Perryklein
spotted ratfish, Hydrolagus colliei
The spotted ratfish has a very distinct appearance compared to other fish. The average female is about three feet (38 inches) long, much bigger in comparison to the smaller male. These fish have a smooth and scaless skin that is a silvery-bronze color, often with sparkling shades of gold, blue, and green. The speckled white spots along their back contributes to their name. Dark edges outline both the caudal and dorsal fins; whereas, the pectoral fins have a transparent outline. The ratfish’s pectoral fins are large and triangular, which extend straight out from the sides like airplane wings. They have a venomous spine located at the leading edge of their dorsal fin. The tail of the ratfish constitutes for almost half of their overall length and closely resembles a pointed rat-like tail. The body of this fish is supported by cartilage rather than bone, making it go limp when removed from the water. It has a duckbill shaped snout and a rabbit like face. Their mouth is small and contains forward directed, incisor-shaped teeth, that act as plate-like grinding teeth. One of their most mesmerizing features is their large emerald green eyes which are able to reflect light, similar to eyes of a cat.The spotted ratfish can be found in the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans. They can most commonly be found between the Pacific Northwest and the British Columbia. The range of depths in which this fish is found extends from 0 – 3,000 feet below sea level. Near 115° N. longitude and further north, the spotted ratfish lives close to the shore. On the southern end of their range, they live in deeper waters. Ratfish tend to move closer to shallow water during the spring and autumn, then to deeper water in summer and winter. Spotted ratfish can most commonly be found living near the bottom of sand, mud or rocky reefs of the ocean floor.The spotted ratfish swims slowly above the seafloor in search for food. Location of food is done by the sense of smell. Spotted ratfish are particularly drawn to crunchy foods like crabs and clams. Besides crabs and clams, the spotted ratfish also feeds off of shrimp, worms, small fish, small crustaceans, and sea stars. As the spotted ratfish is out hunting for prey, they must also keep a lookout so that they don’t become prey for other sea creatures such as: the soupfin sharks, dogfish sharks, pigeon guillemots, and Pacific halibut. Their usual hunting period is at nighttime, when they move to shallow water to feed.Like other sharks, spotted ratfish are oviparous. Their spawning season peaks during the spring to autumn months. During this time, the female releases up to two fertilized eggs into sand or mud areas of the seabed every 10 to 14 days. The extrusion process can last anywhere from 18 to 30 hours and the actual laying can last another four to six days. The egg sack is leather-like, five inches long, and has a filament connected to it which is used to attach itself to the ocean floor when it is let go by the mother. It is not unheard of to see a female ratfish swimming around her newly laid eggs, in hopes to prevent predators from finding them. Development of the egg can take up to a year, which can be harmful because the eggs are sometimes mistaken as inanimate objects by divers. When the young finally hatch, they are about 5.5 inches in length and continue to grow, reaching 11.8 inches in length their first year.-The ratfish is not typically eaten by humans being as it is not commercially caught for human consumption. As they swim gracefully about the ocean, the ratfish can be seen doing barrel rolls and corkscrew turns, as if they were flying. The root meaning of the ratfishes scientific name, Hydrolagus colliei, comes from the Greek words hydro, meaning water, and lagus, meaning hare.
spotted ratfish, Hydrolagus colliei
The spotted ratfish has a very distinct appearance compared to other fish. The average female is about three feet (38 inches) long, much bigger in comparison to the smaller male. These fish have a smooth and scaless skin that is a silvery-bronze color, often with sparkling shades of gold, blue, and green. The speckled white spots along their back contributes to their name. Dark edges outline both the caudal and dorsal fins; whereas, the pectoral fins have a transparent outline. The ratfish’s pectoral fins are large and triangular, which extend straight out from the sides like airplane wings. They have a venomous spine located at the leading edge of their dorsal fin. The tail of the ratfish constitutes for almost half of their overall length and closely resembles a pointed rat-like tail. The body of this fish is supported by cartilage rather than bone, making it go limp when removed from the water. It has a duckbill shaped snout and a rabbit like face. Their mouth is small and contains forward directed, incisor-shaped teeth, that act as plate-like grinding teeth. One of their most mesmerizing features is their large emerald green eyes which are able to reflect light, similar to eyes of a cat.The spotted ratfish can be found in the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans. They can most commonly be found between the Pacific Northwest and the British Columbia. The range of depths in which this fish is found extends from 0 – 3,000 feet below sea level. Near 115° N. longitude and further north, the spotted ratfish lives close to the shore. On the southern end of their range, they live in deeper waters. Ratfish tend to move closer to shallow water during the spring and autumn, then to deeper water in summer and winter. Spotted ratfish can most commonly be found living near the bottom of sand, mud or rocky reefs of the ocean floor.The spotted ratfish swims slowly above the seafloor in search for food. Location of food is done by the sense of smell. Spotted ratfish are particularly drawn to crunchy foods like crabs and clams. Besides crabs and clams, the spotted ratfish also feeds off of shrimp, worms, small fish, small crustaceans, and sea stars. As the spotted ratfish is out hunting for prey, they must also keep a lookout so that they don’t become prey for other sea creatures such as: the soupfin sharks, dogfish sharks, pigeon guillemots, and Pacific halibut. Their usual hunting period is at nighttime, when they move to shallow water to feed.Like other sharks, spotted ratfish are oviparous. Their spawning season peaks during the spring to autumn months. During this time, the female releases up to two fertilized eggs into sand or mud areas of the seabed every 10 to 14 days. The extrusion process can last anywhere from 18 to 30 hours and the actual laying can last another four to six days. The egg sack is leather-like, five inches long, and has a filament connected to it which is used to attach itself to the ocean floor when it is let go by the mother. It is not unheard of to see a female ratfish swimming around her newly laid eggs, in hopes to prevent predators from finding them. Development of the egg can take up to a year, which can be harmful because the eggs are sometimes mistaken as inanimate objects by divers. When the young finally hatch, they are about 5.5 inches in length and continue to grow, reaching 11.8 inches in length their first year.-The ratfish is not typically eaten by humans being as it is not commercially caught for human consumption. As they swim gracefully about the ocean, the ratfish can be seen doing barrel rolls and corkscrew turns, as if they were flying. The root meaning of the ratfishes scientific name, Hydrolagus colliei, comes from the Greek words hydro, meaning water, and lagus, meaning hare.