Myxini (hagfishes) >
Myxiniformes (Hagfishes) >
Myxinidae (Hagfishes) > Eptatretinae
Etymology: Eptatretus: hepta (Gr.), seven; tretos (Gr.), perforated (i.e., with holes), referring to seven gill apertures on what would later be described as Homea banksii (=E. cirrhatus) [range within genus is 6-14 pairs of gill apertures]. (See ETYFish); menezesi: In honor of Naércio Aquino Menezes (b. 1937), Museu de Zoologia da Universidade de São Paulo, for his “extensive” contribution to Brazilian ichthyology. (See ETYFish).
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Marine; bathydemersal; non-migratory; depth range 250 - 530 m (Ref. 36999). Deep-water
Southwest Atlantic: Brazil.
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ? range ? - ? cm
Max length : 73.7 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 36999)
Short description
Identification keys | Morphology | Morphometrics
A seven-gilled species of Eptatretus; a 3-cusp multicusp on both the anterior and posterior sets of cusps; total slime pores 86-94; tail slime pores 14-18; ventral finfold vestigial; body light brown and caudal finfold dark brown (Ref. 36999).
This species lives on the continental slope. It is a scavenger caught together with dead fish.
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturities | Reproduction | Spawnings | Egg(s) | Fecundities | Larvae
Copulatory organ absent. The gonads of hagfishes are situated in the peritoneal cavity. The ovary is found in the anterior portion of the gonad, and the testis is found in the posterior part. The animal becomes female if the cranial part of the gonad develops or male if the caudal part undergoes differentiation. If none develops, then the animal becomes sterile. If both anterior and posterior parts develop, then the animal becomes a functional hermaphrodite. However, hermaphroditism being characterised as functional needs to be validated by more reproduction studies (Ref. 51361 ).
Mincarone, M.M., 2000. Eptatretus menezesi, a new species of hagfish (Agnatha, Myxinidae) from Brazil. Bull. Mar. Sci. 67(2):815-819. (Ref. 36999)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435)
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
Fisheries: of no interest
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Estimates based on models
Preferred temperature (Ref.
123201): 3.8 - 15.1, mean 10.6 °C (based on 15 cells).
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref.
82804): PD
50 = 0.5000 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.00204 (0.00092 - 0.00452), b=2.93 (2.73 - 3.13), in cm total length, based on LWR estimates for this (Sub)family-body shape (Ref.
93245).
Trophic level (Ref.
69278): 4.3 ±0.7 se; based on size and trophs of closest relatives
Resilience (Ref.
120179): Low, minimum population doubling time 4.5 - 14 years (Fec assumed to be <100).
Fishing Vulnerability (Ref.
59153): Moderate to high vulnerability (49 of 100).
