Myxine sotoi Mincarone 2001

Southwest Atlantic: Brazil, from Rio de Janeiro to Rio Grande do Sul.

Color of live specimens pinkish red with whitish head anterior to first slime pore; whitish middorsal stripe extending from caudal finfold to about over gill apertures. Six pairs of gill pouches; a 2-cusp multicusp on both anterior and posterior sets of cusps, total cusps 38-44. Pores: prebranchial 28-38; trunk 61-73; tail 11-13; total 101-119. Ventral finfold 4-6 mm high.

Copulatory organ absent. The gonads of hagfishes are situated in the peritoneal cavity. The ovary is found in the anterior portion of the gonad, and the testis is found in the posterior part. The animal becomes female if the cranial part of the gonad develops or male if the caudal part undergoes differentiation. If none develops, then the animal becomes sterile. If both anterior and posterior parts develop, then the animal becomes a functional hermaphrodite. However, hermaphroditism being characterised as functional needs to be validated by more reproduction studies (Ref. 51361 ).

Of 30 specimens, 26 were females, 3 males, 1 hermaphrodite. Four females had large eggs about 20 x 6 mm, but none of the eggs with encapsulated anchor filaments. The species lives on the continental slope.