Wisner and McMillan Three new Eptatretus species from North American Pacific coast 



797 



Three fused cusps (multicusp) on upper and two fused 

 cusps on lower sets of cusps. 



Description Counts (Tables 2-8) and body propor- 

 tions (Table 1) are given and compared with similar 

 data for the other foui' species treated herein. 



Body slender, only slightly deeper than wide, pro- 

 gressively laterally flattened toward tail. Tail spatu- 

 late, its ventral profile not slanting downward, but 

 lying on a straight line with ventral profile of body, its 

 depth 43% (30-56%) of its length. A thin, well devel- 

 oped, pale-margined finfold extends from cloaca around 

 tip of tail, ending about over cloaca. Tail length usual- 

 ly greater than branchial length, but is equal-to in 12%i 

 and less-than in 8% of 421 specimens. Ventral finfold 

 prominent, with pale distal margin. Head at eye spots 

 about as deep as wide, narrowing toward rostrum. Eye- 

 spots small, with distinct margins. Barbels small, usual- 

 ly without pale tips. Second barbel usually longer than 

 first, the first shorter than second in 41%, about equal 

 to in 51%, and longer than second in 7% of 315 speci- 

 mens. First barbel 51% (41-84%), the second 64% 

 (49-98%) of third barbel. Length of first nasal barbel 

 is given in Table 6 and compared with that of other 

 species treated. 



Variation occurs in numbers of GA, left and right 

 sides, with higher numbers predominating on the left, 

 167 (11%) vs. 56 (4%), N-1554 (Table 8). 



Head grooves Grooves present above and below eye- 

 spots. Two to four (rarely five) grooves lie above eye- 

 spots in lines nearly parallel to the longitudinal axis of 

 the body. Grooves below eyespots are arranged in two 

 groups; 2-5 grooves lie transversely, and from 0-3 lie 

 alongside laterad to and nearly parallel with the longi- 

 tudinal axis. No grooves cross the dorsal midline. 



Color Color ranges between a light to purplish-gray 

 to light brown, with occasional pinkish overtones. Pale 

 spots and blotches (piebaldness) are common. Complete 

 albinism and piebaldness was reported by Jensen 

 (1959:798, figs. 1, 2). Dean (1903:295-296, fig. 1) de- 

 scriped and figured a specimen with large pale areas 

 on head and anterior ventral surface. 



DM short, moderately robust, its length 25% (22- 

 28%) of TL, its width 12% (11-13%) of DM length, its 

 depth 74% (64-77%) of its width. Distance from tip of 

 DM to branching of VA 14% (8-20%) of DM length, 

 and that distance is 42% (25-72%) of VA length. VA 

 length 32% (22-40%) of DM length. Numbers of GP 

 in positions relative to DM and VA, Areas I, II, III, 

 are given in Table 7, defined in Figure 4, and compared 

 with similar data for the other four species treated 

 here. Afferent duct of last GA, left side, always con- 

 fluent with PCD. 



Eggs The largest egg found measured 28.6 x 7.5 mm, 

 in a female of 435 mm TL. Well developed eggs with 

 anchor filaments are visible but encapsulated. The 

 number of almost fully developed eggs (20 mm or 

 longer) varies from 11 (23 x 7 mm) in a 330-mm TL 

 female to 48 (20 x 6 mm) in one of 515 mm TL. Neither 

 specimen had been opened prior to our examination. 



Sex was determinable in a female of 179 mm TL (the 

 eggs tiny) and in a male of 200 mm TL. 



The sex ratio of the study material is essentially 

 equal. Of a total of 870 specimens for which sex was 

 reliably determined, 49% were female, 51% male. This 

 ratio contrasts notably with other species described 

 herein, in which females dominated by 60-74%. The 

 maximum size of each sex appears to be equal, the 

 largest male measuring 550 mm TL, the largest female 

 515 mm TL. Four large females ranged between 491 

 and 500 mm TL, the next largest 475 mm TL. 



Discussion Lockington (1878:792-793) very briefly 

 described BdeUndornd stoutii as, "Eleven gill openings 

 on each side; ten teeth in the anterior and nine in 

 the posterior series. I5V2" long. Eel River, Humboldt 

 County." 



There is no doubt that the specimen represented a 

 hagfish, but Lockinglon's subsequent statement indi- 

 cates that perhaps he confused it with a species of lam- 

 prey, possibly Lampetra tridentata, as he stated, "It 

 is rather singular that this fish, which is abundant in 

 Eel River and is sold for food, and also occurs in this 

 harbor, should have hitherto escaped notice. I believe 

 it to be the only species of its genus hitherto found on 

 the Pacific coast of North America; and it differs from 

 BdeUostmna polytrerna, a species which occurs along the 

 coast of Chile, both in the number of its gill openings 

 and that of the teeth, B. polytrema having fourteen of 

 the former and twelve of the latter in each series." 



There can be no serious question as to the pertinence 

 of the name stoutii to this species, although the diag- 

 nosis is extremely short and Lockington ascribed the 

 species primarily to Eel River, indicating it as abun- 

 dant there. But he added, "also occurs in this harbor," 

 meaning, presumably, San Francisco Bay, since there 

 is no harbor at the mouth of Eel River, but only an 

 estuarine embayment. 



Perhaps the specimen was sent from near the mouth 

 of Eel River, almost certainly from central or north- 

 ern California. We maintain the name stoutii because 

 it is the only other species of the genus from the area 

 fitting the description. Eptatretus deani is a deep 

 puiplish-black in color, not light brown. It generally oc- 

 curs at much greater depths, and it is unlikely that a 

 fisherman would have taken E. deani in the 1870s 

 because of this greater depth of habitat. Unfortunate- 

 ly, Lockington did not state the numbers of prebran- 



