© Baker, J.L. (2009) Marine Species of Conservation Concern in South Australia Full citation Baker, J.L. (2009) Marine Species of Conservation Concern in South Australia: Volume 1 - Bony and Cartilaginous Fishes. Report for the South Australian Working Group for Marine Species of Conservation Concern. J. Baker (consultant); Science and Conservation Division, and Coast and Marine Conservation branches of S.A. Department for Environment and Heritage (DEH); Marine and Coastal Community Network of S.A. (MCCN), and Threatened Species Network (TSN). Web version published by Reef Watch, South Australia.

---

Longfin Hagfish

Family Name:	Myxinidae
Scientific Name:	Eptatretus longipinnis Strahan, 1975
Recommended Status in S.A:	Data Deficient, possibly Rare E(i)
Rationale:  Eptatretus longipinnis species is included here because (i) it has been uncommonly recorded, and to date has been found in a geographically limited area of South Australia (i.e. the mid to lower South-East); (ii) rock lobsters appear to be important hosts in the life history of the Longfin Hagfish, and therefore any decline in lobster populations may also adversely affect E. longipinnis populations; (iii) hagfish as a group have poorly known reproduction, but generally species show low reproductive potential, and produce a small number of eggs; (iv) although habits of Longfin Hagfish are not well known, hagfishes may have strong site association, and in related species, there is little evidence of migration; (v) it is reported to have a low resilience to exploitation, in terms of minimum population doubling time; and (vi) given the limited known geographic range, bycatch in trawl fisheries and rock lobster pots may pose a threat to populations, but more data and analysis are required. The species is listed here as Data Deficient, because the full geographic distribution and depth range are not known. If future research confirms what current records indicate - that the species is restricted to the South-East of S.A. - then it may qualify for listing as Rare.

Page Contents

Current Conservation Status

No listings known

Distribution

To date, the Longfin Hagfish is known from South Australia (South Australian Museum records, cited in OZCAM database, 2007; M. Gomon, Museum of Victoria, pers. comm., 2007).
The species has been found in waters off the lower south-east of S.A., between Robe and Port MacDonnell, and including Rivoli Bay / Cape Buffon, and Cape Douglas (Strahan, 1975; Glover, in Gomon et al., 1994; Anonymous, 2004, cited in Froese and Pauly, 2007; South Australian Museum records, cited in OZCAM database, 2007).
Robe is the type locality (Strahan, 1975; Eschmeyer, 1998).

Habitat

Paxton et al. (1989, cited in Froese and Pauly, 2007) reported the habitat as being soft bottom on the continental shelf. However, although the habitat of Longfin Hagfish habitat has not been documented in detail, the species is sometimes recorded in pots used to catch Rock Lobster (Jasus), and thus occurs in habitat utilised by that species, which may include reefs. Most of the published records are from relatively shallow coastal waters (e.g. 14m – 40m) (Glover, in Gomon et al., 1994).

Notes on Biology and Behaviour

Size and Age

Reported maximum size is 42cm total length (Fernholm, 1998, cited in Froese and Pauly, 2007).

Behaviour

Lampreys, together with hagfishes, are the sole surviving representatives of jawless vertebrates. The adult hagfishes are parasitic; they attach themselves to a host animal (e.g. Rock Lobster is one of the recorded prey items of the Longfin Hagfish), and then feed on the tissues.
Unlike lampreys, hagfishes do not have a freshwater stage to the lifecycle. They live in marine waters only (Glover, in Gomon et al., 1994).

Diet and Feeding Behaviour

Longfin Hagfish is known to be parasitic on Southern Rock Lobster (Jasus edwardsii), as are some other hagfishes (Martini, 1998). The hagfish buries its head in the abdomen of the rock lobster, and feeds on the flesh (Glover, in Gomon et al., 1994; Martini, 1998).

Reproduction

The reproduction of hagfish is still poorly known. An ovary and testis can occur in the same individual, but hagfish are likely to be functionally non-hermaphroditic (Fernholm, 1998), even though simultaneous development of both ovary and testis has been recorded (Patzner, 1998, cited in Froese and Pauly, 2007). Hagfish produce around 30 – 50 yolky eggs. Some hagfish species lay horny capsules, which have sticky mucoid threads at each end to help them to adhere to rocks and debris, and from these capsules small fully formed hagfish hatch (Orana Wildlife Trust, 2003). There is no metamorphosis in hagfish (Fernholm, 1998).

Other Information

The few available studies on hagfishes indicate that these fishes do not migrate beyond 100km (B. Fernholm, pers. comm., 2004, cited in Froese and Pauly, 2007).

Fisheries Information

E. longipinnis is part of the bycatch in the Southern and Eastern Scalefish and Shark Fisheries (SESSF) (AFMA, 2002a). In the otter trawl sub-fishery of the South East Trawl Fishery (SETF), an Integrated Scientific Monitoring Program (ISMP) reported that in 66 trawl shots, about 379kg of this species were discarded (Wayte et al., 2004). The species is also reportedly part of the discarded bycatch in the Gillnet, Hook and Trap Fishery (Bromhead and Bolton, 2005).
The species has occasionally been recorded as bycatch in rock lobster pots (e.g. S.A. Museum records, cited in OZCAM database, 2007), but frequency of capture is not known for this report.

Vulnerable Characteristics of the Species, and Threatening Processes

Eptatretus longipinnis appears to be an uncommon species, found to date over a limited part of South Australia (mid to lower south-East), but the full geographic distribution is not known. Fisheries bycatch reports that may come from other parts of southern Australia are, as yet, unconfirmed.
To date, the species is known from relatively shallow water (see above), but the full depth range is not known, and it is noted that a related species in eastern Australia and New Zealand has been found in much deeper waters (continental slope) compared with Longfin Hagfish. Populations in the nearshore area may be susceptible to coastal marine impacts, but there are no specific data.
Rock lobsters appear to be important hosts in the life history of this species, and therefore any decline in rock lobster populations may also adversely affect Longfin Hagfish populations.
Hagfishes have poorly known reproduction, but species studied to date show low reproductive potential, producing a small number of eggs (Patzner, 1998; Orana Wildlife Trust, 2003).
In hagfish species, there is some evidence of site-association, and limited dispersal (B. Fernholm, pers. comm., 2004, cited in Froese and Pauly, 2007).
Longfin Hagfish is reported to have a low resilience to exploitation, in terms of minimum population doubling time (Froese and Pauly, 2007).
Given the limited known geographic range, bycatch in rock lobster pots and possibly trawl fisheries may pose a threat to populations, but more data and analysis are required, particularly in South Australia. It is noted that in a draft ecological risk assessment for the SETF, the species was listed as being at “medium risk”, in terms of population impacts from trawling (Wayte et al. 2004).

Research and Management Requirements

Very little is known about this species, and it has rarely been recorded. Fisheries in south-eastern and southern Australia (including State-managed rock lobster fisheries and Commonwealth-managed trawl fisheries) should record the presence of Longfin Hagfish when it is found in the bycatch, and specimens should be sent to the South Australian Museum or the Australian Museum.

Other Information

A related deepwater species from south-eastern Australia and New Zealand, the Broadgill Hagfish Eptatretus cirrhatus Bloch and Schneider 1801, is known from deeper waters (e.g. 300m – 700m). E. cirrhatus is part of the bycatch in the deepwater sector of the N.S.W. Ocean Prawn Trawl Fishery (NSW Department of Primary Industries, 2004), amongst other south-eastern Australian fisheries.