This fish does not belong to the most popular marine life. It is quite rare and many, having heard the name, will not even understand what it is about. Let's try to eliminate this ignorance a little. Chimera fish refers to the bottom and deep sea inhabitants sea ​​depths. This applies to all of its known varieties. It is distributed in all oceans and seas of the Southern and Northern Hemispheres. It feeds on small fish, crustaceans, mollusks and starfish. It has a length of up to one and a half meters.

general information

The chimera fish, despite being clumsy and slow, is well adapted to finding prey at the bottom of the sea, such as shellfish. Some varieties of this underwater inhabitant are armed with a dorsal poisonous spike, which is an unexpected and real surprise for sharks and other predators who dare to attack him.

Let's find out what a chimera is.
The fish, the photo of which is in front of you, looks very funny, but that is until you find out about its poisonous weapon. How does she look for a tasty treat for herself in the dark, silt and algae? The chimera is superbly helped in this by its nose, which digs the bottom of the sea and has special receptors for searching. She lives and hunts mostly in shallow seas, but there are representatives who prefer to look for prey in deep waters.

Features of the chimera


"Silver Pipe" - the so-called chimera in New Zealand, served on the table fried and with chips. And White Fillet is an Australian delicacy. Let's say you caught a chimera fish. Can you eat it? The answer is simple - of course you can.

Types of chimeras and their habitats

There are three main types of our fish:

  1. The plow-headed chimera belongs to the family Callorhynchidae, lives in coastal shallow water and, thanks to its sensitive, unusual shape, snout, successfully finds mollusks in the sandy bottom.
  2. Blunt-nosed, belongs to the Chimaeridae family, lives in deeper and darker waters, up to 500 meters deep. Thanks to its super-sensitive eyes, the ghost shark quickly and easily spots starfish and other local inhabitants. sea ​​waters suitable for eating.
  3. The long-nosed chimera fish from the Rhinochimaeridae family lives at even greater depths and has a sensitive elongated snout, which is designed to look for mollusks where there is no light at all.

The very same chimera fish, the photo confirms this, is very beautiful, with silvery spotted sides.

Chimera fish: how to cook in the oven

People from the camp that decided that it is quite edible claim that sea rabbit dishes are very tasty. In addition, on the shelves of stores now you can often see this delicacy. There is one plus here - the creepy-looking chimera is sold already cleaned. Here we are, at the end of our introductory article, we will tell you the recipe for cooking our fish with vegetables in the oven.

To do this, we need the following ingredients: one sea rabbit carcass, one carrot, one onion, fish seasonings, salt, half a lemon and a few tablespoons of vegetable oil.

The process of cooking a chimera in the oven

Let's start cooking with vegetables, as they must first be stewed. We clean the carrots and rub on a coarse grater. We put the pan on the fire, pour a little vegetable oil and spread the vegetable. Next, we clean it much more tenderly than usual to taste, cut it into half rings and also put it in the pan. We mix the vegetables, salt, add a little water (a few tablespoons) and close the lid. Stirring from time to time, simmer until fully cooked. It's time to take on the fish. We cut off the short fin on the carcass with scissors. After that, cut it into small pieces. Pour seasonings and salt into a small saucer, mix them and rub each piece of fish with this mixture.

She will marinate while our vegetables are stewed. As soon as the onions and carrots are ready, we take a baking dish and transfer the vegetables to it. It is not necessary to pre-grease the baking sheet with oil. Next, put pieces of chimera fish on top of the vegetables and squeeze the juice of half a lemon onto it. We heat the oven to 200 degrees, send the form into it, and after 20 minutes delicious dish ready. Serve hot with rice or mashed potatoes. Bon appetit!

Like a fish hare. If you are interested in knowing what this sea creature is, then this article is for you. We will discuss whether there are benefits from this fish. We will also find out if it carries any harm to the human body.

To see this fish in full, you need to refer to the guide. The thing is, it's not for sale. You can only buy fragments of her fish body, so to speak. They are sold in their pure form. Therefore, it is very difficult to understand what kind of fish it is in its original form. A lot of deception exists on the fish counters. Since a hare is often given out as a simple hake or pollock for fish. Cod-shaped small fish are like our marine individual.

Sharks use their ears to find food. Sharks are able to detect small electrical impulses in the water. This meaning can be very useful because all animals produce some type of electrical signal. This allows them to detect movements in the water from hundreds of meters away. Because they capture the electrical signals generated by the prey, they can detect the movements of other animals. The sixth sense exists thanks to electroreceptor organs called the ampullae of Lorenzini, discovered not so long ago.

These vesicles are pores filled with gelatin. They are located around the head, with a greater concentration near the snout and are connected to the brain by nerve endings. In principle, bubbles are detectors electric field. Each Living being produces electric field, and sharks can perceive it.

What is a hare fish?

This fish is cartilaginous. She doesn't have a bubble. Therefore, in order to stay afloat, she constantly needs to be on the move. Like the shark, this fish will otherwise just fall to the seabed. A hare is cooked like any other fish. It must be salted, then covered with flour or batter, and then fried in a hot frying pan.

Oddly enough, sometimes sharks attack metal objects. This behavior is due to the fact that in the sea, metals emit electrical signals that make mining possible. Sharks can not only detect their prey, but also a diver or a possible hunter without even seeing them.

The skin is made up of very small structures called dermal denticles. They are formed by the basal plate of the bone. Dermal serrations have important functions in both reducing the exhaustion of swimming and the noise caused by the movement of the shark itself, as well as a protective function. As the animal grows, the dermal teeth do not grow in size, but in number, and are important in identifying different species.

