Long-nosed fish, like the wings of Canadian fishermen

The fish accidentally caught Canadian fishermen with a long, nearly body-like nose, big green protruding eyes and pairs of fins that looked like bird wings.

The Lunar CBS News, Lunenburg fisherman Scott Tanner found the animal caught in the net during a fishing trip off Newfoundland Island, Canada."There are many strange things pulled up from the sea like this fish really stand out. I think not many people have the opportunity to see it," Tanner said.

Picture 1 of Long-nosed fish, like the wings of Canadian fishermen
The chimaera fish has a long nose close to the body.(Photo: Scott Tanner).

The long nose fish belongs to the chimaera (Chimaeriformes) , weighs 2 - 5kg, but died when towed onto the ship. According to Tanner, it's more likely that he died of sudden pressure changes. Andrew Hebda, the zoologist manager at Halifax's Museum of Natural History, said the fish's eyes protruded from being pushed out of the water too quickly.

The long-nosed chimaera fish is one of three chimaera species that inhabit the North Atlantic Ocean, but this species is very rare because they usually live at a depth of several hundred meters below the water surface. The fish is about a meter long, has a long nose, wide mouth and poisonous spines on the body. Despite its scary appearance, it mainly eats crab shrimp and is completely harmless to humans.

As a distant relative of sharks and rays, the long-nosed chimaera belongs to the oldest species of fish on Earth. The round beaded eyes help the animal find food in the dark seabed and glow only under the light.