Chimaeras Steal the Show
Video courtesy of the NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration and Research, Windows to the Deep 2019. Download larger version (mp4, 60.4 MB).

We encountered these chimaeras, originally identified as belonging to the genus Hydrolgaus but later determined to be in the genus Chimaera, during the first dive of Windows to the Deep 2019. Chimaeras also have the perhaps unfortunate common name of "ratfish," as their long, thin tails were thought to resemble that of a rat's; but at least they have beautiful coloration. These fascinating fish almost always steal the show.

Learn more