Some sources indicate that this fish emits an unpleasant odor. But it's not. Although the smell of a hare is not as pleasant as the smell of cod, it does not stink outrageously. The taste of the finished fish is simply amazing. In ordinary fish there are bones, in the same cartilage. Thanks to this structure, fish meat is very easy to separate with cutlery.

Most shark species grow very slowly and take many years to reach sexual maturity. Sharks have a fairly long reproductive cycle, from one to two years, as well as their gestation period. Gestation in small species lasts three to four months and up to two years or more in large sharks. Its fertility rate is low compared to other fish, which can produce thousands to millions of eggs. 70% of sharks are born alive: they are viviparous or ovoid. The remaining 30% of oviposition, i.e. lay eggs.

The embryo grows inside the egg and leaves only when it is fully developed. Ovoviviparity: Embryos develop inside an egg in the mother's uterus. They do not feed on the placenta, but on a liquid called yolk, which is contained in the yolk sac. The fetus feeds on the yolk sac until it is exposed to light from the mother.

  • The fetus is fed through the mother's blood through the umbilical cord.
  • Oviparatic: The mother encapsulates the egg in a collagen capsule.
  • These capsules are important because you are protecting them from predators.
  • The mother releases the eggs into the sea, entangling them with algae or corals.
Sharks are distributed in all the seas and oceans of the world, with the exception of the Arctic and Antarctic.

Benefit and harm

Distrust of our fish is due to the fact that it is considered an exotic product, and many people know absolutely nothing about it. In fact, hare fish meat is very nutritious and juicy. This fish was considered unfit for consumption only until the twentieth century. Now it is a rare delicacy in many expensive restaurants in the world.

There are shark species that live in tropical waters and others that live in temperate and cold waters. Photo 2: Distribution of sharks in the world. Rays are cartilaginous fish and are closely related to sharks. The main part of the body is very smooth both above and below. The pectoral fins are attached to the back of the skull to form the pectoral disc.

They have a small tail and are not used for swimming. Movement is made by the limbs of the pectoral fins, but most lack the dorsal and caudal fins. The eyes are at the top. The objects of the fund locate them thanks to the olfactory system developed in the lateral line and electroreceptors.

She is very helpful. It contains a lot of protein, which is easily and quickly absorbed by the human body. It also contains a lot of vitamins such as A, E, and D. Moreover, this fish is filled with useful minerals. Because fish contains a large number of fatty acids, its meat is considered especially nutritious. The calorie content of fish is such that one hundred grams of its meat accounts for one hundred and sixteen kcal.

To breathe, the rays do not enter the water through the mouth, but through the spiracles located behind the eyes. Gill slits are located on the lower surface. . The skin of the rays is formed, like in sharks, by skin denticles, which allow them to have better hydrodynamics.

The rays protecting themselves have venomous bites, electrical organs. These animals have two organs called electroplastota and are located on both sides of the head. The electrical boards do not recharge immediately and can therefore take anywhere from a few minutes to several days.

The poison of the rays is produced by glandular tissue located in two parallel grooves located behind the bite, which is usually proportional to the size of the line. There are bands in almost all the seas of the world; they are marine animals par excellence. They usually live near the coast. These animals are born near the coast and as they grow they move into deeper waters, especially in winter.

Is there any harm in eating this fish? You can only suffer if you have a personal intolerance to this marine product. Also, our hare has a poisonous fin. This is the top fin. Separate the carcass of fish because of this should be done with extreme caution. The fish is quite oily. It shouldn't be abused.

additional information

The fish has expressive eyes. Apparently, this is the reason that she was given such a name as a hare. But more than that, she does not look like an ordinary hare. As the fish lead unusual image life, they are sometimes called the rats of the seas. They feed on solid foods such as shellfish or crayfish. The jaws of the fish are very powerful, so the catchers are very careful with this fish. The hare lays eggs. Scandinavians eat these eggs.

They lie on the ground, and sometimes they bury themselves in the sand; they remain immobile for a long time, thus they retain the possibility of possible prey. The stripes move due to the undulating or vertical movements of the pectoral fins.

They are covered with a viscous layer that smooths out the unevenness of the body, reducing surface tension and friction during movement. Also, like sharks, they lack a swim bladder, but thanks to their pectoral fins, they avoid diving. This feature eliminates the need to have a developed liver to improve buoyancy.

The price point is not defined. Fish prices fluctuate. In general, hare fish costs a little more than simple cod. But not in every store you will find our fish. You are more likely to find this delicacy in specialty seafood stores. Hare fish is also an aquarium type. It is decorative and is not eaten. This fish is very expensive.

The most primitive fish among them are cartilaginous fish. Fossil evidence suggests that they were once an abundant and highly diverse order. Long ago, they were related to sharks, although their evolutionary line was split 400 million years ago and they have remained an isolated group ever since.

Characteristics of chimeras

Photo 4: Depth chimera image. Like sharks, chimeras do not have bones, but cartilage. Its skin is soft and composed of placoid scales. The lateral lines that cross the body of chimeras are mechano-receptor organs that detect pressure waves. In the frontal part of the face there are some lines formed by dots called the ampullae of Lorenzini and detecting electrical signals generated by living beings.

It is believed that sellers sell fish much more expensive than the price. They may invent their own names for the hare fish to show it as a rarer and more expensive fish. Some even sell tasteless fish with tough meat, passing it off as a chimera. It is easy to fall for such a scam.

The fact that the fish has a rather funny nickname. This suggests that it is not extremely rare. Abroad, it is found in many restaurants. Do not be afraid, and believe all the nonsense about hare fish that you can meet in various sources. This fish is both healthy and tasty, and not very expensive.

