Ecology of Myxine glutinosa
 
Main Ref. Fernholm, B., 1998
Remarks Found on soft, muddy bottoms; requires high salinity (at least 30 ppt) and low temperature (below 12°C), conditions usually found in deeper waters (Refs. 5951, 117245). Feeds chiefly on dead and dying fish of varying species by boring into the body and consuming viscera and musculature. Food includes marine invertebrates such as polychaete worms and crustaceans (shrimp, Pandalus borealis, an important food item) (Ref. 5951), hermit crabs, limpets, nemerteans, priapulid worms and fishes (Ref. 117245). Benthic. Non-migratory. Inhabits shallow transient burrows parallel sediment surface. Scavengers. No known parasites (Ref. 117245). Cathemeral (Ref. 117245) but chiefly nocturnal.

Aquatic zones / Water bodies

Marine - Neritic Marine - Oceanic Brackishwater Freshwater
Marine zones / Brackish and freshwater bodies
  • supra-littoral zone
  • littoral zone
  • sublittoral zone
  • epipelagic
  • mesopelagic
  • epipelagic
  • abyssopelagic
  • hadopelagic
  • estuaries/lagoons/brackish seas
  • mangroves
  • marshes/swamps
  • rivers/streams
  • lakes/ponds
  • caves
  • exclusively in caves
Highighted items on the list are where Myxine glutinosa may be found.

Habitat

Substrate Benthic; Soft Bottom: sand; mud;
Substrate Ref. Coad, B.W. and J.D. Reist, 2018
Special habitats
Special habitats Ref.

Associations

Ref.
Associations
Associated with
Association remarks
Parasitism

Feeding

Feeding type mainly animals (troph. 2.8 and up)
Feeding type Ref. Scott, W.B. and M.G. Scott, 1988
Feeding habit hunting macrofauna (predator)
Feeding habit Ref. Scott, W.B. and M.G. Scott, 1988
Trophic Level(s)
Estimation method Original sample Unfished population Remark
Troph s.e. Troph s.e.
From diet composition 4.54 3.40 0.59 Troph of adults from 1 study.
From individual food items 4.05 0.71 Trophic level estimated from a number of food items using a randomized resampling routine.
Ref. Bowman, R.E., C.E. Stillwell, W.L. Michaels and M.D. Grosslein, 2000
(e.g. 346)
(e.g. oophagy)
Back to Search
Comments & Corrections
cfm script by eagbayani,  ,  php script by rolavides, 2/5/2008 ,  last modified by mbactong, 10/24/19