Species: Hydrolagus mirabilis, Large-eyed Chimaera, Large-eyed Rabbitfish

Hydrolagus mirabilis (Collette, 1904)

Large-eyed Chimaera, Large-eyed Rabbitfish

Body compressed, elongate, slender, tapering to a filamentous tail; head very large; snout short, round, conical; eyes oval, large (~35% of head length); nostrils large, before mouth, connected to outer corner of mouth by a deep groove covered with a flap; mouth under head; teeth are plates, 2 pairs above, 1 pair below; gill opening before pectoral, covered by fleshy operculum; 2 separate dorsal fins; 1st dorsal fin high, triangular, erect, short base, with a long slender spine at front that reaches to or slightly beyond fin, that spine attached along its entire length to fin, reaches well past 2nd dorsal origin when depressed; 2nd dorsal fin close behind 1st dorsal, its base joined to that of 1st dorsal by a low fleshy ridge, fin low, long based, its border concave in center, height at about mid-base ~1/2 height of front of fin; anal fin absent; pectoral fins broad, rounded, reach past pelvic origins; pelvic fins rounded along base; tail fin elongate, lance-like, both lobes about equal in height, with a long whip-like rear filament; lateral line canals well developed, on head and body noticeably open, canals from under eye to mouth and down preopercle share a common branch; skin smooth, no scales; males with large, 2-3 pointed sex organs.

Color pale to dark brown, or silver grey; fins with dark to blackish edges, 2nd dorsal with light stripe along base, dark outer edge.

Reaches 84 cm

Lives on soft bottoms

Depth range 450-2058 m, usually below 800 m.

Trans-Atlantic; the Grand Banks to Suriname