Spotted ratfish
Hydrolagus colliei
- Not on exhibit
- Animal type
- Fishes
- Ecosystem
- Deep sea
- Relatives
- Shortnose chimaeras or ratfishes
- Diet
- Shrimp, clams, worms, sea stars, fishes
- Range
- Surface to 3,300 feet (1,000 m); in Monterey Bay they are most common at 98 to 200 feet (30–61 m)
- Size
- Up to 38 inches (1 m) for females; males are significantly smaller
Meet the spotted ratfish
These fish have smooth skin, large green eyes, a rabbitlike face and a mouth with platelike, grinding teeth. The tail is tiny, so for propulsion they flap their large, winglike pectoral fins. Ratfish cruise just above the seafloor searching for crunchy food like crabs and clams.
Natural history
Spotted ratfish are among the deepest-living fishes in Monterey Bay. They are related to sharks and are considered the missing link between the bony and cartilaginous fishes because they have the characteristics of both. These fish have a long venomous spine in front of the dorsal fin.
Conservation
Ratfish are caught accidentally in trawl fisheries.
Up next in deep sea
Animal
Bone-eating worm
Discovered in 2004, this new species of tube worm feeds on the bones of dead whales that fall to the bottom…
Keep exploring
Animal
Giant siphonophore
When startled, the giant siphonophore glows with bright blue light.