Myxini (hagfishes) >
Myxiniformes (Hagfishes) >
Myxinidae (Hagfishes) > Myxininae
Etymology: Myxine: Ancient Greek word for a slimy fish: myxa, slime; -inus, one who, referring to copious amounts of slime produced by M. glutinosa. (See ETYFish); paucidens: paucus (L.) few; dens (L.) tooth, referring to 13 total teeth compared to 15-24 teeth in similar species. (See ETYFish).
More on author: Regan.
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Marine; bathydemersal; non-migratory; depth range 630 - 1000 m (Ref. 51420). Deep-water
Northwest Pacific: known only from the Sagaminada Sea, Japan.
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ?  range ? - ? cm
Max length : 30.5 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 31276)
Short description
Identification keys | Morphology | Morphometrics
Diagnosis: Six pairs of gill pouches; the last gill aperture not confluent with to pharyngocutaneous duct; ventral finfold well developed; fused cusps 2/2, anterior (outer) unicusps 4-4, posterior (inner) unicusps 5-5, total cusps 26; total slime pores 92=93 (Ref. 51420).
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 ).
Fernholm, B., 1998. Hagfish systematics. p. 33-44. In J.M. Jørgensen, J.P. Lomholt, R.E. Weber and H. Malte (eds.) The biology of hagfishes. Chapman & Hall, London. 578 p. (Ref. 31276)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435)
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
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Estimates based on models
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref.
82804): PD
50 = 0.5000 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.00115 (0.00045 - 0.00296), b=3.03 (2.80 - 3.26), in cm total length, based on LWR estimates for this (Sub)family-body shape (Ref.
93245).
Trophic level (Ref.
69278): 3.3 ±0.6 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): Low vulnerability (21 of 100).