California Hagfish vs Green Sea Turtle

Eptatretus stoutii compared with Chelonia mydas

Key Differences

• California Hagfish is Data Deficient while Green Sea Turtle is Endangered.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	California Hagfish	Green Sea Turtle
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Chordata (Chordates)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Myxini (Myxini)	Reptilia (Reptiles)
Order	Myxiniformes (Myxiniformes)	Testudines (Turtles & Tortoises)
Family	Myxinidae	Cheloniidae (Sea Turtles)
Genus	Eptatretus	Chelonia (Green Sea Turtles)
Species	Eptatretus stoutii	Chelonia mydas

Evolutionary Relationship

California Hagfish and Green Sea Turtle share a common ancestor at the Phylum level: Chordata. (Chordates)

Conservation Status

California Hagfish

DD — Data Deficient

Green Sea Turtle

EN — Endangered

Population: ~85.0K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	California Hagfish	Green Sea Turtle
Diet	—	Herbivore
Average Lifespan	—	80 years
Average Length	—	1.2 m
Average Weight	—	200.0 kg

Habitat & Geographic Range

California Hagfish

Green Sea Turtle

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forests, and tropical and subtropical grasslands and savannas, among 8 distinct biome types. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Distributed across Australia, Brazil, Costa Rica, Indonesia, and Mexico. Currently classified as Endangered on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

California Hagfish

The California Hagfish (Eptatretus stoutii) is a species in the genus Eptatretus. It is currently classified as Data Deficient on the IUCN Red List.

Green Sea Turtle

The green sea turtle is one of the largest sea turtles. They are named for the green color of their cartilage and fat, not their shells.