Reproduction of chimeras we can say that males do not have a penis, but other very interesting genitals. Like sharks, chimeras also have flower stalks that they use to grab the female and have grooves to guide sperm. Chimeras have direct development, that is, they hatch in the mother's body and appear as small fish.

What is the ecological role of sharks in the seas?

For example, white sharks are very important from an ecological point of view, because they have direct control over the population of tuna, seals, turtles, dolphins, sea ​​lions. They also have another important function as cleaners because they feed on dead whales and pilot whales and help to process organic matter so that it can be used by other organisms.

If you have a chance to try the meat of this fish, do not deny yourself such a pleasure. Be sure to try this one. Its taste is reminiscent of shark meat. Therefore, not everyone will like it as a main dish. So, now you know what a hare fish is. You know how it is useful, and whether it can be dangerous. Do you have all necessary information about our exotic fish. You know that hare fish can be a great addition to your overall diet.

In short, sharks influence their composition, contributing to the conservation of biodiversity. Every year, millions of sharks die in addition to the occasional catch, especially the truly absurd practice called shark-finning: after being captured with an owner, they board a boat and cut off their dorsal and lateral fins. They then throw themselves into the sea, still alive, unable to breathe or swim, they flood and die very slowly.

All of this is yet to be done due to the demand for shark soup, with no nutritional value and no taste, especially in Asian countries such as China. Species that survive uncontrolled fishing cannot breed fast enough to compensate for the number of sharks killed. This situation threatens the balance marine ecosystems worldwide. Sharks are important predators that have been characterized by marine life for over 400 million years and are important to the health of the planet.

Recipe (video)

Fish lovers are divided into two camps: some argue that the chimera is inedible, and the second - that excellent dishes are made from it. Be that as it may, the sea rabbit (this is another name for the chimera, along with the bearded seal) can now often be seen on store shelves. The fish was called a chimera for its creepy appearance: it does not have a beautiful head and a very long lower fin. Apparently due to the scary appearance the carcasses of this fish are sold already peeled. We bought one of these and decided to experiment. Chimera in the oven with vegetables turned out very tasty!

Diving with sharks, blankets and rays or watching sharks in an aquarium

One way to get close to these animals is by diving or observing in aquariums. Another way to observe sharks is in aquariums, where other marine animals can be observed in addition to sharks. In aquariums, behavior can also be modified, but given the impossibility of submersion, they are an excellent option.

Animals often disguise themselves to mislead their predators. Inevitably, when you talk about camouflage, you have colors and textures. Think of the white hare that gets mixed up with the snow, those insects that look like leaves or branches, or that owl that no one can find but wakes you up every day at five o'clock in the morning.

Ingredients:

sea ​​rabbit carcass - 1 piece;

carrots - 1 piece;

onion - 1 piece;

salt - to taste;

seasonings for fish - to taste;

lemon - ½ pieces;

vegetable oil - a few tablespoons.

Chimera cooking in the oven.

We take required amount ingredients.

But there are several other types of camouflage. There is, for example, sound camouflage. Some moths are capable of emitting ultrasounds that mislead bats when they try to locate them with an eco-localization system. There is also chemical camouflage, like the one used by the protagonist of our story: the fish.

This fish lives in Australian waters, in an ecosystem rich in corals from which it usually feeds. In doing so, he swallows and processes chemical compounds from coral, part of which is responsible for its smell. Through various mechanisms, the fish use these substances and manage to smell the corals. This gives it a huge adaptive advantage, as it allows it to hide from its predators, which can't tell fish from corals.

We start with: before we put them together with the fish in the oven, the carrots and onions need to be stewed. Therefore, we clean the carrot and rub it on a coarse grater. We put a frying pan on the fire, pour a little vegetable oil on the bottom and spread the grated carrot.


While the carrots are stewing, we clean the white onion (it is much more delicate in taste than the usual white onion), cut into half rings and also send it to the pan. Mix the vegetables, salt, add a few tablespoons of water and cover with a lid. Simmer until fully cooked, stirring occasionally.

Some moths are capable of emitting ultrasonic sounds that confuse bats. The researchers studied this phenomenon using two different methods. First, they placed the 007 fish and corals at the ends of the tank. They dropped a crab in the middle of it, which eats the same coral as our secret agent, and they closed their eyes. The poor crab was disoriented, he didn't know where to go. The two ends of the pool smelled of delicious and precious delicacy, poor man. In about half the time, the experiment ended for the crab, which ended with free tea.


Now let's get to the fish. One short fin flaunts on the carcass - cut it off with scissors. The chimera itself looks beautiful: it has speckled silver sides.


Cut the fish into pieces 2-3 centimeters thick.

But the other half ended up in an elusive character that, unfortunately, was not edible for him. Conclusion: the smell of fish is indistinguishable from the smell of corals, even for a demanding gourmet. On the other hand, they did a similar experiment by placing a fish next to a coral and releasing a cod, the deadly archemia of our 007 fish. The cod could not find their prey, perfectly camouflaged among the corals. However, if 007 hid in a different coral than the one that usually serves breakfast, the cod ended up being chased.

Chemical camouflage has been known for some time. However, the authors of the study emphasize that this is the first time diet-based chemical camouflage has been observed in vertebrates. This has been seen as something similar in caterpillars, which survive ant attacks with a similar strategy.


Pour salt and seasonings to the fish into a small bowl. Mix them and rub each piece of fish with this mixture. While the vegetables are stewed, the fish will marinate in spices. To enhance the effect, you can even put it in the refrigerator for this time.


