Eptatretus mccoskeri

Taxonomy

Assessment Information

Geographic Range

Population

Habitat and Ecology

Threats

Conservation Actions

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Taxonomy [top]

Kingdom	Phylum	Class	Order	Family
ANIMALIA	CHORDATA	MYXINI	MYXINIFORMES	MYXINIDAE

Scientific Name:	Eptatretus mccoskeri
Species Authority:	McMillan, 1999

Assessment Information [top]

Red List Category & Criteria:	Least Concern ver 3.1
Year Published:	2011
Assessor/s:	Mincarone, M.M.
Reviewer/s:	Polidoro, B., Knapp, L. & Carpenter, K.E.
Contributor/s:
Justification: This species may be endemic to the Galapagos Islands, where it is only known from four specimens. However, there are no known threats likely to affect this species given that it is found to 200 m depth and it present within the Galapagos Marine Protected Area. It is listed as Least Concern. However, more research is needed on this species distribution, population, biology, life history, and potential threats.

Geographic Range [top]

Range Description:	This species is known only from four specimens collected southeast of San Cristobal Island, on the eastern edge of the Galápagos Archipelago (McMillan 1999).
Countries:	Native: Ecuador (Galápagos)
FAO Marine Fishing Areas:	Native: Pacific – southeast
Range Map:	Click here to open the map viewer and explore range.

Population [top]

Population:	The population information for this species is only known from four specimens.
Population Trend:	Unknown

Habitat and Ecology [top]

Habitat and Ecology:	The only known specimens were taken from a minnow trap set on sand bottom at the top of a seamount at about 201 m depth. This is an insular, endemic species (McMillan 1999). The copulatory organ is absent in this species. 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 (Patzner 1998).
Systems:	Marine

Habitat and Ecology:

The only known specimens were taken from a minnow trap set on sand bottom at the top of a seamount at about 201 m depth. This is an insular, endemic species (McMillan 1999). The copulatory organ is absent in this species. 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 (Patzner 1998).

Systems:

Marine

Threats [top]

Major Threat(s):	There are no known direct threats to the species.

Major Threat(s):

There are no known direct threats to the species.

Conservation Actions [top]

Conservation Actions:	This species is found within Galápagos Marine Reserve so potentially safeguarded through enforcement activities. More research is needed on the species' biology, population size, distribution and impacts.

Conservation Actions:

This species is found within Galápagos Marine Reserve so potentially safeguarded through enforcement activities. More research is needed on the species' biology, population size, distribution and impacts.

Citation:	Mincarone, M.M. 2011. Eptatretus mccoskeri. In: IUCN 2012. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2012.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 23 May 2013.
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