Elephant fish and their relatives belong to a class of fish which is related to the sharks. This means they have a skeleton made of cartilage like sharks but lack the more flattened body shape of the sharks and rays. The Elephant Fish averages 60 cm to 1 m in length and can reach over 1.2m . They are named for the distinctive lobed, trunk like snout in front of the mouth. It has two high, triangular dorsal fins and the first has a strong folding spine in front of it. The upper lobe of the tail is long and shark like, while the lower lobe is short and is immediately behind the pointed anal fin. They are so close together they almost appear to be one fin. The fish is silver-grey with an overlay of brown markings on the body and fins.

This chimaera resides on continental shelves of cool temperate areas to depths to at least 656 feet (200 m). It has also been reported to migrate into estuaries and inshore bays during the spring months to mate.

The club-like projection on the snout of the ghost shark is used to search for prey. The end is covered in pores that sense movement and weak electrical fields. Ghost sharks feed primarily on shellfish and molluscs.

They lay large eggs in yellow brown capsules which measure about 25 x 10 cm, the capsule is laid on sand or mud in water less than 40m deep. The young hatch 6 to 8 months later and are slow growing, taking about 5 years to reach maturity. Commercially caught during the inshore migration, either in trawls or set nets. Used locally in Fish and Chip shops or exported to Australia.

Daily limit per person 5, no minimum size.

http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=278469 (Accessed 23/12/10) Collins Guide to the Sea fishes of NZ: Ayling & Cox