If the carrots are already ready, you can take a baking dish and transfer the vegetables into it. Additionally, you do not need to lubricate the form with oil, because the fat will go along with the carrots and onions.


Put pieces of sea rabbit on top of vegetables. Squeeze the juice of half a lemon onto the fish.


We heat the oven to 200 degrees, put the form with the fish in it and bake for 20 minutes.
Chimera fish in the oven is ready! It should be served hot. A great side dish would be mashed potatoes or boiled rice. Similarly, you can bake a chimera without carrots - only with onions.

Range and habitat

The European chimera lives in the North Atlantic and adjacent seas of the Arctic Ocean. Distributed off the coast of Norway, Iceland, Ireland, Great Britain, France, Italy, Portugal, Morocco, the Azores and Madeira, in the Mediterranean Sea. The presence of this species in South African waters needs to be confirmed. This marine bathydemersal oceanodromous fish is found at depths from 40 to 1400 m. In the north, it most often stays at depths of 200-500 m, and in the south - 350-700 m. In winter, it approaches the coast; at this time, the European chimera comes across in the Norwegian fiords at a depth of 90-180 m.

Appearance

The head is thick with a rounded snout. The eyes are large. The mouth is lower, small, transverse. There are 4 large beak-shaped dental plates on the upper jaw, and 2 on the lower jaw. The body is elongated, much thinner in the back. The narrow whip-like tail ends with a long thread. The pectoral fins are very large. The first dorsal fin is high and short, with a strong long spine at the anterior edge; the second dorsal fin is in the form of a low border, which reaches the beginning of the caudal fin. The anal fin is small. There is a system of sensitive channels on the head. The skin is naked and soft, occasionally covered with rudimentary spines. The color of the dorsal surface is dark brown with a reddish tinge, the sides are covered with spots, the ventral side is light. The caudal, anal, and posterior portion of the second dorsal fin have a blackish-brown edge. The length of adult chimeras reaches 1.5 m, and the maximum recorded weight is 2.5 kg.

Males have a thin bone outgrowth bent in front between the eyes. The skin is smooth and casts in a variety of colors.

Biology

Lays eggs enclosed in a horn capsule. Reproduction all year round. Up to 200 eggs develop in the ovaries of females. The female lays two eggs several times without re-fertilization. Before being laid, the female carries the eggs attached to the openings of the oviducts. Then she lays them on the bottom at rather great depths, sometimes up to 400 m. The diameter of the yolk is 26 mm. The capsule has a fin-shaped rim up to 4 mm high. The lower end of the capsule is cylindrical, the upper end looks like a narrow thread-like appendage, which serves to attach the egg. The capsule is 163-77 mm long and about 25 mm wide. The length of the appendage is 30-40 mm. The capsule is brilliant brown to olive green in color. Eggs develop for about a year. Newborns hatch fully formed. Juveniles are rarely seen. There are cases of capture in the Faroe Islands at a depth of 1000 m and in Ireland at a depth of 600 m. Juveniles are 11 cm long. Males in general fewer females.

The European chimera is a benthophage. Its diet consists mainly of invertebrates: crustaceans, molluscs, worms and echinoderms. Sometimes a fish comes across in the stomach.

Human interaction

At the beginning of the 20th century, fish had no commercial value: the meat was considered inedible, but sometimes the fat extracted from their liver was used in medicine or as a lubricant. Eggs were considered a delicacy. In Norway, curatives were attributed to the chimera's liver. The meat is tough but is eaten in some countries.

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Notes

  1. Yu. S. Reshetnikov , A. N. Kotlyar , T. S. Russ , M. I. Shatunovsky Five-language dictionary of animal names. Fish. Latin, Russian, English, German, French. / under general edition acad. V. E. Sokolova. - M .: Rus. yaz., 1989. - S. 49. - 12,500 copies. - ISBN 5-200-00237-0.
  2. fishbase
  3. commercial fish Russia. In two volumes / Ed. O. F. Gritsenko, A. N. Kotlyar and B. N. Kotenev. - M .: VNIRO publishing house, 2006. - T. 1. - S. 58. - 624 p. - ISBN 5-85382-229-2.
  4. // Encyclopedic Dictionary of Brockhaus and Efron: in 86 volumes (82 volumes and 4 additional). - St. Petersburg. , 1890-1907.
  5. (English) (PDF). ICES (2005). Retrieved 24 January 2013. .
  6. (English) (PDF). ICES (2006). Retrieved 24 January 2013. .
  7. : information on the IUCN Red List website (eng.)

Links

  • : information on the IUCN Red List website (eng.)
  • European chimeraWorld Register of Marine Species) (English) December 29, 2009
  • in the FishBase database
  • at The Marine Fauna Gallery of Norway
  • in the encyclopedia "Animal Life"
  • View in the World Register marine species (World Register of Marine Species) (English)

