Myxini (hagfishes) >
Myxiniformes (Hagfishes) >
Myxinidae (Hagfishes) > Eptatretinae
Etymology: Eptatretus: hepta (Gr.), seven; tretos (Gr.), perforated (i.e., with holes), referring to seven gill apertures on what would later be described as Homea banksii (=E. cirrhatus) [range within genus is 6-14 pairs of gill apertures] (See ETYFish); goliath: The giant slain by David in the biblical book of Samuel, now a synonym for “giant”; at 1275 mm TL and 6.2 kg, the largest known hagfish (See ETYFish).
Eponymy: Goliath of Gath (about 1,030 BC) was a Philistine warrior of giant size who was killed with a slingshot by David, later King of the Jews (see 1 Samuel XVII. [...] (Ref. 128868), visit book page.
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Marine; bathydemersal; depth range ? - 811 m (Ref. 57440). Subtropical
Southwest Pacific: off New Zealand.
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ? range ? - ? cm
Max length : 127.5 cm TL (female); max. published weight: 0.00 g
Short description
Identification keys | Morphology | Morphometrics
Diagnosis: Distinguished from its congeners by the unique combination of the following characters: 7 pairs of gill pouches; 3-cusp multicusps in anterior and posterior rows; 11-13 unicusps in anterior rows; 9 unicusps in posterior rows; 54 total cusps; 14-15 prebranchial pores; 57-58 trunk pores; 13-14 tail pores; 92 total pores; ventral finfold prominent (Ref. 57440).
Adult female holotype had dozens of small eggs, 45 X 14 mm, in the mesentery, which was attached to the body wall. The eggs did not have terminal anchor filaments and hooks (Ref. 57440).
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae
Mincarone, M.M. and A.L. Stewart, 2006. A new species of giant seven-gilled hagfish (Myxinidae: Eptatretus) from New Zealand. Copeia 2006(2):225-229. (Ref. 57440)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435: Version 2024-1)
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
Fisheries: of no interest
Tools
Special reports
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Internet sources
Estimates based on models
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref.
82804): PD
50 = 0.5000 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.00204 (0.00094 - 0.00444), b=2.93 (2.74 - 3.12), in cm total length, based on LWR estimates for this (Sub)family-body shape (Ref.
93245).
Trophic level (Ref.
69278): 4.5 ±0.8 se; based on size and trophs of closest relatives
Resilience (Ref.
120179): Low, minimum population doubling time 4.5 - 14 years (Fec assumed to be <100).
Fishing Vulnerability (Ref.
59153): Very high vulnerability (77 of 100).
