The Pacific Hagfish, also known as the slime eel, resides on the ocean floor at depths of over 90 meters, primarily feeding on dead animals and defending itself by using asphyxiating slime.
The scientific name of the Pacific Hagfish is Eptatretus stoutii, and it is commonly found in the cold depths of oceans worldwide. These creatures consume small invertebrates and the remains of animals that fall to the ocean floor, according to Live Science.
The hagfish resembles a giant earthworm. (Photo: Phys.org).
At first glance, this primitive fish is striking due to its unusual shape. Lacking fins or scales, the grayish-pink hagfish looks like a giant earthworm, complete with sharp teeth in its mouth. This ancient creature has existed on Earth for over 500 million years and can grow up to 64 cm in length. Although it resembles an eel, it belongs to the group of jawless fish and is related to lampreys. Hagfish possess a skull but lack jaws.
When threatened, the hagfish reveals its most impressive feature: a slime that can incapacitate sharks. If a predator approaches, the hagfish releases sticky slime that clogs the gills of its attacker. “We have never seen any gill-breathing predator successfully hunt a hagfish,” said Tim Winegard, a researcher who has studied hagfish since his time as a student at Chapman University in California. A hagfish has a special gland that contains slime filaments and can store approximately 96 cm of slime per mm² of skin.
In a traffic accident in 2017, when a truck filled with hagfish was en route to South Korea, where this species is considered a delicacy, it overturned on the Oregon highway, covering the road in slime. “They use slime as a defense mechanism against predators, but they also excrete it when stressed, such as when falling onto a highway,” explained Douglas Fudge, a biologist at Chapman University in California.
Hagfish are scavengers, primarily consuming the carcasses of whales and decomposing matter from other animals that sink to the ocean floor, helping to clean the ecosystem and recycle nutrients in the deep sea. They have poor eyesight and rely on their highly sensitive sense of smell to locate food. Four tentacles around their mouths help them find prey, while two pairs of tooth-like structures on their tongues tear and bring food into their mouths.
