Description

This species is distinguished by the following characters: elongate body with an elongate, broad and paddle-shaped pointed snout extending anterior to head (SNL 47.7% HDL), tapering to a slender tail; the junction of supraorbital and infraorbital canals on ventral side of snout is closer to the tip of the snout than to the nasal canal; ONC/TIO is greater than 1.4 (ONC/TIO= 1.64); TIO/SWF is less than 1.5 (TIO/SWF= 1.47); TIO/LNC is less than 3.0 (TIO/LNC= 2.75); tooth-plates are nearly smooth; eyes are relatively small (EYL 6.4% BDL), distinctly behind level of mouth; the first and second dorsal fins are separated by a relatively long interdorsal space (IDS 23.6% BDL) and not connected by a web of skin; caudal-fin axis weakly raised with the fin asymmetrical, the epaxial caudal-fin lobe narrower than hypaxial lobe; dorsal caudal tubercles 25; caudal filament vestigial; coloration uniformly dark brown across entire body, except the oronasal region which is abruptly paler than the body (Ref. 97389).

Common Names

Taxonomic Hierarchy

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Holocephali

Order: Chimaeriformes

Family: Rhinochimaeridae

Genus: Rhinochimaera

Species: Rhinochimaera africana Compagno, Stehmann & Ebert, 1990

Climate Zone

Biology

Rare (Ref. 11228). Oviparous (Ref. 205). Eggs are encased in horny shells (Ref. 205).

Habitat

bathydemersal

Conservation Status

Data deficient

Threat to Humans

Harmless