Abstract. - Populations of Atlantic 
hagfish, Myxine glutinosa (L.), are 
found throughout the Gulf of Maine in 
soft-bottom substrates at depths greater 
than 50 m. This report presents data 
on the sizes, weights, morphometric 
characters, and reproductive states for 
specimens collected at a study site ap- 
proximately 50 km offshore in the Gulf 
of Maine. Limited comparisons with 
data from specimens collected else- 
where suggest that this data set is rep- 
resentative of hagfish populations 
within the inner Gulf of Maine. The 
small number of eggs produced (less 
than 30 per female), the large number 
of animals without macroscopically vis- 
ible gonadal tissue (25% of the popula- 
tion), and the small number of males 
( <6% of the population ), gravid females 
(<1%), and postovulatory females (<5%) 
suggest that hagfish have limited re- 
productive potential. This raises serious 
questions about the long-term viability 
of the New England eelskin fishery. 
A population profile for Atlantic 
hagfish, Myxine glutinosa (L.), in the 
Gulf of Maine. Part I: Morphometries 
and reproductive state 
Frederic Martini* 
John B. Heiser** 
Michael R Lesser*** 
Shoals Marine Laboratory, G-14 Stimson Hall 
Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853 
‘Present address: 5071 Hana Hwy, Haiku, Hawaii 96708 
E-mail address: martini@maui.net 
“Present address: Section of Ecology and Systematics 
Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 1 4853 
“'Present address: University of New Hampshire 
Department of Zoology and Center for Marine Biology 
Durham, New Hampshire 03824 
Manuscript accepted 12 November 1996. 
Fishery Bulletin 95:311-320 (1997). 
The hagfishes, or Myxinoidea, are 
worldwide in distribution, with 59 
species recognized at present (Fern- 
holm 1 ). Hagfishes are noteworthy 
from an evolutionary standpoint 
because they represent the oldest 
extant clade among the craniates. 
A better understanding of their ana- 
tomical and physiological charac- 
ters may thus reveal information 
about an early stage in vertebrate 
evolution. Although eel-like in 
general body form, hagfish lack 
jaws, paired fins, vertebrae, bone, 
and a variety of other gnathostome 
characteristics. 
All known species of hagfish live 
in close association with the bottom, 
resting on the substrate or occupy- 
ing burrows within soft sediments 
(Gustafson, 1935; Adam and Strahan, 
1963, a and b; Foss, 1963; Fern- 
holm, 1974; Neira, 1982; Martin 
and Heiser, 1989; Cailliet et ah, 
1992; Barss, 1993). They are gener- 
ally described as predators on inver- 
tebrates and as opportunistic scav- 
engers on both invertebrate and 
vertebrate remains. There are two 
major groups of living hagfishes 
united under the family Myxinidae: 
the Eptatretinae, typified by the 
genus Eptatretus (30-35 species), 
and the Myxininae, typified by the 
genus Myxine (19 species) but also 
including the genera Nemamyxine, 
Neomyxine, and Notomyxine (Nel- 
son, 1994). The characteristics of 
the Myxine appear to be more de- 
rived than those of the Eptatretus. 
For example, hagfishes of the genus 
Eptatretus have multiple efferent 
gill openings on each side of the 
pharynx, vestigial eyes beneath a 
pale skin patch, and traces of a 
cephalic lateral line complex. In 
contrast, hagfishes of the genus 
Myxine have a single common effer- 
ent duct opening on each side of the 
pharynx, even smaller eyes covered 
by undifferentiated integument, 
and no traces of any lateral line 
components. In general, the genus 
Eptatretus has a more widespread 
distribution than the genus Myxine , 
whose center of diversity appears to 
be the New World, where 14 of 19 
1 Femholm, B. 1996. Box 50007, S-104 05, 
Stockholm, Sweden. Personal commun. 
