Food Preferences of Atlantic Hagfish, Myxine glutinosa, Assessed by Experimental Baiting of Traps

We investigated food preferences of Atlantic Hagfish (Myxine glutinosa) in Bigelow Bight in the Gulf of Maine by deploying traps at three moderate depths (ranging from 61 m to 132 m) using different types of bait (fish, crabs, and clams) singly and in mixtures. We counted the numbers of specimens caught in each trap, recorded their individual weights and lengths, and noted the presence of eggs. Bait containing fish consistently attracted the greatest number of hagfish, while invertebrate-based baits were less effective: there was a nine-fold increase in catch rate for traps containing fish bait compared to traps containing only clam bait, and no hagfish were caught using only crab bait. Atlantic Hagfish appear to be adept at detecting even small quantities of fish because baits consisting of 10% fish and 100% fish were equally effective. Even at the relatively shallow and closely adjacent depths sampled we found longer and heavier hagfish at the deepest sampling sites, and individuals from those sites had larger eggs than those from shallower depths.