Myxine jespersenae Møller, Feld, Poulsen, Thomsen & Thormar, 2005
Jespersen's hagfish
Myxine jespersenae
photo by Møller, P.R.

Family:  Myxinidae (Hagfishes), subfamily: Myxininae
Max. size:  49.8 cm TL (male/unsexed)
Environment:  bathydemersal; marine; depth range 752 - 1556 m
Distribution:  North Atlantic: off West Greenland, in the eastern Davis Strait. Denmark Strait, Reykjanes Ridge, and South East of Iceland. Occurs sympatrically with Myxine glutinosa, although with a rather limited overlap in vertical distribution (772-1556 vs. 64-782) and no documented capture of both species in the same haul or trap exists.
Diagnosis:  Diagnosis: Color grayish brown with whitish head, the white extending posteriorly in a mid-ventral stripe of varying length; surrounding slime pores, PCD, gill aperture, cloaca, CFF, and VFF margins whitish. Two paired, pointed, or comb-shaped, bilaterally symmetrical nasal-sinus papillae with 2-5 distal fringes and 2 cusps in each row fused at their bases. Additional cusps in anterior rows 7-9 and posterior rows 8-10; total cusps 38-44. Pairs of gill pouches 6. Slime pores: prebranchial 28-37; trunk 65-74; tail 11-15; total 107-121. Body slender, depth over cloaca 2.9-4.3% TL; ventral finfold originates within anterior 10% of trunk; caudal finfold termination dorsally above cloaca to posterior 7% of trunk (Ref. 54824).
Biology:  Occurs in muddy bottoms. Eggs taken from a damaged specimen in various stages of maturation , elliptical up to 23.6 X 8.5 mm; all eggs are in mesenteries and no anchor filaments were found (Ref. 54824).
IUCN Red List Status: Least Concern (LC); Date assessed: 11 December 2009 Ref. (130435)
Threat to humans:  harmless


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