CALIFORNIA FISH AND GAME. 15 



This giant ray has been seen in our region only by fishermen, who 

 have reported an immense ray off the coast of San Diego. It is known 

 from tropical American waters, and is not uncommon on West Indian 

 and Florida coasts. It reaches a length of 20 feet. 



THE CHIM.CRAS. 



The group that includes the sharks and skates is usually subdivided 

 into two groups. The sharks and skates form one group and the 

 chimaeras the other. Little as the chimeras resemble the sharks their 

 relationship is distinctly with them as is shown by their anatomy and 

 development. We have on our California coast one representative of 

 this group. 



The Chimaera or Rat Fish 



(Chimwra colliei). 



The gills have only one external opening as in the majority of fishes. 

 The skeleton is of cartilage. The skin is thin, smooth, and scaleless. 

 The body is robust in the forward part, but tapers behind into a long 

 tail ending in a fine point. The mouth is small under a blunt projecting 

 snout, and is armed by thin plates formed by the united teeth. The 

 first dorsal fin is triangular and has a long, sharp spine at its front edge, 



Fig. 18. The chimaera or rat fish Chima'ra colliei. Adult male. 



while the second dorsal is long and low with a wide rounded notch at 

 its middle that nearly divides it into two parts. The caudal fin is 

 narrow, Avitli the tail projecting from it in a point. The anal is absent 

 and the pectorals are long and wing-shaped. A series of channels and 

 pores forms a crooked line along the side and branches over the head. 

 The male has several appendages that are absent in the female. One 

 is club-shaped, curving downward on the forehead, and is armed with 

 sharp spines ; one protrudes from a sheath of skin in front of each 

 ventral fin; and behind each ventral is a pair of claspers. The color, 

 when the fish is alive, is silvery but reflecting golden metallic hues, and 

 pale green, rose color and blue. The pupil is a beautiful pale greenisli 

 blue. Out of the water its brilliant colors soon fade. 



This peculiar fish is common along our entire coast, but as we go 

 southward it is found in deeper and deeper water. In Puget Sound 

 and northward it is taken in very shallow water. In Monterey Bay, 

 though it is sometimes taken in shallow water, it is commonest in fifty 

 or more fathoms. Below Point Concepcion it is never found in shallow 

 water. It reaches a length of nearly 2^ feet. 



