Hydrolagus lusitanicus
| Portuguese chimaera | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Chondrichthyes |
| Subclass: | Holocephali |
| Order: | Chimaeriformes |
| Family: | Chimaeridae |
| Genus: | Hydrolagus |
| Species: | H. lusitanicus |
| Binomial name | |
| Hydrolagus lusitanicus (Moura, T., Figueiredo, I., Bordalo-Machado, P., Almeida, C. and Gordo, L.S., 2005) | |
Hydrolagus lusitanicus, commonly known as the Portuguese chimaera, is a species of fish of the family Chimaeridae. It is a deep sea species which has been found on the continental slope in the north-east Atlantic, with only 22 specimens recorded as of 2024.[1]
Description
Hydrolagus lusitanicus has a stout body which tapers from a large head to its short tail. It has a rose to light brown coloured body, with whitish patches on its head and violet-blue fins. The size of its eyes is less than 20% of its total head length. It has a maximum known precaudal length of 118 centimetres (46 in).[2]
Between H. lusitanicus and Hydrolagus pallidus there is a genetic divergence of 1.6%, meaning that it is possible that H. lusitanicus is a colour variant.[3]
Distribution and habitat
Hydrolagus lusitanicus occurs at depths of 1,600 metres (5,200 ft) and deeper.[2] It is native to the waters of Portugal from Figueira da Foz to Algarve.[1]
Reproduction
Conservation
Hydrolagus lusitanicus is categorised as least concern on the IUCN Red List as its depth is beyond that of the regular depth of deepsea trawling fisheries, with no known impact of fishing upon the population.[1] It is occasionally taken as a bycatch of fisheries targeting Black scabbardfish.[4]
References
- 1 2 3 Finucci, B.; Ebert, David A.; Charles, R. (2024). "Hydrolagus lusitanicus, Portuguese Chimaera". The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2024.
- 1 2 3 Ebert, David A.; Dando, Marc (2021). Field Guide to Sharks, Rays, and Chimaeras of Europe and the Mediterranean. Princeton, New Jersey: Princeton University Press. p. 55. ISBN 978-0-691-20598-4.
- ↑ Violi, B.; Gaither, M.R.; Burns, F.; Rus Hoelzel, A.; Neat, F. (2018). "Assessing ecological and molecular divergence between the closely related species Hydrolagus pallidus and H. affinis (Chimaeridae)". Journal of Fish Biology. 92 (4): 1211-1217.
- ↑ Moura, T.; Figueiredo, I.; Bordalo-Machado, P.; Almeida, C.; Gordo, L.S. (2005). "A new deep-water chimaerid species, Hydrolagus lusitanicus n. sp., from off mainland Portugal with aproposal of a new identification key for the genus Hydrolagus (Holocephali: Chimaeridae) in the north-east Atlantic". Journal of Fish Biology. 67: 742–751.