An excerpt characterizing the European chimera

Konovnitsyn immediately realized that the news he had brought was of great importance and that it was impossible to delay. Whether it was good or bad, he did not think and did not ask himself. It didn't interest him. He looked at the whole matter of the war not with the mind, not with reasoning, but with something else. There was a deep, unspoken conviction in his soul that everything would be fine; but that it is not necessary to believe this, and even more so, it is not necessary to say this, but one must only do one's own business. And he did his job, giving him all his strength.
Pyotr Petrovich Konovnitsyn, like Dokhturov, only as if out of decency included in the list of the so-called heroes of the 12th year - Barklaev, Raevsky, Yermolov, Platov, Miloradovich, just like Dokhturov, enjoyed the reputation of a person of very limited abilities and information, and, like Dokhturov, Konovnitsyn never made plans for battles, but was always where it was most difficult; always slept with the door open since he was appointed general on duty, ordering each sent one to wake himself up, he was always under fire during the battle, so that Kutuzov reproached him for this and was afraid to send him, and was, like Dokhturov, one of those inconspicuous gears which, without crackling or making noise, constitute the most essential part of the machine.
Leaving the hut in the damp, dark night, Konovnitsyn frowned partly from a worsening headache, partly from an unpleasant thought that came into his head about how now all this nest of staff, influential people would be excited at this news, especially Benigsen, who after Tarutin was at odds with Kutuzov; how they will propose, argue, order, cancel. And this presentiment was unpleasant to him, although he knew that without it it was impossible.
Indeed, Tol, to whom he went to inform the new news, immediately began to express his thoughts to the general who lived with him, and Konovnitsyn, silently and wearily listening, reminded him that he had to go to his Serene Highness.

Kutuzov, like all old people, slept little at night. He often dozed off unexpectedly during the day; but at night, without undressing, lying on his bed, for the most part he did not sleep and thought.
And so he lay now on his bed, leaning his heavy, large, mutilated head on his plump arm, and thought, peering into the darkness with one open eye.
Since Benigsen, who corresponded with the sovereign and had the most strength in the headquarters, avoided him, Kutuzov was calmer in the sense that he and his troops would not be forced to again participate in useless offensive operations. The lesson of the Battle of Tarutino and its eve, painfully remembered by Kutuzov, should also have had an effect, he thought.
“They need to understand that we can only lose by being offensive. Patience and time, here are my warriors heroes! thought Kutuzov. He knew not to pick an apple while it was green. It will fall on its own when it is ripe, but if you pick green, you will spoil the apple and the tree, and you will set your teeth on edge. He, as an experienced hunter, knew that the beast was wounded, wounded in the way that the entire Russian force could wound, but mortally or not, this was not yet an elucidated question. Now, from the sendings of Loriston and Berthelemy and from the reports of the partisans, Kutuzov almost knew that he was mortally wounded. But more evidence was needed, it was necessary to wait.
“They want to run to see how they killed him. Wait, you'll see. All maneuvers, all attacks! he thought. - For what? All stand out. There's definitely something fun about fighting. They are like children from whom you will not get any sense, as was the case, because everyone wants to prove how they can fight. Yes, that's not the point now.
And what skillful maneuvers all these offer me! It seems to them that when they invented two or three accidents (he remembered the general plan from St. Petersburg), they invented them all. And they all have no number!
The unresolved question of whether the wound inflicted at Borodino was fatal or not was hanging over Kutuzov's head for a whole month. On the one hand, the French occupied Moscow. On the other hand, Kutuzov undoubtedly felt with all his being that the terrible blow in which he, along with all the Russian people, strained all his strength, should have been mortal. But in any case, evidence was needed, and he had been waiting for them for a month, and the more time passed, the more impatient he became. Lying on his bed in his sleepless nights, he did the very thing that these young generals did, the very thing for which he reproached them. He invented all possible accidents in which this true, already accomplished death of Napoleon would be expressed. He invented these accidents in the same way as young people, but with the only difference that he did not base anything on these assumptions and that he saw them not two or three, but thousands. The more he thought, the more they seemed. He invented all kinds of movements of the Napoleonic army, all or parts of it - towards Petersburg, against him, bypassing it, he invented (which he was most afraid of) and the chance that Napoleon would fight against him with his own weapons, that he would remain in Moscow waiting for him. Kutuzov even imagined the movement of the Napoleonic army back to Medyn and Yukhnov, but one thing he could not foresee was what happened, that insane, convulsive throwing of Napoleon's troops during the first eleven days of his speech from Moscow - throwing, which made possible something that Kutuzov still did not dare to think about then: the complete extermination of the French. Dorokhov's reports about Broussier's division, news from the partisans about the disasters of Napoleon's army, rumors about training camps for a speech from Moscow - all confirmed the assumption that french army broken and going to run; but these were only assumptions that seemed important to young people, but not to Kutuzov. With his sixty years of experience, he knew how much weight should be attributed to rumors, he knew how capable people who want something are to group all the news so that they seem to confirm what they want, and he knew how in this case they willingly miss everything that contradicts. And the more Kutuzov wanted this, the less he allowed himself to believe it. This question occupied all his mental strength. Everything else was for him only the usual fulfillment of life. Such habitual fulfillment and submission to life were his conversations with the staff, letters to mme Stael, which he wrote from Tarutino, reading novels, distribution of awards, correspondence with St. Petersburg, etc. But the death of the French, foreseen by him alone, was his spiritual, the only wish.

