The Pacific hagfish (Eptatretus stoutii) is a species of hagfish. It lives in the mesopelagic to abyssalPacific ocean, near the ocean floor. It is a jawless fish and has a body plan that resembles early paleozoic fish. They are able to excrete prodigious amounts of slime in self-defense.
The Pacific hagfish has a long, eel-like body, but is not closely related to eels. Maximum body lengths of 63 cm (25 in) have been reported; typical length at maturity is around 42 cm (17 in). It is dark brown, gray or brownish red, often tinted with blue or purple. The belly is lighter and sometimes has larger white patches. It has no true fins, but there is a dorsal fin-fold. The head, as in all agnathans, does not have jaws, and the sucker-like mouth is always open.[4] The Pacific hagfish confused the scientists at first because Linnaeus mistakenly classified the organism as an "intestinal worm".[5]
Hagfish have loosely fitting, slimy skins, and are notorious for their slime-production capability. When disturbed, they ooze proteins from slime glands in the skin that respond to water by becoming a slimy outer coating, expanding into a huge mass of slime. This makes the fish very unsavory to predators, and can even be used to clog the gills of predatory fish. Pacific hagfish can create large amounts of slime in just minutes.[6] The slime is notoriously difficult to remove from fishing gear and equipment, and has led to Pacific fishermen bestowing the nickname of 'slime eel' on the species.[7]
Hagfish also possess the unique ability to tie their bodies into knots. This adaptation becomes useful when the fish needs to remove the suffocating nature of its own slime by pulling itself through a knot. The knots also provide aid in the process of ripping apart meat.[8]
Distribution and habitatEdit
The Pacific hagfish occurs in the Eastern North Pacific from Canada to Mexico. It inhabits fine silt and clay bottoms on the continental shelves and upper slopes at depths from 16–966 metres (52–3,169 ft). The species appears to be abundant within its range.[1]
DietEdit
Pacific hagfish at 150 metres' depth, Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuary, California
While Pacific hagfish likely take polychaete worms and other invertebrates from the sea floor, they are also known to enter dead, dying or inhibited large fish through the mouth or the anus, and feed on their viscera.[4]
The diet of other hagfish species includes shrimps, hermit crabs, cephalopods, brittle stars, bony fishes, sharks, birds and whale flesh,[9] but specific information about the Pacific hagfish is lacking.
Hagfish fertilise their eggs externally after the female has laid them. On average females lay about 28 eggs, about 5 mm (0.20 in) in diameter, which are carried around after they have been fertilised. Females will however try to stay in their burrows during this period to ensure the protection of their eggs.[11]
Use by humansEdit
There is a well-developed hagfish fishery on the US West Coast that mostly supplies the Asian leather-market. Hagfish-skin clothing, belts, or other accessories are advertised and sold as "yuppie leather" or "eel-skin".[11][1]
ReferencesEdit
^ abcMincarone, M.M. (2011). "Eptatretus stoutii". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2011: e.T196044A8997397. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2011-1.RLTS.T196044A8997397.en. Retrieved 12 November 2021.
^Froese, R.; Pauly, D. (2017). "Myxinidae". FishBase version (02/2017). Retrieved 18 May 2017.
^Van Der Laan, Richard; Eschmeyer, William N.; Fricke, Ronald (11 November 2014). "Family-group names of Recent fishes". Zootaxa. 3882 (1): 1–230. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.3882.1.1. PMID 25543675.
^ abFroese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.) (2015). "Eptatretus stoutii" in FishBase. 12 2015 version.
^Jensen, D (1966). "The Pacific Hagfish". Scientific American. 214 (2): 82–90. doi:10.1038/scientificamerican0266-82. PMID 5901290. Retrieved 2022-03-18.
^Zintzen, V.; Roberts, C. D.; Anderson, M. J.; Stewart, A. L.; Struthers, C. D.; Harvey, E. S. (2011). "Hagfish predatory behaviour and slime defence mechanism". Scientific Reports. 1 (1): 131. Bibcode:2011NatSR...1E.131Z. doi:10.1038/srep00131. PMC3216612. PMID 22355648.
^Theisen, Birgit (1976). "The olfactory system in the Pacific hagfishes Eptatretus stoutii, Eptatretus deani, and yxine circifrons". Acta Zoologica. 57 (3): 167–173. doi:10.1111/j.1463-6395.1976.tb00224.x.
^Pacific, Aquarium of the. "Aquarium of the Pacific | Online Learning Center | Pacific Hagfish". www.aquariumofpacific.org. Retrieved 2017-09-27.
^Zintzen, V.; Rogers, K. M.; Roberts, C. D.; Stewart, A. L.; Anderson, M. J. (2013). "Hagfish feeding habits along a depth gradient inferred from stable isotopes" (PDF). Marine Ecology Progress Series. 485: 223–234. Bibcode:2013MEPS..485..223Z. doi:10.3354/meps10341.
^Bucking, Carol. "Digestion under Duress: Nutrient Acquisition and Metabolism during Hypoxia in the Pacific Hagfish". Retrieved 6 December 2011.
