert, 1990 (paddlenose chimaera)
 * Rhinochimaera atlantica Holt & Byrne, 1909 (broadnose chimaera)
 * Rhinochimaera pacifica Mitsukuri, 1895 (Pacific spookfish)
 * Genus Amylodon Storms, 1895 Late Cretaceous-Paleogene