Jespersen's hagfish (Myxine jespersenae)

Scientific name: Myxine jespersenae M?ller, Feld, Poulsen, Thomsen & Thormar, 2005

Jespersen's hagfish (Myxine jespersenae)

The Jespersen's hagfish (Myxine jespersenae) is a marine fish of the family Myxinidae. In the aquarium it needs water at 4–5°C (39–41°F).

Jespersen's hagfish care at a glance

Temperature
4–5°C (39–41°F)

Biology

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.

Source: FishBase, licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

Species facts

Scientific name
Myxine jespersenae
Family
Myxinidae (Hagfishes)
Order
Myxiniformes (Hagfishes)
Class
Myxini (Hagfishes)
Maximum length
49.8
Depth range
752–1556 m (2467–5105 ft)
Environment
Marine; benthopelagic; depth range 752 - 1556 m
Climate
Deep-water
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 and no documented capture of both species in the same haul or trap exists.
Conservation status (IUCN)
Not Evaluated
Threat to humans
Harmless

Sources

Taxonomy, distribution and biology data: FishBase (Froese, R. and D. Pauly, eds.), licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

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