Fish of the group Holocephali. Chimaeras have thick bodies that taper to a long thin tail, large fins, smooth skin, and a cartilaginous skeleton. They can grow to 1.5 m/4.5 ft. Most chimaeras are deep-water fish, and even Chimaera monstrosa, a relatively shallow-living form caught around European coasts, lives at a depth of 300–500 m/1,000–1,600 ft.