Santa Catarina Hagfish

📖 Overview

Santa Catarina Hagfish (Eptatretus menezesi) 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 73.7 cm. It occurs at depths between 250 and 530 metres. With a trophic level of 4.3, it is an apex predator. It is assessed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.

🔬 Taxonomy

🐟 Physical Description

A seven-gilled species of Eptatretus; a 3-cusp multicusp on both the anterior and posterior sets of cusps; total slime pores 86-94; tail slime pores 14-18; ventral finfold vestigial; body light brown and caudal finfold dark brown .: eel-like.

🌀 Behaviour

Behavioural data for Santa Catarina Hagfish is currently being reviewed.

🦐 Diet

🥚 Reproduction

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 250 - 530 m . Deep-water Southwest Atlantic: Brazil.

🌿 Ecology

📐 Morphometrics

🌡️ Water Parameters & Tolerance

🛡️ Conservation Assessment

📊 Population Risk & Fisheries

🌐 Names & Taxonomy

🐠 Related Species

🔍 Similar Species

🗺️ Global Occurrence Map

Occurrence records from the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) - 27 records indexed .

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