Blue Banded Whiptail
Coelorinchus matamua
- Usual depth737–995 m
- Water temperature8–21 °C
- Best monthsJanuary, February, and December
- How commonOccasional
About this species
The Mahia whiptail, large-headed whiptail or Mahia rattail is a species of rattail found circumpolar in the southern oceans, at depths of between 450 and 1,000 m. Its length is between 45 and 65 cm.
Text from the Wikipedia article “Mahia whiptail”, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Read the article
Where and when
Where it has been recorded
Worldwide
Loading the map
Best months
Worldwide (open data)
- January: 33 records
- February: 31 records
- March: 10 records
- April: 9 records
- May: 5 records
- June: 9 records
- July: 9 records
- August: 10 records
- September: 8 records
- October: 10 records
- November: 7 records
- December: 22 records
Depth and water temperature
Depth
Mostly recorded at 737–995 m · Deepest record: 4,226 m
Water temperature
Recorded in surface water of 8–21 °C
Names and classification
- English
- Blue Banded Whiptail, Blueband Whiptail, Large-headed Whiptail, Largehead Whiptail, Mahia Rattail, Mahia Whiptail
Other scientific names: Caelorinchus matamua, Mahia matamua
Similar species
- Bollons' rattail
Coelorinchus bollonsi
- Banded Whip-tail
Coelorinchus fasciatus
- Innotable Whiptail
Coelorinchus innotabilis
Gargoyle FishCoelorinchus mirus
Hawknose grenadierCoelorinchus 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).
- 3,494 open-data records from 1975 to 2018.
- Species data updated November 1, 2026.
Log what you see on your next dive
The free DiveHive diver app keeps your logbook with every sighting and shows what lives at the site you dive next.