Kingdom Animalia Class Myxini Family Myxinidae Rank Species | Phylum Chordata Order Myxiniformes Genus Eptatretus | |
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Similar Eptatretus polytrema, Gulf hagfish, Black hagfish | ||
Eptatretus hexatrema, the sixgill hagfish or snotslang, is a species of marine fish in the hagfish family (family Myxinidae) of order Myxiniformes. It is native to the South Atlantic Ocean and southwestern Indian Ocean.
Contents
Distribution
Southeast Atlantic: known only from Walvis Bay, Namibia to Durban, South Africa
Description
Maximum recorded length 80.0 cm. Depth of body 15 times total length. Six gill openings. Colour slaty grey. Egg cases ovoid about 30mm long by 12mm wide with anchor filaments at each end. Eel shaped,with six barbels on the head around the mouth. Epatches form white spots under the skin. Two rows of slime pores under the body. No paired fins, mouth has no jaws but has two protrusible rows of horny teeth.
Habitat and behaviour
Non-migratory marine demersal. Depth range 10 – 400 m, usually found between 10 and 45 m. Commonly burrows in muddy bottoms. Feeds mostly by scavenging on dead or disabled fish. Secretes large quantities of slime when provoked.
Importance to humans
No commercial value, considered a pest by fishermen.
Conservation status
Least concern
Name
Etymology: Eptatretus: Greek, epta = seven + Greek, tretos = with holes. hexatrema: ? .
Common names: sixgill hagfish, snotslang
Synonyms: Bdellostoma hexatrema Müller, 1836. Heptatretus hexatrema (Müller, 1836)