Spotted ratfish
📖 Overview
Found near the bottom, from close inshore to about 913 m . Abundant in cold waters at moderate depths. Feed on mollusks, crustaceans and fishes ; also echinoderms and worms . The spine can be dangerous and cause a painful wound . Fishers are reputed to fear the jaws of the ratfish more than they do the dorsal spine. Its flesh is edible but bland and leaves an unpleasant aftertaste . The liver was used as a source of machine oil .
🔬 Taxonomy
🐟 Physical Description
This species is distinguished by the following characters: short and bluntly rounded snout; oral and preopercular lateral line canals not sharing a short common branch from the infraorbital canal; anterior edge of dorsal-fin spine non-serrated; anterior and posterior regions of second dorsal-fin considerably taller than the middle region; pectoral fins when depressed do not reach beyond to origin of pelvic fins; no anal fin; caudal-fin axis horizontal with the fin nearly symmetrical, epaxial and hypaxial lobes equal sized; coloration brown or reddish brown with small white spots on head and trunk .: elongated; Cross section: angular.
🌀 Behaviour
Behavioural data for Spotted ratfish is currently being reviewed.
🦐 Diet
🥚 Reproduction
Distinct pairing during copulation . The female extrudes two eggs at a time (each contained in a capsule) and may take up to 30 hours to extrude all her egg cases, which then hang from her body on a long filament for another 4 to 6 days. The egg cases end up planted vertically in the mud or just lying with filaments entangled on the bottom. Females extruding egss can be found year-round .
🌍 Habitat & Distribution
Marine; bathydemersal; depth range 0 - 913 m , usually 50 - 400 m . Temperate; 59°N - 8°N, 141°W - 83°W west coast of North America from southwestern Alaska to Baja California, Mexico, including the Gulf of California, and Costa Rica.
🌿 Ecology
mollusks, crustaceans and fishes (Ref
📐 Morphometrics
🌡️ Water Parameters & Tolerance
🛡️ Conservation Assessment
📊 Population Risk & Fisheries
⚠️ Venom Profile
- immediate intense pain
- swelling
- erythema
- occasional nausea and weakness
Analgesia; wound care; tetanus prophylaxis; severe cases may require monitoring for systemic effects.
References: Compiled from Bhide (2018), Halstead et al. (1988) and family-specific envenomation literature
🎣 Angling Guide
- medium-heavy 7ft spinning rod
- 30-50 lb braid
- fluorocarbon leader
- grass flats
- oyster bars
- marsh drains
- deeper channel edges
Use barbless hooks, minimise air exposure, and revive fish head-first in current before release.
⚠️ Slot limits protect breeding-size fish. Verify daily bag limits.
📊 Population Dynamics
| Year | Region | Index | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| - | - | - |
🌐 Names & Taxonomy
Scientific Synonyms
| Scientific Name | Author | Year | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chimaera colliei | Lay & Bennett | 1839 | Synonym |
| Chimaera media | Garman | 1911 | Synonym |
| Chimaera neglecta | Ogilby | 1888 | Synonym |
| Hydrolagus media | Garman | 1911 | Synonym |
🔍 Similar Species
🗺️ Global Occurrence Map
Occurrence records from the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) - 82 records indexed .
👥 Community & Contribute
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