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🌊 Marine 🌡️ Temperate

5-gilled white mid-dorsal line hagfish

Eptatretus wandoensis Song & Kim, 2020
Max Length
29.2 cm
Max Weight
-
Lifespan
-
Trophic Level
4
Depth
60–80 m
Climate
Temperate
Resilience
Medium
Vulnerability
32.00/100
Typical Length
-
Depth Zone
demersal

📖 Overview

A female specimen (29.0 cm TL) was found with approximately 20 developing eggs, without terminal anchor filaments or hooks, and each egg measures approximately 4-7 mm in diameter and 10-12 mm in length .

Scientific Name
Eptatretus wandoensis
Authority
Song & Kim, 2020
Habitat
Marine
Climate
Temperate
Body Shape
Elongated
Max Length
29.2 cm
Depth Range
60–80 m
Latitude
33°S – 35°N
Trophic Level
4
Resilience
Medium
Vulnerability
32.00/100
Salinity
30–40 ppt

🔬 Taxonomy

🐟 Physical Description

This species is distinguished by the following characters: 5 pairs of gill apertures; conspicuous eyespots; fused cusps 3/2, with total cusps, 40-43; gill pouch (GP) one at end of dental muscle; total slime pores 74-82 (prebranchial 14-18; branchial 4; trunk 46-49; tail 9-11); branchial length 5.2%-6.2% of TL; pharyngocutaneous duct confluent with the last gill aperture; ventral artery splitting at ca. 3-4 GP. Colour when fresh: body uniformly dark brown or purplish dorsally and white ventrally; white mid-dorsal line distinct, beginning from upper region of the first prebranchial slime pore to around the tail .: elongated; Cross section: compressed.

🌀 Behaviour

Behavioural data for 5-gilled white mid-dorsal line hagfish is currently being reviewed.

🦐 Diet

small fish
crustaceans
cephalopods

🥚 Reproduction

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

A female specimen of 29.0 cm TL carries approximately 20 developing eggs, which have no terminal anchor filaments or hooks; each egg approximately 4-7 mm in diameter and 10-12 mm in length. Another one of 29.2 com TL had none.

🌍 Habitat & Distribution

Marine; demersal; depth range 60 - 80 m . Temperate; 35°N - 33°S, 126°E - 128°E Northwest Pacific: Sea of Korea / Sea of Japan / East Sea.

🌿 Ecology

Zone Preferences
🌊 Marine ⬇️ Benthic
Trophic Level
4±0.7

📐 Morphometrics

Length–Weight Relationship: W = 0.00389 × L3.12 (TL)
Max TL
29.2cm

🌡️ Water Parameters & Tolerance

Salinity Range
30–40ppt

📊 Population Risk & Fisheries

Population Resilience
Medium
Minimum doubling time
Fishing Vulnerability
32.00/100
Low vulnerability
Trophic Level
4
Apex / Top predator
Body Shape
Elongated
Climate Zone
Temperate
Latitude Range
35°N – 33°S
Described By
Song & Kim, 2020

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