Description

Six pairs of gill pouches and gill apertures in a rarely variable linear arrangement. Branchial slime pores, 4-6. The last left gill aperture (GA) is closely adjacent to but separate from the pharyngocutaneous duct (PCD). Eyes spots are prominent (Ref. 31545). White mid-dorsal line prominent; fused cusps 3/2, total cusps 40-42; total slime pores 81-92 (Ref. 51420).

Common Names

Taxonomic Hierarchy

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Myxini

Order: Myxiniformes

Family: Myxinidae

Genus: Eptatretus

Species: Eptatretus burgeri (Girard, 1855)

Climate Zone

Location

• Northwest Pacific: Sea of Japan and eastern Japan to Taiwan.

Biology

Found in the sublittoral zone (Ref. 11230). Usually buries itself in bottom mud (Ref. 26686). Migrates into deeper water to spawn (Ref. 51361, 51374). This is the only member of the family having a seasonal reproductive cycle (Ref. 51361). Food fish in Japan. Hide is processed into leather and exported worldwide, usually as 'eel' leather.

Habitat

demersal

Conservation Status

Near Threatened

Threat to Humans

Harmless