Whitefin Chimaera

The genus Chimaera is part of the larger family Chimaeridae, which also includes the genus Hydrolagus. This genus differs from Chimaera in that these species do not have anal fins. Chimaera argiloba possess a medium length snout, ranging from 13.7-17.3 cm. From a dorso-ventral view, the snout is narrowly pointed, but is broadly pointed from a lateral point of view. On average, the whitefin chimaera has a horizontal head length of 10.7 cm, and a vertical height of 0.68 times the horizontal head length. In total, C. argiloba has a body length of 40 cm and a total length of more than 90 cm. Another prominent characteristic is its large gill opening that is separated with a posterior flap that protrudes from the head base, and is interconnected with the back of the gill cover by a short tube. Color-wise, C. argiloba is grey-silver, both laterally and dorsally. On its ventral side, the color has a slightly paler hue compared to the rest of its body.

Chimaera argiloba is most commonly found in northwestern Australia in the Indian Ocean. This particular species does not have a broad distribution, but there have been known findings off the shores of North Caledonia and Indonesia. C. argiloba reside in waters at a depth of 370 meters, and even going deeper ranging to depths of 520 meters.