Untitled - Alaska Resources Library

Order Chimaeriformes
Family Chimaeridae — Ratfishes or Shortnose Chimaeras
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Hydrolagus colliei (Lay & Bennett, 1839). Spotted Ratfish or Whitespotted Ratfish. To 100 cm (39.3 in) TL
(Krupp and Bussing in Fischer et al. 1995). Western Gulf of Alaska (Mecklenburg et al. 2002) to near
Punta Prieta (26°59'N, 114°02'W), southern Baja California (González-Acosta et al. 1999) and northern
Gulf of California (Hart 1973). Two isolated populations in the Gulf of California: one at Isla Tiburon,
the other in the Bahiá de La Paz–Cabo San Lucas region (González-Acosta et al. 1999). Surface (Clemens
and Wilby 1961) to 971 m (3,185 ft; Ebert 2003), usually near bottom (Mecklenburg et al. 2002); also
intertidal (Cross 1981).
Hydrolagus sp. Black Chimaera. To at least 110 cm (43.3 in) TL. Known from a few specimens off southern
California in 925–1,400 m (3,034–4,459 ft), and in deep water in the Gulf of California (Ebert 2003).
Hydrolagus sp. An undescribed species has been videotaped on the Davidson Seamount, central California,
at a depth of over 2,000 m (6,560 ft; Ebert 2003).
Family Rhinochimaeridae — Longnose Chimaeras
Harriotta raleighana Goode & Bean, 1895. Longnose Chimaera, Pacific Longnose Chimaera, or Widenose
Chimaera. To 120 cm (47.2 in) TL (Ebert 2003). Circumglobal; Japan (Nakabo in Nakabo 2002);
southern California, Baja California, Gulf of California (Eschmeyer and Herald 1983), and Peru (3°47'S,
81°28'W; Chirichigno and Vélez 1998). At depths of 400–2,603 m (1,312–8,538 ft) (min.: Nakabo in
Nakabo 2002; max.: Ebert 2003).
Order Hexanchiformes
Family Chlamydoselachidae — Frill Sharks
Chlamydoselachus anguineus Garman, 1884. Frill Shark. To at least 1.96 m (6.4 ft) TL (Ebert 2003).
Circumglobal; Point Arguello, central California (Miller and Lea 1972) to Chile (Pequeño 1989). Surface
to 1,500 m (4,920 ft; Ebert 2003).
Family Hexanchidae — Cow Sharks
Hexanchus griseus (Bonnaterre, 1788). Bluntnose Sixgill Shark, Mud Shark, or Sixgill Shark. To about 4.82 m
(15.8 ft) TL (Castro 1983). Circumglobal in temperate and tropical waters; southern Japan (Nakaya and
Shirai in Masuda et al. 1984); eastern North Pacific south of Aleutian Islands (Larkins 1964) to southern
tip of Baja California (Compagno et al. in Fischer et al. 1995) to Chile (Chirichigno and Vélez 1998).
Surface to at least 2,500 m (8,200 ft), adults usually below 91 m (298 ft) (min.: Compagno 1984; max.:
Ebert 2003). The modifier bluntnose was added to the common name by Compagno (1999); there are
two species of sixgill shark, although only one occurs in our area.
Notorynchus cepedianus (Péron, 1807). Broadnose Sevengill Shark or Sevengill Shark. To 2.96 m (9.7 ft)
TL (Ebert 1989); there are no authenticated records larger than this (D. A. Ebert, pers. comm. to M. L.).
Circumglobal in temperate waters; China and Japan, Australia and New Zealand, to northern British
Columbia (Clemens and Wilby 1946) to southern Baja California, Gulf of California, and Peru to Chile
(Compagno 1984). At less than 1 m to 570 m (1,870 ft) (min.: Compagno 1984; max.: Robertson and
Allen 2002). The modifier broadnose was added to the common name by Compagno (1999).