Depth
Chimaera · Sharks & Rays

Rabbit Fish

Chimaera monstrosa

300-1000m
Depth Range
1.5m
Max Size
Mediterranean
Distribution
300-1000m
Depth Range
1.5m
Max Size
Deep water
Habitat
Carnivore
Diet
Solitary
Social
NT
IUCN Status
Rare
Sighting Likelihood
Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Chordata
Class Holocephali
Genus Chimaera
Species monstrosa

Elasmobranch

Identification & Biology

  • IdentificationNot a true fish but a chimaera, related to sharks and rays. Has a large, blunt head with a duck-like snout, enormous reflective silver-green eyes, and a long, whip-like tail. The body is silver-grey to brown with a smooth, scaleless skin. A venomous spine sits in front of the first dorsal fin.
  • SizeUp to 150 cm total length including the tail filament. Body length up to about 100 cm.
  • Social HabitSolitary or in small groups at depth. Slow-moving and docile. Also known as the ratfish or ghost shark.
  • HabitatDeep continental slopes and submarine canyons, usually on or near muddy bottoms.
  • Depth40 to 1400 m. Most common between 300 and 500 m. Occasionally recorded shallower in northern parts of its range.
  • Feeds OnBottom-dwelling invertebrates including crabs, sea urchins, molluscs, and worms, crushed with flat tooth plates.
  • DistributionEastern Atlantic from Iceland and Norway to Morocco and the Azores, and throughout the Mediterranean Sea.
  • DescriptionChimaera monstrosa belongs to the order Chimaeriformes, an ancient group that split from sharks and rays over 300 million years ago. The large, reflective eyes are adapted for life in near-total darkness on the deep sea floor. The venomous dorsal spine can inflict a painful wound if handled. Despite its strange appearance, it is harmless to divers. Listed as Near Threatened by the IUCN in the Mediterranean.

Range

Habitat & Distribution

A deep-water species found along the continental slopes of the Mediterranean, typically at depths of 300-1000m. Occasionally caught as bycatch by deep-water trawlers but almost never encountered by recreational divers.

Where Malta divers have spotted this species

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Sightings are logged by divers using our What Did You See? dive-log tool. View the full live sightings map.

Detail

Preferred Environment

Inhabits muddy and soft-sediment deep-sea floors along continental slopes. Prefers cold, dark environments well below the photic zone, where it forages slowly along the bottom.

Encounter Tips

Best approached slowly and calmly. Avoid casting shadows directly over the animal. Neutral buoyancy and patience increase encounter success significantly.

Rabbit Fish species card

Biology

Behaviour & Diet

Feeding Strategy

Feeds on bottom-dwelling invertebrates including crustaceans, molluscs, worms, and echinoderms. Uses its mineralised tooth plates to crush hard-shelled prey items found on or in the sediment.

Benthic crusher

Reproduction

Oviparous, laying large, elongated leathery egg cases on the seabed. Each case contains a single embryo that develops over several months before hatching. Reproductive output is very low.

Oviparous

Behaviour & Defence

Possesses a mildly venomous spine at the leading edge of the first dorsal fin. Its deep-water habitat provides the primary protection from most predators.

Venomous dorsal spine

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Where to Encounter in Malta

Dive sites where Chimaera monstrosa may be encountered will be added as sighting data is collected.

IUCN Red List Near Threatened

Conservation Status

This species is assessed as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List. Mediterranean populations face ongoing pressure from fishing activity, habitat degradation, and climate-driven changes.

Source: IUCN Red List
diveshack Mediterranean Marine Life guide