Elephant Fish

Callorhinchus milii

The elephant fish (Callorhinchus milii), also known as the Australian ghostshark, is a cartilaginous fish belonging to the chimaera order. It reaches about 1.2 meters in length and is immediately recognizable by its fleshy, trunk-like protrusion on its snout, called a proboscis, which is covered in electroreceptors used to detect prey buried in sandy and muddy bottoms. Its body is silvery with dark brown patches and a large dorsal fin preceded by a venomous spine. Unlike true sharks, chimaeras have smooth skin without scales, a single gill opening on each side covered by an operculum, and upper jaws fused to the skull. Elephant fish are found in temperate waters of the southern hemisphere, typically over continental shelves. They feed on shellfish, crustaceans, and small bottom-dwelling organisms. During spring, they move into shallow bays and estuaries to lay large, leathery egg cases on sandy bottoms. Their ancient lineage dates back over 400 million years, making them living fossils of significant evolutionary interest.