Pacific Hagfish [Eptatretus stoutii]
Description
The Pacific Hagfish, also known as the California Hagfish, is a species of hagfish. It is a marine fish that inhabits the Pacific Ocean along the coast of North America, from Alaska to the Gulf of California. It is commonly found at depths of 50 to 900 meters. Known for its ability to produce copious amounts of slime when disturbed, this species has a pinkish-gray color and lacks jaws and eyes. They feed mainly on dead and dying creatures on the sea floor.
Taxonomy
| Phylum |
Chordates
Chordata
|
|---|---|
| Class |
Hagfish
Myxini
|
| Order |
Hagfishes
Myxiniformes
|
| Family |
Hagfishes
Myxinidae
|
| Genus |
Pacific Hagfish
Eptatretus
|