Order Chimaeriformes (V. M. Makushok)

Modern representatives of the order are characterized by a valky body, somewhat compressed from the sides and thinning towards the tail. Of the two dorsal fins, the first is located above the pectoral fins, short, high, armed in front with a strong spine; both the spike and the fin itself can be folded up and tucked away into a matching notch on the back. The second dorsal fin is very long, extending backwards almost to the beginning of the caudal fin, not folding. The narrow caudal fin is often continued in the form of a long thread. The anal fin is small, separated from the caudal fin by a deep notch or completely fused with it. The fan-shaped paired fins are well developed, the pelvic fins are smaller than the pectoral fins and set far back, attaching at the level of the anus. Fins with fleshy bases, their blades are thin and flexible. The mouth is small, lower, with a three-lobed upper lip. 5 pairs of gill arches and 4 pairs of gill openings are covered by a skin fold, which is supported by finger-like cartilages. Spatter disappears in the early stages of development. Pterygopodia of males, to some extent equipped with placoid denticles, in the form of whole formations, bifid or even tripartite. In addition to pterygopodia, males develop special organs supported by a cartilaginous skeleton and armed with strong spines. These are the so-called "holders" (tenacula), which serve to hold the female during copulation. They are represented by an unpaired frontal appendage and paired abdominal ones. The naked body is covered with copious mucus. The placoid scales ("skin teeth") covering the body in some extinct whole-headed and characteristic of elasmobranchs, in living chimeras, as a rule, have been preserved only in connection with functional specialization on pterygopodia and holders of males and have been transformed into a spine of the anterior dorsal fin and into small rings in which the bed of the channels of the "lateral line" system is enclosed. In some species, these tooth-shaped formations are also preserved on the back.

Chimaeriformes - predominantly deep-sea demersal fish inhabiting the shelf and slope of the continental shelf at depths from several meters to 2500 m in the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Absent from the Arctic Ocean and Antarctic waters. Not found in our waters. Reach a length of 60 cm up to 2 m. Females are larger than males.

Not belonging to fast swimmers, chimeras move by eel-like bending of the caudal part of the body and the undulating movement of the pectoral fins. In this case, the ventral fins, which play the role of stabilizers, are placed in a horizontal plane. They are more active at night, and even shallow-water forms, judging by aquarian observations, do not like bright light. Resting on the bottom, they rest on the tips of the paired fins and on the tail. The fish are very gentle, when caught they almost do not show any resistance and quickly die out of the water. They don't do well in the aquarium.

They breathe with their mouths closed, as they pump water to the gills through the nostrils that communicate with the oral cavity.

They feed mainly on benthic invertebrates (mollusks, crabs, brittle stars and sea urchins), occasionally small fish are found in their stomachs. Food is not swallowed whole, but is bitten off into small pieces or crushed by powerful dental plates.

Fertilization is internal; carried out with the help of pterygopodia. Each ovary of the female contains up to 100 eggs, but only 2 large eggs mature and lay at the same time, each of which is enclosed in a huge horny capsule 12-42 cm long. cm. The capsules are deposited directly on the ground or attached to rocks and algae. The incubation of the embryo lasts 9-12 months, in which a bundle of long external gill filaments develops on each side. Apparently, the yolk is absorbed through these gills, most of which is outside the yolk sac. By the time the embryo leaves the capsule, the external gills disappear, and the babies are similar in all their appearance to their parents.

Chimaeriformes are schooling fish, at least shallow-water species. They are produced in the USA (Pacific coast), Argentina, Chile, New Zealand and China. In the last two countries, the meat of chimeras is used as food. The fat extracted from the liver of these fish is highly valued in places, and is used as a medicine and as an excellent lubricant.

Extinct members of the order, comprising 13 families, are known from the Lower Jurassic, while the modern genera Chimaera and Callorhinchus are known from the Upper Jurassic. Cretaceous. About 30 living species belong to three closely related families.

Family Chimaeridae (Chimaeridae)

This family is characterized by a blunt snout, bifid or tripartite pterygopodia in males, and other characters. Some species have a venom gland at the base of the dorsal spine. The family includes 21-22 species assigned to two genera: in the genus Chimaera, the anal fin is separated from the caudal fin, while in the genus Hydrolagus, these fins are completely fused.

Genus Chimeras(Chimaera) includes 6 species. Of these, the most famous european chimera(Chimaera monstrosa), found in the East Atlantic from Iceland and Norway to mediterranean sea and off the coast South Africa(not found in tropical waters). In the Barents Sea, it is common up to Finnmarken and only occasionally enters the Varanger Fjord. Reaches a length of 1.5 m.

The back is painted in reddish-brown tones, the silvery sides are dotted with yellowish-brown spots, and a blackish-brown border runs along the edge of the caudal and dorsal fins.

In the north it is most common at depths of 200-500 m, and in the south (off the coast of Morocco) - at depths of 350-700 m. In winter comes to the coast; in Norwegian fjords it is caught at this time at a depth of 90-180 m. Usually single individuals get into the trawl, but in the spring near North-Western Norway, several dozen specimens are often caught in one trawl. Eggs are laid all year round, excluding the autumn months. Egg capsule fusiform, 15-18 long cm, with a characteristic strongly elongated and thin anterior end. Chimeras are not eaten. Liver fat has long been famous for its healing properties, especially when lubricating wounds and abrasions.

Cuban chimera(Ch. cubana), which was previously mistaken for a European chimera, is known from the coast of Cuba from a depth of 400-500 m. Other species of the genus are noted in the waters of Japan, in the Yellow Sea and near the Philippine Islands.

Genus hydrolags(Hydrolagus) contains 15-16 species: 3 species are known from the North Atlantic, 4-5 species from the waters of Japan, 3 species from the waters of Australia and one species each from South Africa, New Zealand, the Philippines, the Hawaiian Islands and from the North -West coast of North America.

best studied american hydrolag(N. colliei), living at depths of 40-60 m along the American coast from Baja California to Western Alaska. It is somewhat smaller than the European chimera. In some places it is found in such abundance that it fills trawls to the limit. It breeds all year round, but the most intensive reproduction takes place in August - September. Aquarium observations have shown that the exudation of horny egg capsules lasts up to 30 hours, after which the female drags the capsules suspended on elastic (attachment) threads for several days until the threads break and the capsules are on the ground. Mature oocytes reach 2 cm in diameter. Not used for food. Liver oil is used in some areas of Canada to clean guns, and more recently it has found increasing use as an excellent lubricating agent for parts in precision instruments.

