Diagnostic Description
provided by Fishbase
External aperture of its last efferent gill duct and pharyngocutaneous duct separated. Gill apertures nonlinear and crowded. Lengths of efferent gill ducts unequal with anterior ones much longer with length of first about 3 times that of last. Gill apertures 6. Slime pores: prebranchial 26; branchial 0; trunk 45; tail 9; total 80. Caudal and ventral finfold not well developed. Head, body, tail and finfold uniformly light brown in alcohol; eyespots faint, gill aperture margins not pale. Ventral aorta bifurcated between the fourth and fifth gill pouches (Ref. 41105).
- Recorder
- Estelita Emily Capuli
Life Cycle
provided by Fishbase
Iteroparous (Ref. 94918). Copulatory organ absent. The gonads of hagfishes are situated in the peritoneal cavity. The ovary is found in the anterior portion of the gonad, and the testis is found in the posterior part. The animal becomes female if the cranial part of the gonad develops or male if the caudal part undergoes differentiation. If none develops, then the animal becomes sterile. If both anterior and posterior parts develop, then the animal becomes a functional hermaphrodite. However, hermaphroditism being characterised as functional needs to be validated by more reproduction studies (Ref. 51361 ).
Biology
provided by Fishbase
Iteroparous (Ref. 94918).
- Recorder
- Estelita Emily Capuli