^ abBarss, William (1993), "Pacific hagfish, Eptatretus stouti, and black hagfish, E. deani: the Oregon Fishery and Port sampling observations, 1988-92", Marine Fisheries Review (Fall, 1993), retrieved April 21, 2010
External linksEdit
Media related to Eptatretus stoutii at Wikimedia Commons
October 21, 2023
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The Pacific hagfish Eptatretus stoutii is a species of hagfish It lives in the mesopelagic to abyssal Pacific ocean near the ocean floor It is a jawless fish and has a body plan that resembles early paleozoic fish They are able to excrete prodigious amounts of slime in self defense Pacific hagfishConservation statusData Deficient IUCN 3 1 1 Scientific classificationDomain EukaryotaKingdom AnimaliaPhylum ChordataInfraphylum AgnathaClass MyxiniOrder MyxiniformesFamily MyxinidaeGenus EptatretusSpecies E stoutiiBinomial nameEptatretus stoutii Lockington 1878 Synonyms 2 3 Bdellostoma stoutii Lockington 1878 Polistotrema stoutii Lockington 1878 Contents 1 Description 2 Distribution and habitat 3 Diet 4 Reproduction 5 Use by humans 6 References 7 External linksDescription EditThe Pacific hagfish has a long eel like body but is not closely related to eels Maximum body lengths of 63 cm 25 in have been reported typical length at maturity is around 42 cm 17 in It is dark brown gray or brownish red often tinted with blue or purple The belly is lighter and sometimes has larger white patches It has no true fins but there is a dorsal fin fold The head as in all agnathans does not have jaws and the sucker like mouth is always open 4 The Pacific hagfish confused the scientists at first because Linnaeus mistakenly classified the organism as an intestinal worm 5 Hagfish have loosely fitting slimy skins and are notorious for their slime production capability When disturbed they ooze proteins from slime glands in the skin that respond to water by becoming a slimy outer coating expanding into a huge mass of slime This makes the fish very unsavory to predators and can even be used to clog the gills of predatory fish Pacific hagfish can create large amounts of slime in just minutes 6 The slime is notoriously difficult to remove from fishing gear and equipment and has led to Pacific fishermen bestowing the nickname of slime eel on the species 7 Hagfish also possess the unique ability to tie their bodies into knots This adaptation becomes useful when the fish needs to remove the suffocating nature of its own slime by pulling itself through a knot The knots also provide aid in the process of ripping apart meat 8 Distribution and habitat EditThe Pacific hagfish occurs in the Eastern North Pacific from Canada to Mexico It inhabits fine silt and clay bottoms on the continental shelves and upper slopes at depths from 16 966 metres 52 3 169 ft The species appears to be abundant within its range 1 Diet Edit nbsp Pacific hagfish at 150 metres depth Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuary CaliforniaWhile Pacific hagfish likely take polychaete worms and other invertebrates from the sea floor they are also known to enter dead dying or inhibited large fish through the mouth or the anus and feed on their viscera 4 The diet of other hagfish species includes shrimps hermit crabs cephalopods brittle stars bony fishes sharks birds and whale flesh 9 but specific information about the Pacific hagfish is lacking The Pacific hagfish s skin can absorb amino acids 10 Reproduction EditHagfish fertilise their eggs externally after the female has laid them On average females lay about 28 eggs about 5 mm 0 20 in in diameter which are carried around after they have been fertilised Females will however try to stay in their burrows during this period to ensure the protection of their eggs 11 Use by humans EditThere is a well developed hagfish fishery on the US West Coast that mostly supplies the Asian leather market Hagfish skin clothing belts or other accessories are advertised and sold as yuppie leather or eel skin 11 1 References Edit a b c Mincarone M M 2011 Eptatretus stoutii IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2011 e T196044A8997397 doi 10 2305 IUCN UK 2011 1 RLTS T196044A8997397 en Retrieved 12 November 2021 Froese R Pauly D 2017 Myxinidae FishBase version 02 2017 Retrieved 18 May 2017 Van Der Laan Richard Eschmeyer William N Fricke Ronald 11 November 2014 Family group names of Recent fishes Zootaxa 3882 1 1 230 doi 10 11646 zootaxa 3882 1 1 PMID 25543675 a b Froese Rainer Pauly Daniel eds 2015 Eptatretus stoutii in FishBase 12 2015 version Jensen D 1966 The Pacific Hagfish Scientific American 214 2 82 90 doi 10 1038 scientificamerican0266 82 PMID 5901290 Retrieved 2022 03 18 Zintzen V Roberts C D Anderson M J Stewart A L Struthers C D Harvey E S 2011 Hagfish predatory behaviour and slime defence mechanism Scientific Reports 1 1 131 Bibcode 2011NatSR 1E 131Z doi 10 1038 srep00131 PMC 3216612 PMID 22355648 Theisen Birgit 1976 The olfactory system in the Pacific hagfishes Eptatretus stoutii Eptatretus deani and yxine circifrons Acta Zoologica 57 3 167 173 doi 10 1111 j 1463 6395 1976 tb00224 x Pacific Aquarium of the Aquarium of the Pacific Online Learning Center Pacific Hagfish www aquariumofpacific org Retrieved 2017 09 27 Zintzen V Rogers K M Roberts C D Stewart A L Anderson M J 2013 Hagfish feeding habits along a depth gradient inferred from stable isotopes PDF Marine Ecology Progress Series 485 223 234 Bibcode 2013MEPS 485 223Z doi 10 3354 meps10341 Bucking Carol Digestion under Duress Nutrient Acquisition and Metabolism during Hypoxia in the Pacific Hagfish Retrieved 6 December 2011 a b Barss William 1993 Pacific hagfish Eptatretus stouti and black hagfish E deani the Oregon Fishery and Port sampling observations 1988 92 Marine Fisheries Review Fall 1993 retrieved April 21 2010External links Edit nbsp Media related to Eptatretus stoutii at Wikimedia Commons Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Pacific hagfish amp oldid 1180281272, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
