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Hagfish: Facts, Pictures & Slime Videos

Updated on December 3, 2011

Hagfish Pictures

New Zealand Hagfish - Mouth of Hagfish
New Zealand Hagfish - Mouth of Hagfish | Source

Hagfish: Slime Eel

The Hagfish is a marine worm-like creature. Despite its gruesome appearance, they are most known for the sticky slime they can make. They are called slime-eels, but they are not related to eels at all. Instead, there is a debate whether the Hagfish is strictly a fish. There are about 60 species of them, belonging to the class of Myxini, and Myxinidae is the name of the Hagfish family. They are found in oceans in many parts of the world.

The Hagfish Mouth, Ugly Ass Fish
The Hagfish Mouth, Ugly Ass Fish

Hagfish: Habitat & Characteristics

Hagfish are lazy creatures that are sometimes found hiding under rocks and crevices. They nest in holes on the seabed, usually just found by the Hagfish. Unless they are disturbed or hungry, they won’t leave the nest. When Hagfish produce slime, they secrete a micro fibrous material into the water that is actually white and liquidly. The material comes out of white holes along the Hagfish’ body. When mixed with water, just a few drops could turn a cup into slime after mixing. You can see many sliming videos on Youtube. A grown Hagfish can have enough micro fibrous material to turn a 5 gallon bucket of water into complete slime in about five minutes. However, Hagfish do have a limit of how much slime they can produce. The slime is mainly used for self-defense, because when touched by a predator or aggravated, the Hagfish will start “sliming”. This method is to distract predators and help them wriggle out of grasp, leaving the slime behind. The slime will disturb and even choke a predator if swallowed. To escape predators, they also use a “knot” method, where they tie into a knot and squeeze themselves away. This is very effective in a difficult situation. Hagfish do indeed have eyes, and only a single nostril. The eyes are extremely poor in sight, without the ability to make out any images. But it is believed that they can detect light.

The Hagfish
The Hagfish

Hagfish: Diet & Eating Habit

Hagfish have a varied diet of dead animal matter. They will usually eat any meat they can find. Food is not rare though. Hagfish have small, comb-like teeth that are designed to rip flesh. The meat is then swallowed whole. However, the Hagfish aren’t complete scavengers, but also parasitic fish. They find live food and grab onto it, slowly eating into the victim alive, even when it’s still alive. Only the skin and bones remain. Hagfish are rather abundant, with no natural predators.

Hagfish Reproduction

Scientists are still trying to find out more about Hagfish reproduction. There is about one male for every 100 Hagfish. Some Hagfish even have one ovary, and one testicle in reproduction. The ovary is inactive for a while until the Hagfish is a certain age. Hagfish lay around 20-30 squishy yellow eggs and are sometimes seen brooding their own eggs. The fry that hatch are small and worm like, and are left alone by predators. With these combined factors, Hagfish have a high success rate.

The Hagfish has 4 Hearts and 2 Brains
The Hagfish has 4 Hearts and 2 Brains
Hagfish Eggs
Hagfish Eggs

Eating Hagfish: Korean Dish Made with Hagfish

Kkomjangeo bokkeum ( ), Korean stir-fried fish dish made with the hagfish Eptatretus burgeri
Kkomjangeo bokkeum ( ), Korean stir-fried fish dish made with the hagfish Eptatretus burgeri | Source

Hagfish Slime

Hagfish Sliming Video

Species
Common Name
Eptatretus bischoffii (Schneider, 1880)
 
Eptatretus burgeri (Girard, 1855)
Inshore hagfish
Eptatretus caribbeaus Fernholm, 1982
 
Eptatretus carlhubbsi (McMillan and Wisner, 1984)
 
Eptatretus chinensis Kuo and Mok, 1994
 
Eptatretus cirrhatus (Forster, 1801)
New Zealand hagfish
Eptatretus deani (Evermann & Goldsborough, 1907)
Black hagfish
Eptatretus eos Fernholm, 1991
 
Eptatretus fernholmi McMillan & Wisner, 2004
 
Eptatretus fritzi Wisner & McMillan, 1990
Guadalupe hagfish
Eptatretus goliath Mincarone & Stewart, 2006
 
Eptatretus grouseri McMillan, 1999
 
Eptatretus hexatrema (Müller, 1836)
Sixgill hagfish
Eptatretus indrambaryai Wongratana, 1983
 
Eptatretus lakeside Mincarone & McCosker, 2004
 
Eptatretus laurahubbsae McMillan and Wisner, 1984
 
Eptatretus longipinnis Strahan, 1975
 
Eptatretus lopheliae Fernholm & