''Eptatretus hexatrema'', the sixgill hagfish, or snotslang is a

species A species () is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate sexes or mating types can produce fertile offspring, typically by sexual reproduction. It is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), ...

of marine

fish A fish (: fish or fishes) is an aquatic animal, aquatic, Anamniotes, anamniotic, gill-bearing vertebrate animal with swimming fish fin, fins and craniate, a hard skull, but lacking limb (anatomy), limbs with digit (anatomy), digits. Fish can ...

in the

hagfish Hagfish, of the Class (biology), class Myxini (also known as Hyperotreti) and Order (biology), order Myxiniformes , are eel-shaped Agnatha, jawless fish (occasionally called slime eels). Hagfish are the only known living Animal, animals that h ...

family Family (from ) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). It forms the basis for social order. Ideally, families offer predictabili ...

(family Myxinidae) of

order Order, ORDER or Orders may refer to: * A socio-political or established or existing order, e.g. World order, Ancien Regime, Pax Britannica * Categorization, the process in which ideas and objects are recognized, differentiated, and understood ...

Myxiniformes. It is native to the

South Atlantic Ocean The Atlantic Ocean is the second largest of the world's five borders of the oceans, oceanic divisions, with an area of about . It covers approximately 17% of Earth#Surface, Earth's surface and about 24% of its water surface area. During the ...

and southwestern

Indian Ocean The Indian Ocean is the third-largest of the world's five oceanic divisions, covering or approximately 20% of the water area of Earth#Surface, Earth's surface. It is bounded by Asia to the north, Africa to the west and Australia (continent), ...

Distribution

Southeast Atlantic: known only from Walvis Bay, Namibia to Durban, South AfricaSmith, Margaret M, and Heemstra, P. (eds.) 2003. ''Smith's sea fishes''. South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity, Grahamstown. Struik publishers, Cape Town, 2003.

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.Jones, Georgina. ''A field guide to the marine animals of the Cape Peninsula.'' SURG, Cape Town, 2008. No paired fins, mouth has no jaws but has two protrusible rows of horny teeth.Branch, G.M., Branch, M.L, Griffiths, C.L. and Beckley, L.E. (2010). ''Two Oceans: a guide to the marine life of southern Africa'' Struik Nature, Cape Town.

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)Bailly, N. (2013). Eptatretus hexatrema (Müller, 1836). In: Froese, R. and D. Pauly. Editors. (2013) FishBase. Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=221466 on 2014-03-19

References

External links

* {{Taxonbar, from=Q969312 Myxinidae Marine fish of Southern Africa Marine fish of South Africa Fish described in 1836