Eptatretus stoutii (Lockington, 1878)
Pacific hagfish
California hagfish,  Lamperina,  Pacific hagfish
Eptatretus stoutii
photo by JJPhoto

Family:  Myxinidae (Hagfishes), subfamily: Eptatretinae
Max. size:  63.5 cm TL (male/unsexed)
Environment:  demersal; marine; depth range 16 - 966 m, non-migratory
Distribution:  Eastern Pacific: southeastern Alaska to Bahia San Pablo, central Baja California, Mexico.
Diagnosis:  Dorsal spines (total): 0-0; Dorsal soft rays (total): 0-0; Anal spines: 0-0; Anal soft rays: 0-0. 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 (Ref. 6885). 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 (Ref. 6885).
Biology:  Inhabits fine silt and clay bottoms (Ref. 6885). Enters large fishes by way of the mouth and anus and feed on its viscera and muscles (Ref. 6885). May greatly diminish catches taken with fixed gears (Ref. 6885). Produces mucilaginous slime when harassed (Ref. 6885). Probably exhibits hermaphroditism (Ref. 56947). Due to its primitive metabolism it is collected for research purposes (Ref. 6885). TBK: demerspelag.
IUCN Red List Status: Data deficient (DD); Date assessed: 11 December 2009 Ref. (130435)
Threat to humans:  harmless
Country info:  Occurs in southeastern Alaska (Ref. 2850, 6876, 27436). Also Ref. 4925, 6885. n SE Alaska record needs confirmation (Ref. 96339).


Source and more info: www.fishbase.org. For personal, classroom, and other internal use only. Not for publication.