Myxini (hagfishes) >
Myxiniformes (Hagfishes) >
Myxinidae (Hagfishes) > Eptatretinae
Etymology: Eptatretus: hepta (Gr.), seven; tretos (Gr.), perforated (i.e., with holes), referring to seven gill apertures on what would later be described as Homea banksii (=E. cirrhatus) [range within genus is 6-14 pairs of gill apertures]. (See ETYFish); wayuu: Named for the Wayuu aborigines who live on the Guajira Peninsula of Colombia, type locality. (See ETYFish).
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Marine; bathydemersal; non-migratory; depth range ? - 306 m (Ref. 41105). Deep-water
Western Atlantic: known only from the Guajira coast near Puerto Bolivar, Colombia, Caribbean Sea.
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ? range ? - ? cm
Max length : 21.6 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 41105)
Short description
Identification keys | Morphology | Morphometrics
Ventral aorta bifurcated into left and right branches at gill pouches one (anteriormost pouch) or two versus bifurcated at the fifth or sixth gill pouches in congeners and P. springeri. Five branchial apertures arranged in a straight line; lengths of efferent branchial ducts unequal with the first duct about twice the length of the last duct. Last branchial duct confluent with pharyngocutaneous duct, last aperture on the left side much larger than other apertures. Gill apertures 5. Slime pores: prebranchial 24; branchial 2; trunk 38-40; tail 9; total 73-75. Cylindrical body, laterally compressed toward spatulate tail. Caudal and ventral finfold well developed. Head, body, tail and finfold pink when fresh, dark violet in alcohol; eyespots faint, branchial region much lighter colored than other parts of the body; gill aperture margins pale (Ref. 41105).
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturities | Reproduction | Spawnings | Egg(s) | Fecundities | Larvae
Copulatory organ absent. The gonads of hagfishes are situated in the peritoneal cavity. The ovary is found in the anterior portion of the gonad, and the testis is found in the posterior part. The animal becomes female if the cranial part of the gonad develops or male if the caudal part undergoes differentiation. If none develops, then the animal becomes sterile. If both anterior and posterior parts develop, then the animal becomes a functional hermaphrodite. However, hermaphroditism being characterised as functional needs to be validated by more reproduction studies (Ref. 51361 ).
Mok, H.-K., L.M. Saavedra-Diaz and A.P. Acero, 2001. Two new species of Eptatretus and Quadratus (Myxinidae, Myxiniformes) from the Caribbean Coast of Colombia. Copeia 2001(4):1026-1033. (Ref. 41105)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435)
Threat to humans
Harmless
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Estimates based on models
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref.
82804): PD
50 = 0.5000 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.00204 (0.00092 - 0.00452), b=2.93 (2.73 - 3.13), in cm total length, based on LWR estimates for this (Sub)family-body shape (Ref.
93245).
Trophic level (Ref.
69278): 3.9 ±0.7 se; based on size and trophs of closest relatives
Resilience (Ref.
120179): Low, minimum population doubling time 4.5 - 14 years (Fec assumed to be <100).
Fishing Vulnerability (Ref.
59153): Low vulnerability (12 of 100).
