Australasia Narrow-nosed Spookfish, Harriotta avia Finucci, Didier, Ebert, Green & Kemper 2024

Other Names: Longnose Spookfish, Bentnose Rabbitfish, Bigspine Spookfish, Longnose Chimaera, Longnosed Chimaera, Long-nosed Chimaera, Narrownose Chimaera, Pacific Longnose Chimaera, Ratfish, Spookfish

A Bigspine Spookfish, Harriotta raleighana. Source: CSIRO National Fish Collection. License: CC BY Attribution

Summary:

A long-nosed chimaera with a very long flattened snout that may be upturned, a long dorsal-fin spine, and no fleshy tubercles on the upper margin of the caudal fin. The Bigspine Spookfish is a uniform chocolate brown (when skin intact) with darker fin margins. Juveniles have brownish-black pelvic fins that are more prominent.
In Australia and New Zealand, this species was previously known as Harriotta raleighana.

Cite this page as:

Bray, D.J. 2024, Harriotta avia in Fishes of Australia, accessed 30 Apr 2025, https://fishesofaustralia.net.au/home/species/3290

Australasia Narrow-nosed Spookfish, Harriotta avia Finucci, Didier, Ebert, Green & Kemper 2024

More Info

Distribution	Endemic to the Australia - New Zealand region. In Australia, from east of Gosford, New South Wales, to off Geraldton, Western Australia; also seamounts, ridges and rises in the Tasman Sea including the Lord Howe Rise and the Norfolk Ridge. In New Zealand, the species is widespread from off Northland to the Campbell Plateau. Inhabits the continental slope, living on or near the seafloor - usually hovering or swimming near the bottom - at depths of 260-1278 m (mostly 400-1000 m).
Features	Body elongate, maximum depth (approx. 13% body length to rear end of caudal fin) about level with dorsal fin spines, tapering to long filamentous tail that reaches beyond caudal fin; sides compressed. Head large (approx. 31% body length to rear end of caudal fin); snout very long, dorsoventrally flattened and pointed; eyes large; spiracles absent; mouth small, inferior; tooth plates beak-like with cutting edge, surfaces with ridges and rounded knobs; single small gill opening on each side of head, restricted to lower part of body in front of pectoral-fin bases. Scales only present on male claspers and tenaculum; lateral line branching over head, looping slightly under dorsal spine then extending back along sides in a nearly straight line; oral and jugular lateral sensory canals meeting orbital canal jointly or separately. Double row of small strong spines beneath skin dorsally on head behind interorbital space, in front of first dorsal fin, and between second dorsal fin and caudal fin. Two dorsal fins, first with short base, connected with second dorsal by low fold of skin; second dorsal with long base, low, extending from in advance of pelvic fins to above origin of lower caudal fin, well short of upper caudal fin; first dorsal with very strong slightly curved spine reaching at least to tip of fin, spine with posterior groove and serrated hind edges; anal fin absent, but caudal peduncle with shallow fold of skin continuous with and extending forward from lower caudal fin; upper caudal fin commencing behind origin of lower caudal, less deep and shorter than lower, the two symmetrical posteriorly. Pectoral fins very large (approx. 26% body length to rear end of caudal fin), rounded in young, sub-falcate in older individuals, extending back to just behind ventral-fin bases. Pelvic fins originating at or just behind middle of body excluding filament, rounded posteriorly; claspers of male simple, unbranched.
Size	Recorded to reach a total length of 120 cm; females grow to a larger size than males.
Feeding	Reportedly feeds mostly on shellfish and crustaceans.
Biology	Very little is known of the biology of this species. Females grow larger than males; size at maturity for males is ~25−30 cm body length (BDL) and for females, it is ~30 cm BDL; size at birth is ~10−13 cm precaudal length. Females lay small dark brown elongate egg capsules with pale amber ribbed flanges along each side - about 16.5 cm in length. The young reportedly hatch in summer.
Fisheries	Taken occasionally as bycatch in deepwater trawl fisheries.
Similar Species	Harriotta avia differs from H. haeckeli and H. raleighana in having the following combination of characters: elongated, narrow and depressed snout up to 56% BDL; long, slender trunk; beak-like vomerine tooth plate; large eye, length 8–12% BDL and height 5–7% BDL; long dorsal spine reaching slightly beyond apex of the dorsal fin; slender rod-like pelvic claspers. Deciduous skin; uniform chocolate brown when skin intact.
Etymology	The specific name is from the Latin avia (= grandmother), in memory of June Thomas who proudly supported her granddaughter’s (BF) science career.
Species Citation	Harriotta avia Finucci, Didier, Ebert, Green, & Kemper 2024, Environmental Biology of Fishes 107: 848, figs 3-7. Type locality: south Chatham Rise, New Zealand, 44°17’ S, 178°24’ E, 630–641 m depth.
Author	Bray, D.J. 2024
Resources	Atlas of Living Australia Australian Faunal Directory Catalog of Fishes

