Smallspine spookfish

The smallspine spookfish (Harriotta haeckeli) is a species of fish in the family Rhinochimaeridae with a rather disjunct population. Its natural habitat is open seas.

Smallspine spookfish
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Chondrichthyes
Order: Chimaeriformes
Family: Rhinochimaeridae
Genus: Harriotta
Species:
H. haeckeli
Binomial name
Harriotta haeckeli
Karrer, 1972[2]

Taxonomy

This species was first described by Christine Karrer in 1972.[3] It has been hypothesised that some records of H. raleighana might refer to H. haeckeli.[4]

This species is named in honor of both the research vessel Ernst Haeckel, from which type was collected, and to the eminent zoologist Ernst Haeckel (1834–1919) for whom the ship was named.[3][5]

Description

H. haeckeli is a small species compared to others in its genus and is coloured pale brown with darker shading on its underside.[4]

Distribution

This species can be found off western Greenland, the Canary Islands, northeastern North America, Namibia, the southeastern Indian Ocean, Tasmania and southwestern New Zealand.[4] It normally lives at depths greater than 1100 m.[1]

Conservation status

This species is threatened by habitat loss.[1] However, in June 2018 the New Zealand Department of Conservation classified the smallspine spookfish as "Not Threatened" under the New Zealand Threat Classification System.[6] The IUCN has classified this species as of Least Concern.[1]

References
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  1. Dagit, D.D. & Walls, R.H.L. (2015). "Harriotta haeckeli". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2015: e.T60139A70709321. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2015-4.RLTS.T60139A70709321.en. Retrieved 17 November 2021.
  2. "Harriotta haeckeli". Integrated Taxonomic Information System.
  3. Karrer, Christine (1972). "Die Gattung Harriotta Goode and Bean, 1895 (Chondrichthyes, Chimaeriformes, Rhinochimaeridae). Mit Beschreibung einer neuen Art aus dem Nordatlantik". Mitteilungen aus dem Museum für Naturkunde in Berlin. Zoologisches Museum und Institut für Spezielle Zoologie (Berlin) (in German). 48 (1): 203–221. doi:10.1002/mmnz.19720480110. ISSN 1860-0743.
  4. Roberts, Clive; Stewart, A. L.; Struthers, Carl D.; Barker, Jeremy; Kortet, Salme; Freeborn, Michelle (2015). The fishes of New Zealand. Vol. 2. Wellington, New Zealand: Te Papa Press. p. 51. ISBN 9780994104168. OCLC 908128805.
  5. "Order CHIMAERIFORMES". 13 January 2013.
  6. Duffy, Clinton A. J.; Francis, Malcolm; Dunn, M. R.; Finucci, Brit; Ford, Richard; Hitchmough, Rod; Rolfe, Jeremy (2018). Conservation status of New Zealand chondrichthyans (chimaeras, sharks and rays), 2016 (PDF). Wellington, New Zealand: Department of Conservation. p. 10. ISBN 9781988514628. OCLC 1042901090.


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