Common Name
Gulf Hagfish
Year Described
Fernholm & Hubbs, 1981
Identification
Slime Pores
Prebranchial: 15-18
Branchial: 4-6
Trunk: 41-48
Tail: 11-14
Total: 74-82
Anterior unicusps: 8-11
Posterior unicusps: 8-10
Total cusps: 46-54
Tooth formula: 3/3
Body anguilliform and cylindrical. There are normally six gill openings, but sometimes five. Ventral and caudal finfolds poorly developed.
Color
Body uniformly light brown. Head, pores, and ventrum same as body. Ventral finfold margin, caudal finfold margin, and dorsal midline whitish.
Size
Maximum size to 39.5cm TL.
Habitat
Found over a mix of hard and soft bottom habitats from 300-472m.
Range
Known from the northern Gulf of Mexico from Louisiana to S. Florida. Also reported from the southeastern coast of the U.S (Ross & Quattrini, 2007).
References
Mincarone, M. M. 2007. Revisao Taxonomica da Familia Myxinidae Rafinesque, 1814 (Myxiniformes). Tese de Doutorado, Porto Alegre, RS, Brasil.
Ross, S.W. and A.M. Quattrini. 2007. The Fish Fauna Associated with Deep Coral Banks off the Southeastern United States. Deep-Sea Research Part I 54 (6): 975-1007.