Common Name
Brazilian Hagfish
Year Described
Mincarone, 2000
Identification
Slime Pores
Prebranchial: 13-17
Branchial: 6-8
Trunk: 48-55
Tail: 14-18
Total: 86-94
Anterior unicusps: 10-12
Posterior unicusps: 9-12
Total cusps: 52-60
Tooth formula: 3/3
Body anguilliform and cylindrical. There are seven gill openings. Gill openings linear. Branchial ducts tapering to a smaller size posteriorly. Ventral finfold poorly developed. Caudal finfold well developed.
Color
Body in life medium brown with pale spots around body pores. Caudal finfold darker brown. Whitish mouth, barbels, eyespots, and ventral finfold margin.
Size
Adults range from 39-74cm TL. Maximum size to 90cm TL.
Habitat
Captured on continental slope from 250-530m.
Range
Known from off southeastern Brazil.
References
Mincarone, M. M. 2000. Eptatretus menezesi, a new species of hagfish (Agnatha, Myxinidae) from Brazil. Bulletin of Marine Science v. 67 (2): 815-819.
Mincarone, M. M. 2007. Revisao Taxonomica da Familia Myxinidae Rafinesque, 1814 (Myxiniformes). Tese de Doutorado, Porto Alegre, RS, Brasil.
Other Notes
The only other known species of seven gilled hagfish from the western Atlantic is Eptatretus caribbeaus, which has fewer total slime pores (79-85) and fewer tail pores (11-13). An undescribed seven-gilled species from the Bahamas has a different tooth formula of 3/2 (Mincarone, 2000).