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); astrolabium: -ium, Latin adjectival suffix: Astrolabe Bay (Papua New Guinea), only known locality, which was named in 1827 by explorer Jules Sébastien César Dumont d’Urville after his ship Astrolabe (See ETYFish).
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Marine; bathydemersal; depth range ? - 500 m (Ref. 85154). Deep-water
Western Pacific: Papua New Guinea.
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ? range ? - ? cm
Max length : 40.0 cm TL (female)
Short description
Identification keys | Morphology | Morphometrics
This species differs from all its congeners except five Pacific species (Eptatretus carlhubbsi, Eptatretus cirrhatus, Eptatretus goliath, Eptatretus laurahubbsae, Eptatretus strahani) and two Atlantic Ocean species (Eptatretus caribbeaus, Eptatretus menezesi) by having 7 pairs of gill pouches and three-cusp multicusps on the anterior and posterior rows of cusps. It further differs from these congeners by having the following characters: 10 posterior unicusps (vs. 11-13 in E. carlhubbsi, 7-9 in E. cirrhatus, 11-16 in E. laurahubbsae); 52 total cusps (vs. 54-58 in E. caribbeaus, 61-71 in E. carlhubbsi, 61-68 in E. laurahubbsae); 18-19 prebranchial pores (vs. 13-15 in E. caribbeaus, 12-17 in E. carlhubbsi, 14-15 in E. goliath, 14-17 in E. laurahubbsae, 13-17 in E. menezesi, 13-16 in E. strahani); 5 branchial pores (vs. 6-7 or 6-8 for remaining seven-gilled species); 48-49 trunk pores (vs. 60-70 in E. carlhubbsi, 57-58 in E. goliath, 60-67 in E. laurahubbsae); 83-84 total pores (vs. 93-110 in E. carlhubbsi, 92 in E. goliath, 97-105 in E. laurahubbsae, 86-94 in E. menezesi). In addition, these congeners, except E. caribbeaus, have two bilaterally symmetrical nasal-sinus papillae in the dorsal surface of the nasal sinus, while it is absent in E. astrolabium (Ref. 85154).
The observation re the 'silty mud bottom’ were the specimen was taken, was inferred from sediment in traps retrieved. The female holotype with several small, rounded eggs, ca. 2 mm diameter; all eggs in the mesentery, which is attached to the body wall (Ref. 85154). Iteroparous (Ref. 94918).
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae
Iteroparous (Ref. 94918).
Fernholm, B. and M.M. Mincarone, 2010. A new species of hagfish (Myxinidae: Eptatretus) from Papua New Guinea. J. Fish Biol. 77(4):998-1005. (Ref. 85154)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435: Version 2024-1)
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
Fisheries: of no interest
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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 (0.00094 - 0.00444), b=2.93 (2.74 - 3.12), in cm total length, based on LWR estimates for this (Sub)family-body shape (Ref.
93245).
Trophic level (Ref.
69278): 4.1 ±0.7 se; based on size and trophs of closest relatives
Resilience (Ref.
120179): Medium, minimum population doubling time 1.4 - 4.4 years (Preliminary K or Fecundity.).
Fishing Vulnerability (Ref.
59153): Low to moderate vulnerability (30 of 100).
