''Myxine circifrons'', the whiteface hagfish, is a marine

bathydemersal Demersal fish, also known as groundfish, live and feed on or near the bottom of ocean, seas or lakes (the demersal zone).Walrond Carl . "Coastal fish - Fish of the open sea floor"Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand. Updated 2 March 2009 T ...

species of fish in the

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 ...

Myxinidae. It is found off

Southern California Southern California (commonly shortened to SoCal) is a geographic and Cultural area, cultural List of regions of California, region that generally comprises the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. Its densely populated coastal reg ...

Peru Peru, officially the Republic of Peru, is a country in western South America. It is bordered in the north by Ecuador and Colombia, in the east by Brazil, in the southeast by Bolivia, in the south by Chile, and in the south and west by the Pac ...

, and

Chile Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in western South America. It is the southernmost country in the world and the closest to Antarctica, stretching along a narrow strip of land between the Andes, Andes Mountains and the Paci ...

and grows to

total length Fish measurement is the measuring of individual fish and various parts of their anatomies, for data used in many areas of ichthyology, including taxonomy and fishery biology. Overall length Standard length (SL) is the length of a fish measured f ...

Distribution and habitat

It is found off

, and

in marine

habitats approximately to deep.

Anatomy and appearance

It grows to total length and is similar in appearance to other hagfish.

Gonads A gonad, sex gland, or reproductive gland is a mixed gland and sex organ that produces the gametes and sex hormones of an organism. Female reproductive cells are egg cells, and male reproductive cells are sperm. The male gonad, the testicle, ...

are situated in the

peritoneal cavity The peritoneal cavity is a potential space located between the two layers of the peritoneum—the parietal peritoneum, the serous membrane that lines the abdominal wall, and visceral peritoneum, which surrounds the internal organs. While situated ...

Reproduction

The whiteface hagfish becomes male when the posterior part of the gonads develop and female if the anterior part develops. If both develop, the fish becomes hemaphroditic, and if none develops, the fish becomes sterile.

References

* Myxinidae Fish described in 1899 Taxa named by Samuel Garman {{Jawless-fish-stub