A new species of hagfish (Myxinidae: Eptatretus) from Papua New Guinea |
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| Authors: | B Fernholm M M Mincarone |
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| Institution: | 1. Swedish Museum of Natural History, Department of Vertebrate Zoology, SE‐104 05 Stockholm, Sweden;2. Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Núcleo em Ecologia e Desenvolvimento Sócio‐Ambiental, CP 119331, Macaé, RJ 27910‐970, Brazil |
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| Abstract: | A new species of seven‐gilled hagfish Eptatretus astrolabium (Myxinidae) is described from a 400 mm total length female trapped 1 km east from Planet Rock, Astrolabe Bay, Papua New Guinea, at c. 500 m depth. This is the first hagfish species reported from the waters around New Guinea. It can be distinguished from other hagfishes by a combination of characters including seven pairs of gill apertures, three‐cusp multicusps on the anterior and posterior rows of cusps, 10 posterior unicusps, 52 total cusps, 18–19 prebranchial pores, five branchial pores, 48–49 trunk pores, 83–84 total pores and no nasal‐sinus papillae. |
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