Many-toothed Hagfish

📖 Overview

Many-toothed Hagfish (Eptatretus multidens), first described by Fernholm & Hubbs, 1981 is a large fish in the family Myxinidae (order Myxiniformes). Adults typically reach 81.50 cm in maximum length. It inhabits marine coastal and open-ocean environments. Recorded depth range: 239 to 770 metres. It occurs in Deep-water waters. Diet is predominantly piscivorous, targeting other fish and larger prey. On the IUCN Red List, it is classified as Least Concern.

🔬 Taxonomy

🐟 Physical Description

Diagnosis: Gill pouches 6 pairs. Fused cusps 3 in both anterior and posterior rows of teeth; total cusps 50-58. No middorsal light stripe . Slime pores: prebranchial 14-16; branchial 5-7; trunk 52-55; tail 15; total 87-93 .: eel-like.

🌀 Behaviour

Behavioural data for Many-toothed 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 239 - 770 m . Deep-water

🌿 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) - 4 records indexed .

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