''Myxine limosa'', also called Girard's Atlantic hagfish, is a jawless fish in the genus ''

Myxine ''Myxine'' is a genus of hagfish, from the Greek μυξῖνος (''myxinos'', "slimy"). It is the type genus of the class Myxini. In 2021, three new species of ''Myxine'' were described from the Galápagos including '' M. phantasma'', the on ...

''.

Description

This

eel Eels are ray-finned fish belonging to the order Anguilliformes (), which consists of eight suborders, 20 families, 164 genera, and about 1000 species. Eels undergo considerable development from the early larval stage to the eventual adult stage ...

-like species grows up to long. It's color in life ranges from reddish brown to dark purple, and there are no visible eyes. The mouth is surrounded by 6 barbels, and there are 5 or 6

gill A gill () is a respiration organ, respiratory organ that many aquatic ecosystem, aquatic organisms use to extract dissolved oxygen from water and to excrete carbon dioxide. The gills of some species, such as hermit crabs, have adapted to allow r ...

pouches on either side of the head, with one exterior connection.

Similar species

''M. limosa'' is perhaps most similar to ''

Myxine glutinosa ''Myxine glutinosa'', also known as the Atlantic hagfish, is a type of Agnatha, jawless fish belonging to the class Myxini. Description The Atlantic hagfish may grow up to long, with no eyes and no jaws; its star-shaped mouth is surrounded by ...

,'' which is grayish pink and grows up to long. North American ''

Eptatretus ''Eptatretus'' is a large genus of hagfish. Species There are currently 50 recognized species in this genus: * '' Eptatretus aceroi'' Polanco Fernández & Fernholm, 2014 (Acero's hagfish)Polanco Fernandez, A. & Fernholm, B. (2014): A New Speci ...

'' hagfishes are also similar but have 5–14 gill pouches, which open independently to the exterior. ''

Petromyzon marinus The sea lamprey (''Petromyzon marinus'') is a parasitic lamprey native to the Northern Hemisphere. It is sometimes referred to as the "vampire fish". It was likely introduced to the Great Lakes region through the Erie Canal in 1825 and the Well ...

'' has 7 pairs of gill pouches, one top nostril, and small visible eyes.

Taxonomy

The species was described by

Charles Frédéric Girard Charles Frédéric Girard (; 8 March 1822 – 29 January 1895) was a French biologist specializing in ichthyology and herpetology. Biography Girard was born on 8 March 1822 in Mulhouse, France. He studied at the College of Neuchâtel, Switzerl ...

, a French zoologist, in 1859.

Distribution and habitat

It occurs in the Western

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 ...

, from

Baffin Island Baffin Island (formerly Baffin Land), in the Canadian territory of Nunavut, is the largest island in Canada, the second-largest island in the Americas (behind Greenland), and the fifth-largest island in the world. Its area is (slightly smal ...

, Canada, south to

North Carolina North Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, South Carolina to the south, Georgia (U.S. stat ...

, at depths of , sometimes venturing into 30-m-shallow water.

References

Myxinidae Fish of North America {{Jawless-fish-stub