792 



Fishery Bulletin 88(4), 1990 



thin to thick, beginning at cloaca and extending around 

 tail to about over origin of cloaca, without pale margin. 

 Ventral finfold usually absent, present in only 28 of 341 

 specimens (8.2%). When present it is intermittently and 

 weakly developed along its length. It is thick, heavy, 

 and without pale margin. 



Head at eyespots about as deep as wide, narrowing 

 to rostiiim. Eyespots prominent, the margins irregular. 

 Oral surface sloping posteriorly at about a 35° angle 

 from the vertical. All barbels are notably longer and 

 thicker in proportion to total length than on any other 

 myxinid known to us (Table 6). First and second barbels 

 about equal in length, the third averaging 49% (42- 

 50%) of preocular length. First barbel as long or longer 

 than width of nasal orifice when manually flattened 

 (124%(100-203%)). First barbels average less than 

 50% of this width in all other species of Eptatretus. 



Head grooves Grooves always present behind eye- 

 spots but occasionally absent before. Those behind 

 average 5(3-10) in number and are arranged mostly 

 in transverse rows with an occasional few grooves 

 lying ventrad and longitudinally. Those before eye- 

 spots average 3(1-6) in number and lie longitudinally. 

 Grooves behind eyespots originate very near the dor- 

 sal midline but do not cross. Those before eyespots are 

 notably more distant from the midline. 



Color Color a dark puiple to black in most specimens, 

 a chocolate brown in others, rarely showing pale spots. 

 Notes by the senior author, party to the first and most 

 subsequent captures, state, "a dark color." The choco- 

 late color may be an artifact of preservation. GA, slime 

 pore margins, and ventral finfold are without pale 

 margins. 



DM short, moderately robust, its length 27%(21- 

 34%) of TL. DM width i3%(ll-15%) of its length, its 

 depth 73%(58-88%) of its width. VA length variable, 

 16% (8-42%) of DM length. DM to VA also variable, 

 15% (4-32%) of DM length and 90% (24-206%) of VA 

 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 GP, left 

 side, always confluent with PCD. 



Variation occurs in numbers of GA between left and 

 right sides, the higher number always on the left side, 

 81 vs. instances (Table 8). 



Eggs The largest egg, 33.8 x 8.5 mm, occurred 

 among 14 large eggs in a 386-mm TL female. No more 

 than 16 and as few as 10 almost fully developed eggs 

 were found in any female. No egg had free anchor fila- 

 ments, but occasionally they were visible through the 

 encapsulating membranes. 



The sex ratio is unbalanced. Of a total of 358 speci- 

 mens for which sex could be reliably determined, 60% 

 are female and 40% male. 



Discussion This species and E. deani occur sympa- 

 trically near Guadalupe Island, Mexico. Both were 

 taken in the same trap on two occasions. They are 

 similar in coloration, being very dark brown to pur-plish- 

 black, but E.fritzi seems much less prone to piebald- 

 ness than E. deani as very few pale spots were noted. 

 Primary differences are that the barbels of E. J'ritzi 

 are much longer and more robust than those of £■. de.ani 

 (Table 6), and that it has more prebranchial pores, 12 

 (10-15) vs. 7(4-10). Also, E.fritzi usually has no ven- 

 tral finfold (313 of 341 specimens, 91.8%), whereas in 

 E. deani this finfold is usually present (863 of 892 

 specimens, 96.6'7o), although rather weakly developed. 



Eptatretus sinus new species 



Holotype SIO68-108, female 307 mm TL. taken at 

 25°49N, 110°44'W, in a trap on bottom at 70S m. 

 22-23 January 1968. 



Paratypes SIO68-108, 31(230-425 mm TL), taken 

 with the holotype; SI068-94, 29(129-346 mm TL), 

 taken at 29°20'N, 113°10'W, 263 and 283 m, 20 Jan- 

 uary 1968; SIO68-100, 60(267-464 mm TL). taken at 

 29°00N, 113°25'W, 467 m, 20-21 January 1968; CAS 

 63202, 15(270-400 mm TL), taken at 25°49'N, 110° 

 44'W, 708 m, 22-23 January 1968; LACM 44408-1, 14 

 (270-400 mm TL), taken at 25°49'N, 110°44'W, 708 

 m, 22-23 January 1968; USNM 296319, 15(275-420 

 mm TL), taken at 25°49'N, 110°44'W, 708 m, 22-23 

 January 1968. 



Additional material SI068-97, 7(223-308), 881 m; 

 SI068-98, 17(276-338), 881 m; SI068-99, 11(263-420), 

 668 m; SIO68-101, 16(264-355), 198 m; SIO69-201, 1 



(190), 1454 m; SIO69-203, 11(381-630), 759 m; SI069- 

 206, 54(363-430), 768 m; SIO69-207, 57(259-404), 

 475 m. 



Distribution Known only from the midriff area of the 

 Gulf of California, Mexico, between about 28° and 

 30°N latitudes. Depths of capture range between 198 

 and 1330 meters. 



Diagnosis Prel)ranchia! length greater than branchial 

 length. Tail length usually greater than branchial 

 length, occasionally equal to or less. Ventral finfold low, 

 unpigmented, occasionally absent. Barbels usually un- 

 pigmented, except rarely at bases. Three fused cusps 

 (multicusp) on anterior, two fused cusps on posterior, 

 sets of cusps. 



