Common Name
Falklands Hagfish
Year Described
Wisner & McMillan, 1995
Identification
Slime Pores
Prebranchial: 30-38
Branchial: 0
Trunk: 54-74
Tail: 7-14
Total: 98-126
Anterior unicusps: 6-8
Posterior unicusps: 7-9
Total cusps: 34-40
Tooth formula: 2/2
Body anguilliform and cylindrical. There are normally six gill pouches. No branchial pores (present in Eptratretus). Ventral finfold variably developed. Caudal finfold well developed.
Color
Body reddish brown to brown with a pale head and ventrum. Pore margins, aperture margin, and ventral finfold margin white. Caudal finfold can have a pale margin.
Size
Maximum size to 56.5cm TL.
Habitat
Taken over soft bottoms from 1-650m.
Range
Known from off the Falklands Islands and southern Argentina.
References
Mincarone, M. M. 2007. Revisao Taxonomica da Familia Myxinidae Rafinesque, 1814 (Myxiniformes). Tese de Doutorado, Porto Alegre, RS, Brasil.
Wisner, R. L. & McMillan, C. B. 1995. Review of new world hagfishes of the genus Myxine (Agnatha, Myxinidae) with descriptions of nine new species. Fishery Bulletin 93: 530-550.
Other Notes
Myxine dorsum (Wisner & McMillan, 1995) is a junior synonym of this species.