Hagfish (Myxine glutinosa) fish species and information / pictures of Hagfish - Myxine glutinosa

Hagfish (Myxine glutinosa) fish species information

Scientific Name
Myxine glutinosa

Common Name
Hagfish

Biology
Found on muddy bottoms where they hide in the mud. Slime is used for defense. Feeds chiefly on dead and dying fish of varying species by boring into the body and consuming viscera and musculature. Chiefly nocturnal. Its eggs are few in number about 19-30 and large , the horny shell has a cluster of anchor-tipped filaments at each end.

Classification

Classified By
Linnaeus, 1758
Class
Hagfishes (Myxini)
Order
Hagfishes (Myxiniformes)
Family
Hagfishes (Myxinidae)

Distribution

Region
North Atlantic
Distribution
North Atlantic: Murmansk to the Mediterranean Sea; Greenland to USA. Absent in eastern Mediterranean and Black Sea. Only hagfish in the Northeast Atlantic.
Range
72°N - 25°N, 79°W - 41°E

Environment

Climate
Temperate
Water Temperature From
Unknown °C
Water Temperature To
Unknown °C
Depth From - meters
30 m
Depth To - meters
1200 m
Zone
demersal
Environment
Marine; demersal; non-migratory; depth range 30 - 1200 m
Trophic Level
3.45 s.e. 0.66 Based on diet studies.
Occurs in Marine / Salt water
True
Occurs in Brackish water
False
Occurs in Fresh Water
False
Occurs on Reefs
False
Is kept in Aquariums
False

Physical Size and Genetics

Maximum Length
80.0 cm
Common Length
40 cm
Phylogenetic Diversity Index
PD50 = 0.5000 many relatives (e.g. carps) 0.5 - 2.0 few relatives (e.g. lungfishes)

Human Uses and Population

Human Uses
Fisheries: of no interest
Vulnerability
Moderate to high vulnerability (50 of 100)
Resilience
Low, minimum population doubling time 4.5 - 14 years (Fec= 20-30)
Threat To Humans
Harmless
IUCN Red List Status
Not Evaluated