Some 35 species of living chimaera are known, divided into three families. Females of this species produce only two eggs at a time, packaged in capsules that resemble tiny violin-cases. The eggs require what must be an unpleasantly long time to extrude and may trail behind a female for 4 to 6 days before dropping off. The Spotted Ratfish is frequently encountered at night by scuba divers off Washington and British Columbia. The cephalic tentaculum has an opposable tip, enabling the male Spotted Ratfish to grasp a receptive female by a corresponding 'hollow' on her nape.
Longnose chimaeras are deep-sea fishes that, as a group, are very poorly known.
Adults migrate inshore during the austral spring to shallow grounds where mating and egg-laying take place. The Elephant Fish is caught commercially during the inshore migration, either in trawls or set nets. The firm white fillets are either used locally in the fish and chip trade or are exported to Australia. It seems a shame that such a wonderfully implausible creature should end up deep-fried and dolloped with tartar sauce. Copyright Rick Martin.