Family Rhinochimaeridae, or Nosed Chimeras (Rhinochimaeridae)

Fish of this family are distinguished by a strongly elongated pointed snout and entire pterygopodia in males. Nosed chimeras, numbering 3 genera, are the deepest representatives of the order, inhabiting lower part shelf and the slope of the continental stage. As a result, they are known from a small number of finds, and the biology of representatives of this family has not been studied at all.

Genus Harriot(Harriotta) is represented by one species (H. raleighana), known from depths of 700-2500 m from the North Atlantic and from the waters of Japan and California. Apparently, the garriota also lives in the Indian Ocean, from where the embryo capsule is known, presumably belonging to this species. Painted in a smooth chocolate brown color.

By the time of release from the capsule, the embryos reach a length of 15 cm, and the largest female caught was 99 cm.

Neogarriot(Neoharriotta pinnata) recorded off West Africa at a depth of 220-470 m, and from caribbean from depth 360-550 m known as Neoharriotta carri. Genus Nosed Chimera(Rhinochimaera), which gave the name to the family, is known from two species: R. atlantica (North Atlantic) and R. pacifica (Japan).

Family Kallorinhovye, or Proboscis chimeras (Callorhinchidae)

The family of proboscis chimeras is represented by only one genus Callorhynchus(Callorhinchus), which is remarkable in that the front part of the snout is elongated into a kind of trunk strongly compressed from the sides, the end of which is sharply bent back and carries a transverse leaf-shaped lobe. It is assumed that this organ, which has the shape of a plow or, rather, a hoe, serves both as a locator and as a shovel, and that fish hovering above the bottom with its help, like a mine detector, can detect invertebrate animals buried in the ground, and with it help dig them out. Tail without filiform continuation; its axis is slightly bent upwards, and the lower lobe of the caudal fin is much higher in front than its upper lobe (i.e., the tail is heterocercal). The short anal fin is separated from the caudal fin by a deep notch, and the dorsal fins are widely spaced. The vertebral column is devoid of calcified rings surrounding the notochord. Pterygopodia of males in the form of solid rods, without club-shaped swellings at the ends. The abdominal "holders" are spoon-shaped, with multi-apex teeth along the inner edge, the openings of their pockets are directed along the body. The same pockets, but smaller, are also found in females.

Representatives of the genus Callorhynchus live only in temperate and moderately cold waters of the southern hemisphere - off the coast of South America (from Southern Brazil and Peru to Tierra del Fuego), South Africa, South Australia, Tasmania and New Zealand. The question of the number of species in this genus has not yet been resolved. Some researchers tend to distinguish between 3-4 species, while others consider them to be geographical populations of the same species Callorhinchus callorhinchus. Callorhynchus often reach more than a meter in length and weigh up to 10 kg. They are greenish-yellow in color, three black stripes run along the sides of the body. Apparently, due to the special light-refracting properties of the mucus that covers their body, freshly caught Callorhynchus shimmer with such a rich range of silvery-iridescent hues that no one is able to convey it. color photography. Usually caught at depths of 5-50 m. In Tasmania, large schools of these fish often enter shallow bays and even rivers. With the onset of cold weather, they descend to depths of up to 200 m and more. Females lay huge embryonic capsules from 17 to 42 cm.

In New Zealand, it is hunted in fairly large quantities and is used for food. Fresh Kallorinha meat is distinguished by excellent taste, but as soon as it lies down for a while, it begins to give off an ammonia smell (a feature, by the way, is also characteristic of shark meat).

What are different and unusual fish exist in nature, and what names are not invented for them! For example, a chimera fish: the name of this animal alone evokes not the most pleasant associations. And if you look at this inhabitant of the deep sea, then opinions may be divided. Some see a very cute and cute fish that looks like a soaring bird, while others see a monster. So who is she really, this mysterious marine inhabitant, who is also called another strange name- sea hare fish.

Very close relatives of the chimera are and: they are all cartilaginous fish and have a spine made of cartilaginous tissue. Look at the photo of the chimera fish and try to find common features with sharks!

All the most interesting about chimeras

When the name chimera is mentioned, it does not mean that there is only one single species. The genus Chimera (lat. Chimaera) combines 6 species, of which the most famous is the European chimera (lat. Chimaera monstrosa) from the eastern Atlantic. There is a Cuban chimera (Chimaera cubana), which at first was taken for a European one, but was later separated into an independent species. It lives off the coast of Cuba at a depth of 400-500 meters. Other species of the genus Chimera are known from the waters of the eastern regions of the Pacific Ocean (Philippines, the Yellow Sea and the Japanese Islands).

The place of chimeras in the fish system

The genus Chimera, of which the European chimera is a representative, is included in the Chimaeridae family, in which there is another genus with species that differ from the genus Chimera in the shape of the caudal fin.

All fish of the Chimera family have a blunt snout. This important difference from other families of the Chimaeriformes order, among which there is a family. Nosed chimeras with a very elongated snout, and pointed at the end. And the third family is the proboscis-snouted chimeras (callorhynchus). They are distinguished by an elongated and bent down and backward anterior end of the snout.

Below, in the photo, chimera fish are shown in the drawings, and you can see the differences in the structure of the snout in the representatives of each family, which were mentioned above.


Representatives of the chimera order: 1 - fam. Chimera; 2 - family. Proboscis (callorhynchaceae) and fam. Nosed chimeras.

