Classification / Names
Common names | Synonyms | Catalog of Fishes (gen., sp.) | ITIS | CoL | WoRMS | Cloffa
Holocephali (chimaeras) > Chimaeriformes
(Chimaeras) > Chimaeridae
(Shortnose chimaeras or ratfishes)
Etymology: Hydrolagus: Greek, hydr = water + Greek, lagos = hare (Ref. 45335); melanophasma: The specific name is derived from melano- (Greek prefix) meaning black and –phasma (Greek noun) meaning specter or spirit. Vernacular: Eastern Pacific Black Ghostshark.
Environment / Climate / Range
Marine; benthopelagic; depth range 2 - 1720 m (Ref. 93040), usually 565 - 1720 m (Ref. 93040). Subtropical; 35°N - 40°S, 125°W - 70°W (Ref. 93040)
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ?  range ? - ? cm
Max length : 120 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 82286)
Morphology | Morphometrics
A species of the genus Hydrolagus based on the absence of an anal fin. Hydrolagus
melanophasma sp. nov. is distinguished from other chimaeroids by a blunt snout with minimal sloping from the orbit to the snout tip, a large slightly curved dorsal fin spine (25.9 % BDL) extending beyond first dorsal fin apex, and a long second dorsal fin (77.3–81.1% BDL) of uniform height throughout. The pectoral fins are large, reaching beyond the pelvic fin insertion when laid flat, trifid claspers forked for 27–27.8% of the total clasper length and the preopercular and oral lateral line canals branch separately or together from the infraorbital canal. Coloration after preservation is a uniform black with no distinct mottling or markings (Ref. 82286).
Eastern Pacific Ocean: From Baja California, Mexico to Validivia, Chile.
James, K.C., D.A. Ebert, D.J. Long and D.A. Didier, 2009. A new species of chimaera, Hydrolagus melanophasma sp. nov. (Chondrichthyes: Chimaeriformes: Chimaeridae), from the eastern North Pacific. Zootaxa 2218:59-68. (Ref. 82286)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 90363)
CITES (Ref. 94142)
Threat to humans
Common namesSynonymsMetabolismPredatorsEcotoxicologyReproductionMaturitySpawningFecundityEggsEgg development
ReferencesAquacultureAquaculture profileStrainsGeneticsAllele frequenciesHeritabilityDiseasesProcessingMass conversion
CollaboratorsPicturesStamps, CoinsSoundsCiguateraSpeedSwim. typeGill areaOtolithsBrainsVision
Estimates of some properties based on models
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref. 82805
= 0.5000 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.00275 (0.00114 - 0.00667), b=3.11 (2.90 - 3.32), based on LWR estimates for this Subfamily-body shape (Ref. 93245
Trophic Level (Ref. 69278
): 0.0 ±0.0 se; Based on size and trophs of closest relatives
Resilience (Ref. 69278
Vulnerability (Ref. 59153
): High vulnerability (63 of 100) .