E-Fauna BC: Electronic Atlas of the Wildlife of British Columbia

Eptatretus stouti (Lockington, 1878)
Pacific Hagfish
Family: tbd

Source: Distribution of Eptatretus stouti as compiled by Aquamaps

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Species Information

Dorsal spines (total): 0; Dorsal soft rays (total): 0; Anal spines: 0; Anal soft rays: 0. No true fins - one dorsal finfold, far back, median, very low, continuous with caudal; caudal broad, rounded; ventral finfold very low, origin somewhat posterior to last gill pore, extending to anus (Ref. 6885). Dark brown, tan, gray, or brownish red, often tinted with blue or purple, never black, lighter ventrally, rarely with large patches of white; preserved specimens light brown (Ref. 6885).

Source: FishBase. Fernholm, B. 1998 . (Ref. 31276).

Biology

Species Biology

Inhabits fine silt and clay bottoms (Ref. 6885). Enters large fishes by way of the mouth and anus and feed on its viscera and muscles (Ref. 6885). May greatly diminish catches taken with fixed gears (Ref. 6885). Produces mucilaginous slime when harassed (Ref. 6885). Probably exhibits hermaphroditism (Ref. 56947). demersal; non-migratory; marine; depth range 16 - 633 m (Ref. 31276). Temperate.

Source: FishBase. Fernholm, B. 1998 . (Ref. 31276).

Distribution

Eastern Pacific: southeastern Alaska to Bahia San Pablo, central Baja California, Mexico.

Source: FishBase. Fernholm, B. 1998 . (Ref. 31276).

Status Information

Origin Status	Provincial Status	BC List (Red Blue List)	COSEWIC
Native	SNR	No Status	Not Listed

BC Ministry of Environment: BC Species and Ecosystems Explorer--the authoritative source for conservation information in British Columbia.

Taxonomic and Nomenclatural Links

Genetic and lineage information (NCBI Taxonomy Browser)

Additional Range and Status Information Links

NatureServe Explorer
University of Alaska Museum

Additional Photo Sources

Flickr Image Search
Google Image Search
Images from Calphoto

Related Databases

fishbase

General References

FishBase References
Google Scholar Search

Recommended citation: Author, Date. Page title. In Klinkenberg, Brian. (Editor) 2021. E-Fauna BC: Electronic Atlas of the Fauna of British Columbia [efauna.bc.ca]. Lab for Advanced Spatial Analysis, Department of Geography, University of British Columbia, Vancouver. [Accessed: 2025-03-16 4:28:12 PM]

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