On the shelves of Russia, fish called "sea rabbit" or "sea hare" began to appear more and more often (photos you can see in this article). Most often, it is sold without heads, and many have the question: “How does this fish really look like?” It should be noted right away that sea hares are not only fish, but also representatives of seals. But here we will focus on fish.
Sea hares are nothing more than a European chimera. This is a near-bottom deep-sea saltwater fish, which belongs to a subclass of cartilaginous skull-cranked or whole-headed fish. To date, there is one detachment of Chimaeriformes (chimeric). They inhabit the shelves and slopes of the continental shallow at a depth of 2.5 thousand meters in the Indian, Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. From Norway and Iceland to the Mediterranean Sea, sea hares are found in the Barents Sea and off the coast of South Africa.
Chimeras are distant, but relatives of modern sharks. They are sometimes called "ghost sharks." In ancient times, these representatives of the oceans had common ancestors, but about 400 million years ago they were divided into 2 orders. Some began to dwell near the water surface, while others sank to the depths and eventually acquired the appearance of a modern chimera.
The hares usually do not exceed 1.5 meters in length, with half being a long and thin tail. Their dorsal fins begin from the middle of the back and end at the tip of the tail. In general, the fins of this fish are very similar to wings, and therefore it seems that they do not swim, but fly. In front of the fin, the fish of the sea hare (the photo clearly shows this) has poisonous spikes that perfectly protect them from enemies. But I must say that the chimeras do not have so many. Their main enemies are large gluttonous females of indiacantes. Great danger threatens young representatives of sea hares and it comes from their now distant relatives - sharks. In chimeras, skin color can range from gray to almost black. There may be large contrasting spots.
The sea hares themselves hunt, like the other inhabitants of the depths, to the touch. The only attribute to attract prey is the sensitive sideline. Curious mollusks, worms, crustaceans, echinoderms and small fishes strive at her, as if into the light. But such curiosity in most cases ends in the mouth of the chimera. And her strong jaws with 3 rows of very strong teeth easily split even the hardest shells.
Due to the habitat of these fish, it is very difficult to study them. Therefore, not much is known about their hunting methods, breeding and habits. They practice inward fertilization. Propagate using eggs. During this period, females find them in the ovaries in large numbers and with varying degrees of development. The most mature of them are clothed in the cornea.
Until the beginning of the 20th century, sea hares did not have commercial significance. Firstly, they are very difficult to mine. And secondly, the meat of chimeras was considered inedible, and today not everyone likes it. Although, probably, you need to be able to cook it correctly. In medicine, fat extracted from their liver was used. It was also used as a lubricant. But their eggs were a real treat.
