Silver chimaera
📖 Overview
Found in continental shelves and upper slopes ; shelf edge, 60-550 m . Feeds mainly on small benthic animals . Oviparous . Eggs are encased in horny shells . Used in Chinese medicine . Caught with bottom trawls but utilization uncertain except as fish balls (kamaboko) in Japan .
🔬 Taxonomy
🐟 Physical Description
Physical description for Silver chimaera is currently being compiled.
🌀 Behaviour
Behavioural data for Silver chimaera is currently being reviewed.
🦐 Diet
Silver chimaeras primarily prey on benthic invertebrates, such as crustaceans, echinoderms, and mollusks. Chimaeras use their electroreception to detect these organisms hiding under sand and rocks, then crush through their tough shells using their tooth plates. Silver chimaeras also consume soft-bodied prey, such as anemones, tunicates, jellyfish, polychaetes, and salps. All of these prey items are rather slow-moving or entirely sessile, indicating that silver chimaeras are not fast hunters but rather slow foragers.
🥚 Reproduction
Oviparous .
🌍 Habitat & Distribution
Marine; bathydemersal; depth range 90 - 540 m . Deep-water
🌿 Ecology
small benthic animals (Ref
📐 Morphometrics
🌡️ Water Parameters & Tolerance
🛡️ Conservation Assessment
📊 Population Risk & Fisheries
🍽️ Edibility & Flavour
"Silver chimaera is an edible species."
- Clear, bright eyes — cloudy eyes indicate age
- Firm flesh that springs back when pressed
- Fresh ocean smell, never strong or ammonia-like
- Bright red or pink gills, not grey or brown
- Shiny, moist skin with scales tightly attached
- Cloudy or sunken eyes
- Strong fishy or ammonia odour
- Soft, mushy flesh that doesn't spring back
- Discoloured or dry flesh
⚡ Nutrition
Detailed nutritional data for Silver chimaera is currently being compiled from USDA FoodData Central.
🔬 Mercury Safety
Mercury data for Silver chimaera has not yet been assigned. Please consult FDA/EPA guidance for general seafood safety advice.
🌿 Sustainability
🌐 Names & Taxonomy
Scientific Synonyms
| Scientific Name | Author | Year | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chimaera pseudomonstrosa | Fang & Wang | 1932 | Synonym |
| Chimaeridae phantasma | Jordan & Snyder | 1900 | Synonym |
🔍 Similar Species
🗺️ Global Occurrence Map
Occurrence records from the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) - 11 records indexed .
👥 Community & Contribute
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