Smallspine Spookfish, Harriotta haeckeli Karrer 1972

Harriotta haeckeli. Source: CSIRO National Fish Collection. License: CC by Attribution

Summary:

A spookfish with an elongate snout that can be distinguished by its smaller size, very small eyes, and short first dorsal fin and fin spine. The Smallspine Spookfish also has the upper caudal-fin lobe similar in height to, but longer than, the lower caudal-fin lobe.

Extraordinary video of a Smallspine Spookfish swimming 10 metres above the seafloor in Hydrographer Canyon during Dive 05, July 13, of the Okeanos Explorer Northeast U.S. Canyons Expedition 2013. Video courtesy of NOAA Okeanos Explorer Program.

Cite this page as:

Reardon, M.B & Bray, D.J. 2018, Harriotta haeckeli in Fishes of Australia, accessed 17 Sep 2024, https://fishesofaustralia.net.au/home/species/3291

Smallspine Spookfish, Harriotta haeckeli Karrer 1972

More Info

Distribution	Off New South Wales, eastern Victoria and Tasmania. Elsewhere, the species is benthopelagic on the lower continental slope, with a discontinuous distribution (north-east Atlantic, central Indian Ocean). Inhabits deepwater slopes, troughs and seamounts at depths of 1,114−2,603 m.
Size	74 cm TL (excluding the tail filament).
Biology	A rare and poorly known species - nothing known of its biology, ecology, reproduction or population structure and size.
Fisheries	Although occasionally taken as bycatch in deepwater trawl fisheries, this species usually occurs at depths beyond commercial fishing range.
Conservation	IUCN Red List: Least Concern
Species Citation	Harriotta haeckeli Karrer, 1972, Mitt, Zool. Mus. Berlin 48(1): 210, fig. 3. Type locality: North Atlantic [63°21´N, 57°00´W].
Author	Reardon, M.B & Bray, D.J. 2018
Resources	Australian Faunal Directory

Smallspine Spookfish, Harriotta haeckeli Karrer 1972

References

Dagit, D.D. & Walls, R.H.L. 2015. Harriotta haeckeli. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2015: e.T60139A70709321. http://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2015-4.RLTS.T60139A70709321.en. Downloaded on 21 October 2016.

Didier, D.A. 1995. Phylogenetic systematics of extant chimaeroid fishes (Holocephali, Chimaeroidei). American Museum Novitates (3119): 1-86.

Karrer, C. 1972. Die Gattung Harriotta Goode und Bean, 1895 (Chondrichthys, Chimaeriformes, Rhinochimaeridae). Mitteilungen aus dem Zoologischen Museum in Berlin 48(1): 203-221 figs 1-5

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

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