Common Name
Colombian Hagfish
Year Described
Mok, Saavedra-Diaz & Acero P., 2001
Identification
Slime Pores
Prebranchial: 26
Branchial: 0
Trunk: 43-45
Tail: 9-10
Total: 79-80
Anterior unicusps: 12-13
Posterior unicusps: 12-13
Total cusps: 60
Tooth formula: 3/2
Body anguilliform and cylindrical. There are normally six gill openings. Gill openings non-linear and closely bunched. Branchial ducts tapering to a smaller size posteriorly. Finfolds not well developed.
Color
Described as uniformly light brown in alcohol with no pale edging on finfolds or pores. Eyespot pale.
Size
Maximum known size is 22cm TL.
Habitat
Captured on soft bottoms at 470-488m.
Range
Known only from the Caribbean coast of Colombia.
References
Mincarone, M. M. 2007. Revisao Taxonomica da Familia Myxinidae Rafinesque, 1814 (Myxiniformes). Tese de Doutorado, Porto Alegre, RS, Brasil.
Møller, P.R., & W.J. Jones. 2007. Eptatretus strickrotti n. sp. (Myxinidae): first hagfish captured from a hydrothermal vent. Biological Bulletin 212: 55–66.
Mok, H.-K., L.M. Saavedra-Diaz & A.P. Acero. 2001. Two new species of Eptatretus and Quadratus (Myxinidae, Myxiniformes) from the Caribbean Coast of Colombia. Copeia 2001(4): 1026-1033.
Other Notes
Described in the genus Quadratus, but more recent research has confirmed that it is in the genus Eptatretus (Møller and Jones, 2007). Distinguished from other Caribbean Eptatretus by lacking branchial pores, in having crowded gill openings that are not linear, and a last efferent gill duct not being confluent with the pharyngocutaneous duct (Mok et al., 2001).