The narrownose chimaera (Harriotta raleighana) also know as the ghost shark or the spook fish is a longnose chimaera of the family Rhinochimaeridae which is native throughout temperate oceans worldwide and is typically found at depths of between 650ft (200m) and 10,200 (3,100m). Longnose chimaeras are members of the class Chondrichthyes, diverging from their closest relatives (sharks, rays, and skates) during the devonian period approximately 400 million years ago. Not much is known about there deep sea life style but they appear to feed upon crustaceans, worms, small fish, mollusks, and enchinoderms. They are themselves preyed upon by large sharks, boney fish, and large predatory squids & octopus.Β Female narrownose chimera are typically larger reaching around 4.9ft (1.5m) compared to males which reach around 3.3 (1m) in length. Both sexes sport elongate rostra, slender filamentous tails, large pectoral and pelvic fins, big eyes, and two dorsal fins, the first being preceded by a mildly poisonous spine. They can range in color from pale marbeled brown to dusty grey to ghostly white or a mixture of those colors. Like many other Chondrichthyes, longnose chimaeras reproduce by laying eggs. Egg cases consist of a central chamber surrounded by a web-like structure. Female longnose chimaeras lay a pair of eggs several times per year.
