Rhinochimaeridae, commonly known as long-nosed chimaeras, is a family

Family (biology)

In biological classification, family is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, and species, with family fitting between order and genus. As for the other well-known ranks, there is the option of an immediately lower rank, indicated by the...

 of cartilaginous fish. They are similar in form and habits to other chimaeras, but have an exceptionally long, conical or paddle-shaped, snout. The snout has numerous sensory nerve endings, and is used to find food such as small fish. The first dorsal fin

Dorsal fin

A dorsal fin is a fin located on the backs of various unrelated marine and freshwater vertebrates, including most fishes, marine mammals , and the ichthyosaurs...

 includes a mildly poisonous spine, used in defence.

Long-nosed chimaeras are found in temperate and tropical seas worldwide, from 200 to 2000 m (656.2 to 6,561.7 ft) depth. They range from 60 to 140 cm (2 to 4.6 ft) in maximum total length, depending on species.

Species

There are eight known species, in three genera:

Family Rhinochimaeridae

• Genus Harriotta
  Harriotta
  Harriotta is a genus of fish in the Rhinochimaeridae family.It contains the following species:* Harriotta haeckeli Karrer, 1972 * Harriotta raleighana Goode & Bean, 1895...
  
  Goode
  George Brown Goode
  George Brown Goode , was an ichthyologist, although most of his time was spent as a museum administrator and he was very interested in the history of science, especially the history of the development of science in America. Goode graduated from Wesleyan University and studied at Harvard University...
  
   & Bean
  Tarleton Hoffman Bean
  Tarleton Hoffman Bean was an American ichthyologist, born at Bainbridge, Pennsylvania on 8 October 1846. He died in Albany, New York on 28 December 1916.-FAMILY AND EDUCATION :...
  
  , 1895
  • Harriotta haeckeli Karrer, 1972 (Smallspine spookfish)
  • Harriotta raleighana Goode
    George Brown Goode
    George Brown Goode , was an ichthyologist, although most of his time was spent as a museum administrator and he was very interested in the history of science, especially the history of the development of science in America. Goode graduated from Wesleyan University and studied at Harvard University...
    
     & Bean
    Tarleton Hoffman Bean
    Tarleton Hoffman Bean was an American ichthyologist, born at Bainbridge, Pennsylvania on 8 October 1846. He died in Albany, New York on 28 December 1916.-FAMILY AND EDUCATION :...
    
    , 1895 (Pacific Longnose chimaera)
    
• Genus Neoharriotta
  Neoharriotta
  Neoharriotta is a genus of fish in the Rhinochimaeridae family.It contains the following species:* Neoharriotta carri Bullis & J. S. Carpenter, 1966* Neoharriotta pinnata...
  
  Bigelow
  Henry Bryant Bigelow
  Henry Bryant Bigelow was an American oceanographer and marine biologist.After graduating from Harvard in 1901, he began working with famed ichthyologist Alexander Agassiz. Bigelow accompanied Agassiz on several major marine science expeditions including one aboard the Albatross in 1907...
  
   & Schroeder
  William Charles Schroeder
  William Charles Schroeder was an American ichthyologist. He was born on Staten Island, New York. He, along with his lifelong colleague Henry Bryant Bigelow, made substantial contributions to the knowledge of the fish fauna of the western North Atlantic...
  
  , 1950
  • Neoharriotta carri Bullis & J. S. Carpenter, 1966
  • Neoharriotta pinnata (Schnakenbeck, 1931) (Sicklefin chimaera)
  • Neoharriotta pumila Didier & Stehmann, 1996
• Genus Rhinochimaera
  Rhinochimaera
  Rhinochimaera is a genus of fish in the Rhinochimaeridae family.It contains the following species:* Rhinochimaera africana Compagno, Stehmann & Ebert, 1990* Rhinochimaera atlantica Holt & Byrne, 1909...
  
  Garman, 1901
  • Rhinochimaera africana Compagno, Stehmann & Ebert, 1990
  • Rhinochimaera atlantica Holt
    Ernest William Lyons Holt
    Ernest William Lyons Holt was an eminent English marine naturalist and biologist specialized in ichthyology, the study of fish...
    
     & Byrne, 1909 (Straightnose rabbitfish)
  • Rhinochimaera pacifica (Mitsukuri
    Kakichi Mitsukuri
    was a Japanese zoölogist, born at Edo. In 1873 he came to the United States, where he received the Ph.D. degree from Yale in 1879 and from Johns Hopkins in 1883. He was appointed professor in the college of science of the Imperial University of Tokyo in 1882 and councilor of the university in 1893...
    
    , 1895) (Pacific spookfish)