September 27th, 2009 
The Eastern Pacific black ghostshark (Hydrolagus melanophasma), a new species from California and Baja California, not taunting other marine life with its retractable forehead genitalia. Credit: MBARI
Chimaeras are sharks much cooler cousins. They are not sharks, i.e. elasmobranchs, but rather a whole other subclass, Holocephali, that split from sharks nearly 400 mya. They are primarily deep water which only endears them to me more. Chimaeras differ from sharks in subtle and not so subtle ways.
Much different from their toothy cousins, male chimaeras have retractable sexual appendages on the forehead. So now that you have that picture in your head, consider there is now one more known species of Holocephali. The new species, the Eastern Pacific black ghostshark (Hydrolagus melanophasma, Greek for ‘water rabbit’ and ‘black ghost’), was described in the September issue of the international journal Zootaxa. The new species is from deep water off central California down to the Sea of Cortez. As one of the author’s of the paper states ‘They have this club on the top of their head with spikes. People think it’s used for mating. It’s like a little mace with little spikes and hooks and it fits into their forehead. It’s jointed and it comes out. We’re not sure if it is used to stimulate the female or hold the female closer.”
Retractable sexual organ on forehead…check
Big retractable sexual organ on forehead…check
Jointed big retractable sexual organ on forehead…check
Jointed big retractable sexual organ on forehead equipped with spike and hooks…check
It’s days like this that I really appreciate the diversity of life. Below the fold a nice video, with horrible music, of shallow water chimaera.
Update: Greg Mayer has reminded that the organ on top is not genitalia, i.e. involved with gamete transfer. It is a hypothesized reproductive organ thought to “to stimulate the female or hold the female closer.” Jerry has wonderful post with pictures of both the organ on the forehead as well as the claspers (actual genitalia)! So I mention this because in my exuberance for a creative title I used the term genitalia. I now corrected this.
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Tom Reinard. Tom Reinard said: Retractable Forehead Genitalia: http://is.gd/3JItt Good, now I have your attention. (via @pzmyers) [...]
So cool!
So is that what this beastie was using its strange head appendage for?
[...] 28, 2009 by nadiawilliams I never knew this, but there are some animals who have their genitals on their foreheads. Sorry, make that their retractable genitals. Now, as a romance writer, I immediately think [...]
i love its ‘angel wings’ and massive eyes. it looks so graceful swimming in the water. this species truly is an angel.
[...] new species has been discovered – the Eastern Pacific black ghostshark (Hydrolagus melanophasma, Latin for ‘water rabbit’ [...]
[...] at Pharyngula, PZ has linked to a story at Deep Sea News about the description of a new species of ratfish with “forehead genitals”. While [...]
“…male chimaeras have retractable sexual appendages on the forehead. So now that you have that picture in your head”
pun intended?
That’s really cool!
[...] sexual organ on forehead…check. Another Species With Forehead Genitals | Deep Sea News « Other advice was that you should never use netspeak (ur, u, wat, wont, and so [...]
“Baby I’m gonna hold you with my forehead hook while I sex you with my claspers.” Hydrolagus melanophasma pick up line.
Well, damn. I got all excited and posted this to my Facebook page….and it doesn’t even transfer gametes.
Thats what she said…
Without you guys we wouldn’t know about male chimeras and the retractable sexual organs on their foreheads. And so, for sharing the weirdness of the deep sea with the world, we’re honoring you with a Kreativ Blogger award. You can learn more about it on our blog
http://maukamakai.wordpress.com/2009/10/01/kreativ-blogger/
[...] Another Species With Forehead Genitals | Deep Sea News Gotta love them forehead genitals! Scariest thing…the caption says ANOTHER species with forehead genitals… [...]
[...] Deep-Sea News: Another Species With Forehead Sexual Organs [...]