# Rabbit fish (*Chimaera monstrosa*)

Canonical page: https://creaturedata.com/animals/rabbit-fish  
Data as of: 2026-11-11

The rabbit fish (Chimaera monstrosa) is a fish in the family Chimaeridae, order Chimaeriformes and class Holocephali. It is also called Rat fish, Rabbitfish or Rabbit-fish, and its scientific name was given by Linnaeus, 1758. The IUCN Red List global assessment lists it as Vulnerable (VU), a threatened category.

## Quick facts

| Fact | Value |
|---|---|
| Weight | Not recorded |
| Length | up to 1.5 m |
| Lifespan | Not recorded |
| Longest recorded lifespan | 30 years |
| Main food | Not recorded |
| Habitat | Not recorded |
| Young per litter or clutch | Not recorded |
| Age at maturity | 11.2 years – 13.4 years |
| Reproduction | Eggs |
| Conservation status | Vulnerable (IUCN) |
| Countries on record | Not recorded |

## Classification

- kingdom: Animalia
- phylum: Chordata
- class: Holocephali
- order: Chimaeriformes
- family: Chimaeridae
- genus: Chimaera
- species: *Chimaera monstrosa* Linnaeus, 1758

Synonyms: *Chimaera arctica*, *Chimaera argentea*, *Chimaera borealis*, *Chimaera cristata*, *Chimaera dubia*, *Chimaera mediterranea*, *Chimera monstrosa*

## Common questions

### What kind of animal is the rabbit fish?

The rabbit fish is a fish in the family Chimaeridae, order Chimaeriformes, class Holocephali.

### What is the scientific name of the rabbit fish?

Its scientific name is Chimaera monstrosa, in the genus Chimaera.

### Who named Chimaera monstrosa?

Chimaera monstrosa was named by Linnaeus, 1758.

### Is the rabbit fish endangered?

The rabbit fish is listed as Vulnerable (VU) on the IUCN Red List global assessment, which is a threatened category.

### What other names does the rabbit fish have?

It is also called Rat fish, Rabbitfish and Rabbit-fish.

## Sources

- [Catalogue of Life eXtended Release](https://www.checklistbank.org/dataset/316691), CC BY 4.0, 2026-10-16 XR. Catalogue of Life (2026). Catalogue of Life eXtended Release, version 2026-10-16 XR. Catalogue of Life Foundation, Amsterdam, Netherlands. https://doi.org/10.48580/dgzlf
- [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org), per file (CC0 / public domain / CC BY green, CC BY-SA amber, anything else not displayed), 2026-11-11. Wikimedia Commons contributors. Wikimedia Commons. https://commons.wikimedia.org (each file credited to its author under its own licence).
- [Sharkipedia: a curated open access database of shark and ray life history traits](https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6656525), CC BY 4.0, 1.0-2022-06-17. Mull, C.G., Pacoureau, N., Pardo, S.A. et al. (2022) Sharkipedia: a curated open access database of shark and ray life history traits and abundance time-series. Scientific Data 9: 559. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41597-022-01655-1. Data: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6656525
- [Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org), CC0 1.0, 2026-11-11. Wikidata contributors. Wikidata. https://www.wikidata.org (data retrieved via the Wikidata Query Service).
- [Wikipedia (English)](https://en.wikipedia.org), CC BY-SA 4.0, 2026-11-11. Wikipedia contributors. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. https://en.wikipedia.org (text under CC BY-SA 4.0; each block names its article and revision).

Cite as: Rabbit fish (Chimaera monstrosa). Retrieved from https://creaturedata.com/animals/rabbit-fish