The African chimaera (Hydrolagus africanus) is a species of fish in the family Chimaeridae found near Kenya, Mozambique, Namibia, and South Africa. Its natural habitat is deep-waters up to the depth of 750 m [2] Eight species of chimaera are found in the southern African region, representing the three families and all six genera.[3]

African chimaera
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Chondrichthyes
Subclass: Holocephali
Order: Chimaeriformes
Family: Chimaeridae
Genus: Hydrolagus
Species:
H. africanus
Binomial name
Hydrolagus africanus
(Gilchrist, 1922)
Hydrolagus africanus from deep-waters of Andaman and Nicobar Islands, image from the survey of FORV Sagar Sampada in 2016

Distribution

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Hydrolagus africanus distributed in the western Indian Ocean from Kenya and Mozambique to the Western Cape province, South Africa, and in the south-eastern Atlantic along the west coast of South Africa north to Angola.[4] However, there are informations on this species from Thailand, off the southwest coast of India, Arabian Sea and Andaman Nicobar Islands.[5]

 
Hydrolagus africanus from off southwest coast of India, Arabian sea, an image from survey of FORV Sagar Sampada in 2014

References

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  1. ^ Finucci, B. (2020). "Hydrolagus africanus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2020: e.T60188A124449617. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-2.RLTS.T60188A124449617.en. Retrieved 14 November 2021.
  2. ^ Compagno, L.J.V. (1986). Smiths' sea fishes. Berlin: Springer-Verlag.
  3. ^ Silva, C. da; Booth, A. J.; Dudley, S. F. J.; Kerwath, S. E.; Lamberth, S. J.; Leslie, R. W.; McCord, M. E.; Sauer, W. H. H.; Zweig, T. (2015-04-03). "The current status and management of South Africa's chondrichthyan fisheries". African Journal of Marine Science. 37 (2): 233–248. doi:10.2989/1814232X.2015.1044471. ISSN 1814-232X.
  4. ^ Walovich, K. A.; Ebert, D. A.; Long, D. J.; Didier, D. A. (2015-04-03). "Redescription of Hydrolagus africanus (Gilchrist, 1922) (Chimaeriformes: Chimaeridae), with a review of southern African chimaeroids and a key to their identification". African Journal of Marine Science. 37 (2): 157–165. doi:10.2989/1814232X.2015.1033012. ISSN 1814-232X.
  5. ^ FishBase, Online database of fishes (February 18, 2021). "Hydrolagus africanus".