Abstract
The hagfish, Eptatretus burgeri (Girard), is found in shallow water (6 to 9 m depth) at Moroiso Bay and Koajiro Bay near the Misaki Marine Biological Station (35°09'18″N, 139°36'54″E) throughout the year, save 4 months (July, August, September, and October).The eggs grow while the fish are in shallow water beginning in October and reach about 19mm by the end of June in the following year.In June the fish migrate to water of about 50m depth, where they probably spawn.In October the fish (at total length of more than 35cm) migrate to shallow water, but those less than 34cm remain at a depth of about 50m.In migrating both from shallow to deep water and the reverse, larger fish move first followed by smaller ones, but only fish over 35cm in length take part in the migration.Only 2 of 512 specimens were found to have ova in the testis.Eptatretus burgeri is not hermaph-roditic.There is no difference in total length between sexes of adult fish.
