Eptatretus cirrhatus (Forster, 1801)
Description
Dorsal spines (total): 0; Dorsal soft rays (total): 0; Anal spines: 0; Anal soft rays: 0. This species differs from all its congeners except E. caribbeaus, E. goliath, E. menezesi and E. strahani by having 7 pairs of gill pouches and three-cusp multicusps on the anterior and posterior rows of cusps. It differs from E. caribbeaus in number of anterior unicusps (8-11 vs. 11-13), posterior unicusps (7-9 vs. 10-11), total cusps (43-51 vs. 54-58) and prebranchial pores (16-20 vs. 13-15); from E. goliath in number of anterior unicusps (8-11 vs. 11-13), total cusps (43-51 vs. 54) and trunk pores (46-53 vs. 57-58); from E. menezesi in number of posterior unicusps (7-9 vs. 9-12), total cusps (43-51 vs. 52-60), tail pores (10-14 vs. 14-18); from E. strahani by its number of prebranchial pores (16-20 vs. 13-16) (Ref. 85052).
Common Names
Taxonomic Hierarchy
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Myxini
Order: Myxiniformes
Family: Myxinidae
Genus: Eptatretus
Species: Eptatretus cirrhatus (Forster, 1801)
Climate Zone
Location
Biology
Occurs on soft bottoms of the continental slope (Ref. 7300). Able to form locally abundant populations and is often associated with inshore reefs (Ref. 85052).
Habitat
bathydemersal
Conservation Status
Least Concern
Threat to Humans
Harmless