348 
THE CORAL TRIANGLE: HEARST BIODIVERSITY EXPEDITION 
(HEPD 013) as E. luzonicus. This specimen has been tentatively identified as Myxine formosana 
Mok and Kuo, 2001, a species known only from off southwestern Taiwan (Mok and Kuo 2001). 
Despite some differences in color pattern, all measurements and counts are similar to those 
described for M. formosana. The collection of additional specimens around the Philippines would 
be helpful to confirm the identity of this species. 
Currently, only three species of hagfish are known from Philippine waters, Eptatretus luzoni¬ 
cus, E. strahani, and Myxine cf formosana. Additional deep-water sampling using trawls and bait¬ 
ed traps will likely provide new information on the species composition and distribution of Philip¬ 
pine hagfishes. 
Acknowledgments 
We wish to thank: David Catania (CAS) for the use of his photographs and assistance in the 
field; Jon Fong (CAS) for taking pictures of the specimens; Arthur Celini, for figure enhancements; 
Fabio Carocci (FAO) for providing the distribution map; the staff of the California Academy of Sci¬ 
ences (CAS), Jeff Williams (USNM), and Hsuan-Ching Ho (Institute of Marine Biodiversity and 
Evolutionary Biology, Taiwan) for advice and assistance with specimens; Bo Femhohn for provid¬ 
ing historical information on the holotype; Phil Hastings and H.J. Walker (SIO) for finding the 
holotype; Terence Gosliner (CAS) for his leadership of the Hearst Expedition; the crew of the MW 
DA-BFAR\ and Tomio Iwamoto (CAS) for reading a draft of this manuscript and offering valuable 
suggestions. And finally, we sincerely thank Margaret and Will Hearst for their generous support 
to the CAS Expedition to the Philippines. 
COMPARAHVE MATERIAL EXAMINED 
Eptatretus gomoni: 2 specimens. Western Australia: WAM 31292-003, holotype, 790 mm, 
west of Shark Bay-Exmouth (no coordinates given), 260 m, trap, L. Hand, 15 May 1997; NMV 
A.29719-004, paratype, 1(370 mm), off Cape Leveque, 14°36'53"S; 121°1939"E to 14°36T5"S; 
121°20'44"E, 698-705 m, RV Southern Siin’eyor, beam trawl, D. J. Bray, 13 May 2007. 
Eptatretus indrambaryai: 2 specimens. Thailand: AMS 1.23661001, paratype, 1(188 mm), 
and BMNH 1983.3,24.1, paratype, 1(175 mm), Eastern Indian Ocean, Andaman Sea, 07°37'02"N, 
97°52'00"E, 267-400 m, RV Nagasaki Maru, deep sea shrimp trap, T. Wongratana, 9-10 Nov. 
1981, 19:00-06:30 h. 
Eptatretus mccoskeri: 3 specimens. Galapagos Islands (Ecuador): CAS 86431, holotype, 310 
mm, Pacific, Ecuador, Galapagos Islands, San Cristobal Island, 01°06T9"S, 89°06'56"W, 660 ft 
(201 m), RV Johnson Sea Link, baited metallic minnow trap, J. E. McCosker, R. G Gilmore, 6 Nov. 
1995; SIO 97-75 (ex CAS 86431), paratype, 1(290 mm), and USNM 344905, (ex CAS 86431), 
paratype, 1(284 mm), taken with the holotype. 
Eptatretus octatrema: 1 specimen. South Africa: BMNH 1927.12.6.1 (ex SAM 13031), syn- 
type, 1 (280 mm). Cape Saint Blaize, West 3/4 North, 4 miles, 27 fm (49 m), RV Pieter Faure, 
trawl, 25 Jan. 1900. 
Eptatretus okinoseanus: 6 specimens. Japan: BSKU 44343, 1(510 mm), Mimase fish market, 
Kochi, offshore trawl, 26 Nov. 1987; BSKU 44349, 1(515 mm), Mimase fish market, Kochi, off 
Okitsu, 28 Nov. 1987; MOVI 37392 (ex BSKU 51886), 1(519 mm), Mimase fish market, Kochi, 
offshore trawl, 1 Mar. 2000; NSMT-P 65670, 1(324 mm). East China Sea, 31°25.3'N, 
128°24.rE-31°22.1'N, 128°31.FE, 461-500 m, RV Yoko-maru, T. Kubodera, H. Namikawa, 
8 Nov. 2002, 06:55-08:29 h; NSMT-P 11000, 1(580 mm), Honshu, Boso Peninsula, off Choshi, 
trawl, 12 Apr. 1971; SU 23522, 1(402 mm), Misaki, Sagami, K. Aoki (obtained by D. S. Jordan in 
1911). 
