Wisner and McMillan: Review of new world hagfishes of the genus Myxine 



535 



Etymology We name this new species for both C. 

 Richard and Catherine Robins, University of Miami 

 Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Sci- 

 ences, for their works on the marine fauna of the 

 tropical western Atlantic, particularly the Caribbean 

 area. 



Distribution Known only from the type material 

 from the southern Caribbean Sea (Fig. 3). 



Discussion Myxine circifrons, M. mccoskeri, andM. 

 robinsi may be closely related. Each has a 3-cusp 

 multicusp on the anterior sets of cusps and are the 

 only species of Myxine known to have only five gill 

 pouches each side. Counts and most body proportions 

 overlap, which invites speculation that prior to the 

 permanent establishment of the Panamanian land 

 barrier, M. circifrons may have occupied the Carib- 

 bean area. If true, M. robinsi evolved primarily to a 

 lighter color and M. mccoskeri to a dwarfed state, 

 with fewer anterior unicusps, trunk and total slime 

 pores, as well as a strikingly different color pattern. 

 All counts for M. robinsi are similar to those for M. 

 circifrons. However, despite these similarities, we 

 hold M. mccoskeri and M. robinsi to be specifically 

 distinct from M. circifrons. Although Myxine 

 mcmillanae is also from the same area (see below), 

 we do not consider it related because it has a 2-cusp 

 multicusp on both anterior and posterior sets of cusps 

 and six gill pouches rather than five. One other spe- 

 cies with 3-cusp multicusps on anterior row is M. 

 garmani, known only from Japan and distinct from the 

 three species described above that have six gill pouches 

 rather than five and a wide geographical separation. 



Myxine fernholmi new species 



Holotype ISH 257-1978, female, 555 mm TL, taken 

 at 49°29'S, 58°56*W, 200-ft bottom trawl, 400 m, 6 

 June 1968. 



Paratypes SIO90-138, 1 (790 mm), 53°00'S, 64°00'W 

 (formerly ISH 108-1971); SIO90-139, 1 (575 mm), 

 33°39'S, 72°09'W, 1,170-1,480 m; ZIL 791-966, 1 (665 

 mm), 54°35'S, 57°30'W, 135-145 m. 



Diagnosis A 3-cusp multicusp on anterior sets of 

 cusps, total cusps 34-37; six gill pouches each side; tail 

 length 10% or less of TL; last four prebranchial pores 

 forming an irregular line which resembles the letter W. 



Description Counts and proportions are given in 

 Tables 1-7. Body moderately robust, slightly deeper 

 than wide; tail short, 8-10% of TL, its depth about 

 half its length; VFF extending 3-7 mm, and mount- 



ed on a prominent fleshy triangular extension along 

 the ventral surface; CFF thin, high, extending around 

 tail to about over cloacal origin; reddish supporting 

 rays visible on most specimens; rostrum triangular, 

 the tip slightly rounded; unicusps long, slender, 

 sharp, slightly curved at tips; bases on anterior 

 multicusps bulbous, posterior multicusps not bul- 

 bous; last four prebranchial slime pores anterior to 

 GA in an irregular line forming a pattern resembling 

 the letter W; all slime pores tiny; tail pores 7-9, total 

 slime pores 112-121; color variably pale, yellowish, 

 or light bluish-pink; GA with prominent pale mar- 

 gins, slime pores with less prominent; females with 

 only immature eggs, 2-8 mm long. 



Etymology We name this species for Bo Fernholm, 

 Museum of Natural History, Stockholm, for his work 

 on the physiology, anatomy, and systematics of 

 Myxinidae. 



Distribution Known only from the type material 

 taken off south- central Chile and near the Falkland 

 Islands, southwestern Atlantic Ocean (Fig. 3). 



Myxine debueni new species 



Holotype SIO90-140, male, 570 mm TL, taken at 

 53°39'S, 70°14'W, 300 m, 27 April 1970, Straits of 

 Magellan. 



Paratype SIO90-140, male 545 mm TL, taken with 

 the holotype. 



Diagnosis A 3-cusp multicusp on anterior sets of 

 cusps; six gill pouches each side; VFF absent; tail 

 short, 8-9% of TL; rostrum triangular, the tip 

 pointed; prebranchial slime pores in a straight line 

 anterior to GA. 



Description Counts and proportions are given in 

 Tables 1-7. Body slender, nearly cylindrical; tail 

 short, 8-9% of TL; depth about 40% of length; VFF 

 absent; CFF prominent, thickened at margin, extend- 

 ing around tail to over cloacal origin; head narrow, 

 pointed, rostrum triangular, the tip pointed; unicusps 

 long, slender, sharp, slightly curved; bases of 

 multicusps not bulbous; prebranchial slime pores in 

 a straight line anterior to GA. The two specimens 

 appear to have been "dry-burned" from insufficient 

 preservative, causing the skin to harden and become 

 a dark reddish-brown color on damaged portion, 

 mostly dorsally Undamaged part of body is pale blu- 

 ish-gray anterior to GA; posteriorly a pale pinkish 

 color continues to tail; CFF with narrow pale mar- 

 gins, slime pores with very narrow ones. 



