What’s a Rat-fish!??

Well, it’s not exactly what we were after today, but worth taking a look at! The spotted ratfish we see here in the PNW are actually a type of Chimaera, which are also knows as “ghost-fish” or “rabbit-fish”. They cartilaginous fishes, and are distantly related to rays and sharks. They have one long venomous spike that can cause a very painful wound, but is not lethal (unless you are a seal and eat one…). They aren’t typically eaten and are not targeted commercially. We let this one go back home 🙂