Rabbitfish chimaera monstrosa hires stock photography and images Alamy

Chimaera monstrosa, commonly known as the rabbit fish or rat fish, is a northeast Atlantic and Mediterranean species of cartilaginous fish in the family Chimaeridae. [1] The rabbit fish is known for its characteristically large head and small, tapering body. With large eyes, nostrils, and tooth plates, the head gives them a rabbit-like appearance, hence the nickname "Rabbit fish". They can.. Also known as ghost sharks. Chimaera are closely related to sharks, skates and rays. But they diverged from their shark relatives around 400 million years ago.

Etymology: Chimaera: Named for the mythological creature composed of parts of multiple animals, referring to their odd mix of characteristics (See ETYFish); monstrosa: Latin for strange or grotesque, referring to its strange appearance, as if composed of parts of multiple animals (See ETYFish). More on author: Linnaeus.. Callorhinchus callorynchus Chimaera monstrosa Hydrolagus affinis Harriotta raleighana In some classifications, the chimaeras are included (as subclass Holocephali) in the class Chondrichthyes of cartilaginous fishes; in other systems, this distinction may be raised to the level of class. Chimaeras also have some characteristics of bony fishes.