Cook's rattail

Coelorinchus cookianus

Fish
IUCN: Not evaluated

Usual depth480–925 m
Water temperature9–21 °C
Best monthsMay and June
How commonRare

Photo credit: (c) anonymous, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA) · CC BY-SA · iNaturalist

About this species

Cook's rattail is a species of rattail endemic to New Zealand. It is only found in the northern and central regions at depths of 400-800 m, with some specimens also collected on the Chatham Rise. The species is benthopelagic, living and feeding between the ocean floor and midwater levels.

Text from the Wikipedia article “Cook's rattail”, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Read the article

Where and when

Where it has been recorded

Worldwide

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Best months

Worldwide (open data)

January: 1 records
February: 0 records
March: 1 records
April: 1 records
May: 8 records
June: 6 records
July: 0 records
August: 1 records
September: 0 records
October: 2 records
November: 1 records
December: 0 records

Depth and water temperature

Depth

Mostly recorded at 480–925 m · Deepest record: 1,093.5 m

310–320 m: 3 records
320–330 m: 0 records
330–340 m: 1 records
340–350 m: 1 records
350–360 m: 0 records
360–370 m: 0 records
370–380 m: 0 records
380–390 m: 1 records
390–400 m: 0 records
400–410 m: 1 records
410–420 m: 0 records
420+ m: 118 records

Water temperature

Recorded in surface water of 9–21 °C

8–10 °C: 3 records
10–12 °C: 2 records
12–14 °C: 6 records
14–16 °C: 8 records
16–18 °C: 62 records
18–20 °C: 46 records
20–22 °C: 2 records

Names and classification

English: Cook's rattail

Other scientific names: Caelorinchus cookianus, Coelorhynchus cookianus

Similar species

Bollons' rattail
Coelorinchus bollonsi
Banded Whip-tail
Coelorinchus fasciatus
Innotable Whiptail
Coelorinchus innotabilis
Gargoyle Fish
Coelorinchus mirus
Hawknose grenadier
Coelorinchus oliverianus
Spottyface Whiptail
Coelorinchus acanthiger

Sources and credits

Names and taxonomy: WoRMS (CC BY 4.0) and the GBIF Backbone (CC BY 4.0). Photos: iNaturalist observers, each under the licence shown (CC0, CC BY or CC BY-SA).

Depth, temperature, months and maps: records from OBIS and GBIF under CC0 or CC BY.
Descriptions: Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA, each linked to its article.
Conservation status as published by GBIF (IUCN Red List).
129 open-data records from 1981 to 2018.
Species data updated November 1, 2026.

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