Bo Fernholm

The Lateral Line System of Cyclostomes

In 1907, Ayers and Worthington reported that they found “fully formed and functional” lateral line grooves in Eptatretus stouti (Bdellostoma dombeyi). Earlier scientists had not been able to find lateral line grooves in hagfish and the report of Ayers and Worthington has not been generally accepted in the textbooks (Hardisty, 1979, p. 10; Starck, 1982, p. 518).

Myxinidocotyle gen.n. and Lophocotyle Braun (Platyhelminthes, Monogenea, Acanthocotylidae) with descriptions of three new species from hagfishes (Chordata, Myxinidae)

Three new species of monogencans parasitizing hagfish are described: Myxinidocotyle californica gen. et sp.n., M. japonica sp.n. and Lophocotyle novaezeelandica sp.n. The pseudohaptor of Myxinidocotyle has 8+8 transverse ridges that never attain the radial arrangement characterizing Lophocotyle and Acanthocotyle. There are no sclerites in the pseudohaptoral ridges of Myxinidocotyle and Lophocotyle. The male reproductive system of Myxinidocotyle and Lophocotyle differs from that of Acanthocotyle in having a bilateral accessory gland apparatus and an armed copulatory organ. The femrle reproductive system has a large vaginal receptaculum scminis; in Myxinidocotyle with two vagino‐intestinal canals. The uterine pore and the male genital pore are close together and the vaginal pore is situated posterior to them, on the left ventral side of the body. We conclude that Myxinidocotyle, Lophocotyle and Acunrkocotyle represent different levels of acanthocotylid evolution. Myxinidocotyle being the most primitive. The family Acanthocotylidac is divided into the subfamilies Myxinidoeutylinae subfam.n., Lophocotylinae and Acanthoeutylinae.

A New Species of Hagfish (Myxinidae: Eptatretus) Associated with Deep-Sea Coral Habitat in the Western North Atlantic

Abstract Eptatretus lopheliae, new species, is described from three specimens caught at 430–442 m depth in cold-water coral habitat off the southeastern United States. It is diagnosed by elongated tubular nostril, lack of nasal-sinus papillae, five pairs of gill pouches, 3-cusp multicusps in anterior and posterior row of teeth but with variation of 4 cusps in posterior row, 38–41 total cusp count, 19–21 prebranchial slime pores, 88–89 total pores, palatine tooth triangular, and pinkish-orange body color. Eptatretus lopheliae is a small hagfish species observed, videotaped, and caught in close association with Lophelia pertusa reef habitat.

Review of the Australian hagfishes with description of two new species of Eptatretus (Myxinidae)

This paper revises and updates taxonomic and distributional information about hagfishes (Myxinidae) from Australia. It covers five species of the genus Eptatretus: Eptatretus cirrhatus known from eastern Australia and also distributed around New Zealand, Eptatretus longipinnis endemic to South Australia, Eptatretus strahani originally described from the Philippines and reported here as a new record from Western Australia and two new species described herein as Eptatretus alastairi and Eptatretus gomoni, both from Western Australia. Eptatretus alastairi is distinguished from all congeners by the unique combination of the following characters: six pairs of gill pouches; three-cusp multicusps on the anterior and posterior rows of cusps; anterior unicusps 9-12; posterior unicusps 8-11; total cusps 48-56; prebranchial pores 13-16; branchial pores 5-6; trunk pores 50-55; tail pores 11-13; total pores 83-88; two bilaterally symmetrical nasal-sinus papillae in the dorsal surface of the nasal sinus. Eptatretus gomoni is distinguished from all congeners by the unique combination of the following characters: eight pairs of gill pouches; three-cusp multicusps on the anterior and two-cusp multicusps on the posterior row of cusps; anterior unicusps 10-11; posterior unicusps 9-10; total cusps 50; prebranchial pores 12-13; branchial pores 7-8; trunk pores 57-58; tail pores 14-15; total pores 91-93; no nasal-sinus papillae. An identification key for the Australian species of Eptatretus is also provided.

Locating Specimens of Extinct Tiger (Panthera tigris) Subspecies: Javan Tiger (P. T. sondaica), Balinese Tiger (P. T. balica), and Caspian Tiger (P. T. virgata), Including Previously Unpublished Specimens

Abstract. Recent advances in multivariate statistics, and in ancient DNA techniques, have greatly increased understanding of tiger phylogeography. However, regardless of advances in analytical methodology, researchers will continue to need access to specimens for morphological measurements and sampling for genetic analysis. The tiger has become increasingly endangered, and out of the nine putative tiger subspecies, three (Javan, Balinese, and Caspian) have become extinct in the last 100 years, leaving the specimens kept in natural history collections as the only materials available for research. Frustratingly little information is widely available concerning the specimens of these extinct tiger subspecies. We conducted an extensive search for specimens of extinct tiger subspecies, and also developed a simple on-site method to assign unprovenanced and probable Indonesian specimens to either Javan/Balinese or Sumatran subspecies. We located a total of 88 Javan, 11 Balinese, and 46 Caspian tigers, including seven new Javan tigers, and three Balinese tigers that were not widely known previously. These specimens are critical for research in order to understand the intraspecific phylogeny and evolutionary history of the tiger.

A new species of hagfish (Myxinidae: Eptatretus) from Papua New Guinea.

A new species of seven-gilled hagfish Eptatretus astrolabium (Myxinidae) is described from a 400 mm total length female trapped 1 km east from Planet Rock, Astrolabe Bay, Papua New Guinea, at c. 500 m depth. This is the first hagfish species reported from the waters around New Guinea. It can be distinguished from other hagfishes by a combination of characters including seven pairs of gill apertures, three-cusp multicusps on the anterior and posterior rows of cusps, 10 posterior unicusps, 52 total cusps, 18-19 prebranchial pores, five branchial pores, 48-49 trunk pores, 83-84 total pores and no nasal-sinus papillae.

A New Species of Hagfish (Myxinidae: Eptatretus) from the Colombian Caribbean

Eptatretus aceroi, new species, is described from one specimen captured on the upper continental slope in Colombian Caribbean waters at 705 m depth. The species can be distinguished from all congeners by having five gill apertures, 3/2 multicuspid teeth in the outer and inner tooth rows, respectively, an extremely slender body with the depth at the vertical through the pharyngocutaneous aperture 2.4% of the total length, and by having a total of 174 slime pores, the highest count in the genus. The species is compared with the other western Atlantic five-gilled species of Eptatretus. Se describe a Eptatretus aceroi a partir de un espécimen capturado en el talud continental superior del Caribe colombiano a 705 m de profundidad. La especie se distingue de todos sus congéneres por poseer cinco aberturas branquiales, un patrón dental de 3/2 dientes multicúspidos en la hilera externa e interna respectivamente, un cuerpo extremadamente delgado, con un profundidad del cuerpo a nivel del ducto faringocutáneo de 2.4% de la talla total, y por tener un conteo total de poros de 174, el mayor conteo en el género. La especie se compara con otras especies de Eptatretus del Atlántico occidental que presentan cinco aberturas branquiales.