FISHERY BULLETIN: VOL. 79, NO. 1 

 45° 



30° 



0° — 



FIGURE 1.- 



-Distribution oiEptatretus species in the western Atlantic Ocean. Numbers indicate more than one specimen taken. Two 

 inferential records are indicated with question marks. Isobaths in meters. 



of the western Atlantic is about as rich as it is in 

 Japanese waters (cf. Dean 1904). 



Anticipating more material of Eptatretus from 

 this area, we have chosen to name only those forms 

 that are represented by four or more specimens in 

 the available material. Many hagfish species have 

 been described from one or a very few specimens 

 and this has caused much confusion, especially 

 since subsequent investigators have not been 

 aware of what may be regarded as normal intra- 

 specific variation of characters in different genera 

 of hagfishes. 



MATERIALS AND METHODS 



We have examined material from the following 

 repositories: FMNH — Field Museum of Natural 

 History, Chicago; MCZ — Museum of Comparative 

 Zoology, Harvard University, Cambridge; SIO — 



Scripps Institution of Oceanography, La Jolla, 

 Calif.; UMML— Rosenstiel School of Marine and 

 Atmospheric Sciences, Miami; USNM — National 

 Museum of Natural History, Washington, D.C. De- 

 tails of the studied material are given under each 

 species. 



Weight for each preserved specimen was re- 

 corded in grams. 



The following measurements have been taken 

 on the left side of the specimen: 



Total length (TL): from extreme tip of snout at 

 midpoint, excluding barbels, to rear margin of fin 

 around tip of tail; moderate stretching may be 

 needed to approximate normal form. This process 

 has been used for other measurements. 



Trunk length: from front of pharyngocutane- 

 ous aperture to front of cloacal slit. 



Tail length: from front of cloacal slit to tip of 

 tail fin. 



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