Eptatretus hexatrema, the sixgill hagfish, or snotslang is a species of marine fish in the hagfish family (family Myxinidae) of order Myxiniformes. It is native to the South Atlantic Ocean and southwestern Indian Ocean.
Distribution Southeast Atlantic: known only from Walvis Bay, Namibia to Durban, South AfricaSmith, Margaret M, and Heemstra, P. (eds.) 2003. Smith's sea fishes. South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity, Grahamstown. Struik publishers, Cape Town, 2003.
Description Maximum recorded length 80.0 cm. Depth of body 15 times total length. Six gill openings. Colour slaty grey. Egg cases ovoid about 30mm long by 12mm wide with anchor filaments at each end. Eel shaped, with six barbels on the head around the mouth. Epatches form white spots under the skin. Two rows of slime pores under the body.Jones, Georgina. A field guide to the marine animals of the Cape Peninsula. SURG, Cape Town, 2008. No paired fins, mouth has no jaws but has two protrusible rows of horny teeth.Branch, G.M., Branch, M.L, Griffiths, C.L. and Beckley, L.E. (2010). Two Oceans: a guide to the marine life of southern Africa Struik Nature, Cape Town.
Habitat and behaviour Non-migratory marine demersal. Depth range 10 – 400 m, usually found between 10 and 45 m. Commonly burrows in muddy bottoms. Feeds mostly by scavenging on dead or disabled fish. Secretes large quantities of slime when provoked.
Importance to humans No commercial value, considered a pest by fishermen.
Conservation status Least concern
Name Etymology: Eptatretus: Greek, epta = seven + Greek, tretos = with holes. hexatrema: ? .
Common names: sixgill hagfish, snotslang
Synonyms: Bdellostoma hexatrema Müller, 1836. Heptatretus hexatrema (Müller, 1836)Bailly, N. (2013). Eptatretus hexatrema (Müller, 1836). In: Froese, R. and D. Pauly. Editors. (2013) FishBase. Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=221466 on 2014-03-19
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