As mentioned at the beginning of the article, the chimera fish is cartilaginous, and, accordingly, belongs to the class "Cartilaginous fish", which has two subclasses. Having much in common in internal and external structure with elasmobranchs (sharks and rays), chimeras differ from them in that their upper jaw is completely fused with the skull. Therefore, they are distinguished into a subclass of Whole-Headed or Fusion-Cranial.

Appearance of chimeras

All chimeras have a characteristic body shape: valky, slightly compressed from the sides and very thinning towards the tail. In the photo of the sea hare fish (European chimera), this is clearly visible.

Other features of the appearance of chimera representatives:

  • Two fins on the back, the first one is high and short, having a powerful spike in front, which together with it, if necessary, fit into a special groove in the back. The second is long and can stretch to the very base of the caudal fin and does not fold.
  • The tail fin is often shaped like a long cord.
  • The pectoral fins are very well developed and each of them resembles a fan in shape.
  • The pelvic fins are smaller than the pectoral fins and are located near the anus, being pushed back.
  • At the base, all paired fins are equipped with fleshy lobes, thin and flexible.
  • The mouth located below (lower) in chimeras and has a characteristic three-lobed upper lip.
  • The gill openings on the sides of the head are covered by a fold of skin supported by finger-like cartilages.
  • The naked body, devoid of placoid scales, is covered big amount mucus.

A spine in the first dorsal fin of a European chimera.

European chimeras - beauties or monsters?

The European chimera bears the Latin name Chimaera monstrosa, which evokes associations with some kind of monster. This fish has many names, one of the names that a chimera fish has is a hare. Perhaps this is due to the large slightly elongated pectoral fins and huge eyes. It is also called the sea rabbit fish, apparently for the same reasons.

And the Norwegians have a chimera - this is king fish. So it is called because of the thin bone outgrowth bent backwards, which is located in males between the eyes.

A stylized image of a male chimera with a bony growth between the eyes.

The body length of the European chimera can be up to one or one and a half meters, and its tail is very long and thin, so another name has been assigned to it - the sea rat.

What color is a chimera?

Rudimentary spines are sometimes found on the bare skin of the European chimera. However, the skin looks smooth and soft and has a characteristic color:

  • back in dark brown and golden hues in combination with brown and whitish, a dark brown stripe stretches along the upper back;
  • the ventral side of the body is light;
  • on the back of the long dorsal fin, as well as on the caudal and anal, a blackish-brown edging is noticeable.

Completes the Chimera's color look green color pupil against the white iris of her huge eyes.


European chimera, photo by Roman Fedortsov, Murmansk, @rfedortsov_official_account

Distribution, lifestyle and movement

The European chimera fish is not found in tropical waters. Its range is the eastern part of the Atlantic Ocean:

  • In northern waters - from the Strait of Gibraltar (coastal waters of Morocco) to the island of Iceland and the Scandinavian Peninsula with entry into the Barents Sea.
  • Southern waters - off the coast of southern Africa (this information needs to be confirmed).

The sea hare fish spends most of its life at the bottom, so ichthyologists refer to it as a bathydimersal (bottom deep-sea) fish. After all, the depth at which you can meet it is from 40 to 1400 meters. But most often this species lives at relatively shallow depths: two hundred to five hundred meters (in the northernmost part of the range) and three hundred and fifty to seven hundred meters (in the waters off the coast of Morocco). By winter, it comes to coastal waters, where off the coast of Norway (where the depth is from 90 to 180 meters), a certain number of individuals can be caught by trawls.

These fish are quite gentle, they do not resist at all when caught. Removed from the water, they die very quickly. Placed in an aquarium, they do not survive well.

Way to travel

Chimera or sea rabbit fish is not a fast and high-speed swimmer, and she does not need it. See how gracefully it moves with the eel-like curve of the back of the body and tail and the wave-like flapping of large pectoral fins that resemble wings. The pelvic fins are also involved in ensuring the swimming of the fish, located horizontally, they perform the function of movement stabilizers.

Being at the bottom, chimeras can “stand” on the ground, relying on almost all of their fins: while the pectoral and ventral fins perform the function of four limbs, and the tail serves as an additional support.

The question of nutrition

This part of the article is devoted to two questions:

  • what does sea rabbit fish eat;
  • Is it possible to eat chimera fish, that is, a sea rabbit?

The diet of chimeras is represented mainly by benthic invertebrates. Among them are mollusks, crustaceans (mainly crabs), echinoderms ( sea ​​urchins, ophiurs). Small fish were only occasionally caught in their stomachs. When examining the contents of the digestive tract of chimeras, it was found that they do not swallow food whole, but bite off small pieces from the prey or crush it with strong dental plates.

Do people eat chimeras?

So, is it possible to eat chimera fish. There is no categorical answer to this question. Fishing for chimeras is carried out off the Pacific coast of the United States, they are caught in Chile and Argentina, as well as in the waters of New Zealand and China. Especially large are the volumes of prey in New Zealand, where representatives of the Callorhynchus family (proboscis-nosed chimeras) are caught.

Only fresh callorhynchus meat is suitable for eating, which has excellent taste qualities. However, if it lies down even a little, it begins to exude an unpleasant smell of ammonia. For housewives, cartilaginous chimera fish, which does not have scales and hard bones, is, of course, very convenient to cook.

From the liver of chimeras, fat is extracted, which has long been known as an excellent wound healing agent.

The current trend towards increasing European chimera harvesting by deep sea trawling to produce medicines from the liver oil of this fish was the reason for listing this species in the IUCN Red List ( International Union nature conservation). The chimera hare fish has a conservation status, as a species close to a vulnerable position.