Pacific hagfish
📖 Overview
Inhabits fine silt and clay bottoms . Enters large fishes by way of the mouth and anus and feed on its viscera and muscles . May greatly diminish catches taken with fixed gears . Produces mucilaginous slime when harassed . Probably exhibits hermaphroditism . Due to its primitive metabolism it is collected for research purposes . TBK: demerspelag.
🔬 Taxonomy
🐟 Physical Description
Dorsal spines (total): 0; Dorsal soft rays (total): 0; Anal spines: 0; Anal soft rays: 0. No true fins - one dorsal finfold, far back, median, very low, continuous with caudal; caudal broad, rounded; ventral finfold very low, origin somewhat posterior to last gill pore, extending to anus . Dark brown, tan, gray, or brownish red, often tinted with blue or purple, never black, lighter ventrally, rarely with large patches of white; preserved specimens light brown .: eel-like.
🌀 Behaviour
Behavioural data for Pacific hagfish is currently being reviewed.
🦐 Diet
Diet information for Pacific hagfish is currently being compiled.
🥚 Reproduction
Copulatory organ absent . Presence of bisexual juvenile gonad, requires further investigation regarding hermaphroditism . In one study , hermaphroditism is exhibited by only 0.2% of the individuals studied.
🌍 Habitat & Distribution
Marine; demersal; non-migratory; depth range 16 - 966 m . Temperate; 58°N - 20°N, 137°W - 105°W central Baja California, Mexico.
🌿 Ecology
its viscera and muscles (Ref
📐 Morphometrics
🌡️ Water Parameters & Tolerance
🛡️ Conservation Assessment
📊 Population Risk & Fisheries
🌐 Names & Taxonomy
| Language | Common Names |
|---|---|
| 🇬🇧English | California Hagfish · Pacific hagfish |
| 🇫🇷French | myxine brune |
| 🇷🇺Russian | Тихоокеанский пиявкорот |
| 🇪🇸Spanish | bruja pintada · Mixinido del Pacifico |
Scientific Synonyms
| Scientific Name | Author | Year | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bdellostoma stoutii | Lockington | 1878 | Synonym |
| Polistotrema stoutii | Lockington | 1878 | Synonym |
🔍 Similar Species
🗺️ Global Occurrence Map
Occurrence records from the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) - 73 records indexed .
👥 Community & Contribute
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