Wild Fact #888 – The Ghost of the Sea – Chimaera
Welcome back to Wild Facts Deep Sea Adventures where bizarre fish is our specialty. Looking at the above picture, you might think that we are talking about animals on other planets. Believe it or not though, this odd looking fish survives about 2600 meters (8500 feet) below sea level. So what do you name a creepy looking fish such as this one?
Well it is technically called a Chimaera, however, people have named it the Ghost Shark! Oooh Scary! These unique fish are actually related to sharks and rays as they share the same cartilaginous body. On an evolutionary scale though the the Ghost Shark branched off from the normal sharks about 400 million years ago. Basically, this just shows that they are not twin brothers or anything like that.
In fact some of the most interesting attributes of the Chimaera are the differences between them and regular sharks. For instance, the male Ghost Shark has a retractable sex appendage on their forehead. You read that right folks but don’t worry, this appendage is just an additional clasper. How embarrassing would that be if they forgot to retract it before leaving the house. As well, the Chimaera has a venomous spine located just in front of their dorsal fin (the fin on their back). I am going to guess that they evolved this defense mechanism to take care of the other fish that were making fun of the retractable appendage on their forehead! Finally, the Ghost Shark is able to use their long flat nose to detect electrical impulses along the ocean floor. This allows them to use their nose like a metal detector to find all of those yummy prey species buried in the dirt. I wonder if they get excited when it beeps only to find out they found a Pepsi can.
Well that does it for me today! Don’t forget to tune in tomorrow for another Deep Sea Adventure!!
