New 🐟 Mercury Safety Guide & Omega-3 Rankings Updated for 2026. View Omega-3 Rankings →

🌊 Marine Least Concern 🌡️ Deep-water

Fernholm's Caribbean Hagfish

Eptatretus caribbeaus Fernholm, 1982
Max Length
38.5 cm
Max Weight
-
Lifespan
-
Trophic Level
4.1
Depth
365–500 m
Climate
Deep-water
Resilience
Low
Vulnerability
34.00/100
Typical Length
-
Depth Zone
deep-water

📖 Overview

Fernholm's Caribbean Hagfish (Eptatretus caribbeaus) is a ray-finned fish of the family Myxinidae. It inhabits marine (saltwater) waters in deep-water environments. This species can reach a maximum total length of 38.5 cm. It occurs at depths between 365 and 500 metres. With a trophic level of 4.1, it is a mid-level predator. It is assessed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.

Scientific Name
Eptatretus caribbeaus
Authority
Fernholm, 1982
Habitat
Marine
Climate
Deep-water
IUCN Status
LC
Max Length
38.5 cm
Depth Range
365–500 m
Trophic Level
4.1
Resilience
Low
Vulnerability
34.00/100
Migration
Non-migratory
Salinity
30–40 ppt

🔬 Taxonomy

Kingdom
Animalia
Phylum
Chordata
Class
Hagfishes
Myxini
Order
Myxiniformes
Myxiniformes
Family
Myxinidae
Myxinidae
Genus
Eptatretus
Eptatretus
Species
Fernholm's Caribbean Hagfish
Eptatretus caribbeaus

🐟 Physical Description

Total slime pores 79-85; tail slime pores 11-13; light to very light tan in color .: eel-like.

🌀 Behaviour

Behavioural data for Fernholm's Caribbean Hagfish is currently being reviewed.

🦐 Diet

small fish
crustaceans
cephalopods

🥚 Reproduction

🐣 Oviparous 📦 Batch Spawner
Spawning Season
spring-summer
Spawn Location
Pelagic
Fertilization
External

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 .

🌍 Habitat & Distribution

Marine; bathydemersal; non-migratory; depth range 365 - 500 m . Deep-water Central Atlantic: Caribbean Sea.

🌿 Ecology

Zone Preferences
🌊 Marine 🌑 Deep Water
Migration
Non-migratory
Trophic Level
4.1±0.7

📐 Morphometrics

Length–Weight Relationship: W = 0.00204 × L2.93 (TL)
Max TL
38.5cm

🌡️ Water Parameters & Tolerance

Salinity Range
30–40ppt

🛡️ Conservation Assessment

IUCN Category
Least Concern
Assessment Date
2009

📊 Population Risk & Fisheries

Population Resilience
Low
Minimum doubling time
Fishing Vulnerability
34.00/100
Low vulnerability
Trophic Level
4.1
Apex / Top predator
Climate Zone
Deep-water
Described By
Fernholm, 1982

🌐 Names & Taxonomy

Language Common Names
🇬🇧English Fernholm's Caribbean Hagfish
🌍CES pasliznatka karibská
🇫🇮Finnish karibianlimaaja
🇵🇹Portuguese Peixe-bruxa-caribenho
🇷🇺Russian Карибский пиявкорот
🇪🇸Spanish bruja caribeña

🗺️ Global Occurrence Map

Occurrence records from the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) - 1 records indexed .

Occurrence density from GBIF View GBIF records ↗

👥 Community & Contribute

Aquareap Community Observations
0 Observations logged on Aquareap

No observations yet - be the first to log one!

View all observations for Fernholm's Caribbean Hagfish ↗
Suggest an Edit

Spotted incorrect or outdated data? Submit a correction and our editorial team will review it. Approved edits go live within 48 hours.

Link to a scientific paper, FishBase, or other authoritative source
Report an Issue

Found a factual error, broken data, or inappropriate content? Let us know and we will investigate promptly.