Question

Rabbit Fish (Chimaera), is a connecting link between
A.Cartilaginous and bony fishes
B.Bony fishes and lungfishes
C.Lung fishes and amphibians
D.Cyclostomates and Chondrichthyes

Answer 1

Chimaeras are cartilaginous fish which come in the order Chimaeriformes, that are known commonly as ghost sharks, ratfish, spookfish, or rabbitfish. Chimaeras thrive in temperate ocean grounds down to 8,500 ft deep, with few organisms living at depths lower than 660 ft or 200m.

Complete answer: Chimaeras have elongated, soft bodies, with a huge head and an only gill-opening. They raise to 150 cm (4.9 ft) in length, though this comprises the lengthy tail found in certain species. In most of the species, the snout is adapted into an extended sensory organ. Among the total species, 29 of the species belong to the genus called signals belonging to the family Canidae. These contain the colloquially face strips called fox faces.
Like other members which belong to the class Chondrichthyes, chimaera skeletons are made up of cartilage. Their skin is smooth and naked, which lacks placoid scales (except in the claspers), and their colour can vary from black to brownish grey. For defence mechanism, most chimaeras comprise of a venomous spine in front of the dorsal fin.
Chimaeras are similar to sharks in certain ways: they adapt claspers for the process of internal fertilization in females and they lay eggs with tough cases. They also practice electroreception to catch their prey. However, unlike sharks, male chimaeras also constitute coverable sexual appendages on the forehead and in the anterior of the pelvic fins. The females lay eggs in the spindle-shaped structure, tough egg cases.

Note: In certain classifications, the chimaeras are involved (as subclass Holocephali) in the class Chondrichthyes of cartilaginous fishes; in other classifications, this difference may be elevated to the level of class. Chimaeras also have few characteristics similar to bony fishes.