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The American river ratfish (Hydrolagus americanum), also known as the American river chimaera, is a species of chimaera, most closely related to the spotted ratfish (Hydrolagus colliei), that originally did not exist, but has since been created by SciiFii and introduced throughout the lakes, rivers, ponds, and estuaries across the United States, Mexico, and Canada to help boost biodiversity. Often seen by people at night, dusk, or dawn, this cartilaginous fish gets its characteristic name from a pointed rat-like tail. The female is up to 97 cm (38 inches) long, slightly bigger than the male. The American river ratfish have a smooth and scaleless skin that is either a silvery-red color or an orangish-brown, often with sparkling shades of gold, blue, and green. Unlike other species of chimaeras and as its name suggests, the American river ratfish is tolerant to pure freshwater and brackish waters, able to thrive and breed in freshwater in its entire life. The American river ratfish's usual hunting period is at night, when it moves through the water as in search for tough food sources such as crustaceans (such as crabs, crayfish, and shrimp) and mollusks (such as clams and snails). Besides these, the American river ratfish also feeds on worms, small fish, frogs (including their larvae/tadpoles), and newts. Like some sharks, American river ratfish are oviparous. Their spawning season peaks during the spring to autumn. During this time, the female releases up to three fertilized eggs into muddy, rocky, or sandy areas every 10–14 days. The extrusion process can last 18–30 hours and the actual laying can last another 4–6 days. The egg sack is leather-like, 12.7 centimeters (5.0 inches) long, and has a filament connected to it which is used to attach it to the riverbed when it is let go by the mother. A female may be seen swimming around her newly laid eggs, in hopes of preventing predators from finding them. Development of the egg can take up to 3 months, which can sometimes be dangerous because the eggs are sometimes mistaken for inanimate objects by people swimming in the water. When the young finally hatch, they are about 14 centimeters (5.5 inches) in length and grow, reaching 30 centimeters (12 inches) in length their first year. The conservation status of the American river ratfish is Least Concern due to successful conservation efforts, the American river ratfish's wide range and its tolerance to many of the human activities.