Australasia Narrow-nosed Spookfish, Harriotta avia Finucci, Didier, Ebert, Green & Kemper 2024

References

Finucci, B., Cheok, J., Ebert, D.A., Herman, K., et al. 2021. Ghosts of the deep–Biodiversity, fisheries, and extinction risk of ghost sharks. Fish and Fisheries 22: 391–412. https://doi.org/10.1111/faf.12526

Finucci, B., Didier, D., Ebert, D.A., Green, M.E. & Kemper, J.M. 2024. Harriotta avia sp. nov. – a new rhinochimaerid (Chimaeriformes: Rhinochimaeridae) described from the Southwest Pacific. Environmental Biology of Fishes 107: 841–865. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10641-024-01577-4

Finucci, B., Dunn, M.R., Jones, E.G. & Anderson, J. 2017. Reproductive biology of the two deep-sea chimaerids, longnose spookfish (Harriotta raleighana) and Pacific spookfish (Rhinochimaera pacifica). Deep Sea Research Part I Oceanographic Research Papers 120: 76-87. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dsr.2016.11.008

Garrick, J.A.F. 1971. Harriotta raleighana, a long-nosed chimaera (family Rhinochimaeridae), in New Zealand waters. Journal of the Royal Society of New Zealand 1(3/4): 203-213 https://doi.org/10.1080/03036758.1971.10423312

Garrick, J.A.F. & Inada, T. 1975. Dimensions of long-nosed chimaera Harriotta raleighana from New Zealand. New Zealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research 9(2): 159-167. https://doi.org/10.1080/00288330.1975.9515556

Glover, C.J.M. 1994. Families Chimaeridae, Callorhynchidae, Rhinochimaeridae. pp. 185-193 figs 164-192 in Gomon, M.F., Glover, C.J.M. & Kuiter, R.H. (eds) The Fishes of Australia's South Coast. Adelaide : State Printer 992 pp. 810 figs. (as Harriotta raleighana)

Gomon, M.F. 2008. Families Dasyatidae, Myliobatidae, Chimaeridae, Callorhinchidae, Rhinochimaeridae. 138-149 pp. in Gomon. M.F., Bray, D.J. & Kuiter, R.H (eds) Fishes of Australia's Southern Coast. Sydney : Reed New Holland 928 pp. (as Harriotta raleighana)

Kemper, J.M., Ebert, D.A. & Didier, D.D. 2015. 6 Family Rhinochimaeridae, pp 50-53 in Roberts, C.D., Stewart, A.L. & Struthers, C.D. (eds) The Fishes of New Zealand. Wellington : Te Papa Press Vol. 2 pp. 1-576. (as Harriotta raleighana)

Last, P.R., Scott, E.O.G. & Talbot, F.H. 1983. Fishes of Tasmania. Hobart : Tasmanian Fisheries Development Authority 563 pp. figs. (as Harriotta raleighana)

Last, P.R. & Stevens, J.D. 1994. Sharks and Rays of Australia. Canberra : CSIRO Australia 513 pp. 84 pls. (as Harriotta raleighana)

Last, P.R. & Stevens, J.D. 2009. Sharks and Rays of Australia. Collingwood : CSIRO Publishing Australia 2, 550 pp. (as Harriotta raleighana)

McMillan, P.J., Francis, M.P., James, G.D., Paul, L.J., Marriott, P.J., Mackay, E., Wood, B.A., Griggs, L.H., Sui, H. & Wei, F. 2011. New Zealand fishes. Volume 1: A field guide to common species caught by bottom and midwater fishing. New Zealand Aquatic Environment and Biodiversity Report No. 68. 329 pp. (as Harriotta raleighana)