Myxine limosa, or Girard's Atlantic hagfish, is a jawless fish in the genus Myxine.[1][2]
| Myxine limosa | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Infraphylum: | Agnatha |
| Class: | Myxini |
| Order: | Myxiniformes |
| Family: | Myxinidae |
| Genus: | Myxine |
| Species: | M. limosa |
| Binomial name | |
| Myxine limosa Girard, 1859 | |
Description
The eellike species grows up to 79 centimetres (31 in) long. The color ranges from reddish brown to dark purple. There are no visible eyes. The mouth is surrounded by 6 barbels, and there are 5 or 6 gill pouches on either side, with one exterior connection.[3]
Similar species
Myxine glutinosa is grayish pink and grows up to 43 cm (17 in) long. North American Eptatretus hagfishes have 5–14 gill pouches, which open independently to the exterior.[3] Petromyzon marinus has 7 pairs of gill pouches, one top nostril, and small visible eyes.[3]
Taxonomy
The species was described by Charles Frédéric Girard, a French zoologist, in 1859.[4]
Distribution and habitat
It occurs in the Western Atlantic Ocean, from Baffin Island, Canada, south to North Carolina, at depths of 30–960 metres (98–3,150 ft), sometimes venturing into 30-m-shallow water.[3]