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



791 



Color a dark, reddish brown in life without pale spots 

 or areas. Barbels pale on distal thirds. 



Length of DM 27%(21-39%) of TL. DM width 68% 

 (57-90%) of its depth. VA variable in length, averag- 

 ing 11% (5-22%) of DM length. DM to VA 14% (5-26%) 

 of DM length, and 1.4% (0.5-9%) of VA length. Number 

 of GP in positions relative to DM and VA, Areas I, II, 

 III, are given in Table 7, defined in Figure 4, and com- 

 pared with similar data for the other four species 

 discussed herein. Afferent duct of last GP, left side, 

 always confluent with PCD. 



Higher numbers of GA, left vs. right sides, may differ 

 between the two populations (Table 8). Off southern 

 California, the higher count is about equal for both sides 

 at 4 and 5 each. In the Gulf population, the higher count 

 is always on the left side. 



Eggs The holotype contains 18 mature eggs, the 

 largest 25.2 x 9.0 mm. The largest egg found in any 

 female is 26 x 8 mm. The smallest female with eggs, 

 most in round or slightly ovoid stages, is 267 mm TL. 

 It may be that females of the Gulf population mature 

 at a smaller size than do those from southern Califor- 

 nia. One, 267 mm TL, has eggs to 15.8 mm; one, 352 

 mm TL, has eggs to 20.8 mm; and one, 32 mm TL, has 

 eggs to 17.6 mm. These figures contrast sharply with 

 those of the southern California population, in which 

 eggs ranging between 15 and 29 mm occur only in 

 females of 400-508 mm TL. Perhaps these differences 

 are an artifact of sampling or of developmental stages 

 relative to both time and size, or to the relatively small 

 number of specimens available (97). 



All mature eggs of the holotype have fully developed 

 anchor filaments (terminal hooks) with most free of en- 

 capsulating membrane (Fig. 3), and apparently ready 

 for extrusion. This condition was rarely observed 

 among the nearly 2400 specimens of all species of Ep- 

 tatretus examined by us in the course of our studies. 

 The eggs are linked by filaments in rows in a fashion 

 similar to that shown by Dean (1989) and Jensen (1966). 



The sex ratio is unbalanced. Of a total of 58 speci- 

 mens for which sex could be reliably determined, 64% 

 were female and 36% male. 



Differentiation All body proportions and most 

 counts for the two disjunct populations are very similar. 

 However, significant differences (P>0.001) occur in 

 numbers of trunk and total slime pores (Tables 3, 4), 

 despite considerable overlap in values of thousandths 

 of total length. 



Discussion This species and E. stoutii appear to be 

 closely related and occur sympatrically off southern 

 California. However, the two are readily separable in 

 that the preliranchial length of E. inccoiinaugheyi is 



less, rarely even slightly longer, than the branchial 

 length, and always greater in E. stoutii. Also, the num- 

 bers of prebranchial slime pores differ notably, 8-9 

 (6-11) in E. mcconnaugheyi and 13(10-16) in E. stoutii 

 (Table 2). 



Eptatretus fritzi new species 



Holotype SI066-26, male, 550 mm TL, taken at 

 28°51'N, 118°14'W, in a trap on bottom at 512 m, 3-4 

 April 1966. 



Paratypes SI066-26, 30(280-585 mm TL), taken 

 with the holotype; CAS 63201, 15(325-540 mm TL), 

 taken with holotype; LACM 44407-1, 15(375-495 mm 

 TL), taken with the holotype; USNM 296318, 15(350- 

 570 mm TL), taken with the holotype; SI063-177, 20 

 (324-522 mm TL), taken at 28°52'N. 118°14'W, 2743 

 m, 24 April 1963; SI066-22, 36(232-521 mm TL), taken 

 at 29°06'N, 118°17'W, 402 m, 12 April 1966; SI066-23, 

 195(286-556 mm TL), taken at 28°54'N, 118°13'W, 

 444 m, 2-3 April 1966; SI066-36, 2(354-405 mm TL), 

 taken at 29°30'N, 117°17'W, 512 m, 6-7 April 1966; 

 SIO67-60, 120(281-498 mm TL), taken at 29°09'N, 

 118°16'W, 832 m, 26-27 April 1966; SI068-664, 2 

 (425-535 mm TL), 183 m, 15-16 November 1968; 

 SI072-294, 4(207-541 mm TL), taken at 29°10'N, 

 118°16'W, 256 m, 12-13 April 1970. 



Distribution Known only from the immediate vicinity 

 of Guadalupe Island, Mexico. Depths of capture range 

 between 182 and 2743 meters. 



Diagnosis All barbels notably larger and more robust 

 than on any other species ot Eptatretus known to us 

 (Table 6). Ventral f infold absent or vestigial, without 

 pale margin. Prebranchial and tail lengths each gi'eater 

 than branchial length. Color a dark purplish-brown. 

 Prebranchial slime pores 12(10-15). Three fused cusps 

 (multicusp) on anterior set of cusps, two fused cusps 

 on posterior set. 



Etymology We take great pleasure in dedicating this 

 species to Frithjof (Fritz) Ohre, friend, willing, eager, 

 and industrious volunteer on many of the expeditions 

 on which all species treated here were taken, particu- 

 larly those to Guadalupe Island. 



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

 tions (Table 1) are given and compared with similar 

 data for the other four species treated here. Body 

 robust, deeper than wide, deepest at midbody, increas- 

 ingly laterally compressed toward tail. Tail spatulate, 

 its depth about half its length, its ventral outline not 

 sloping downward from cloaca. Caudal finfold variably 



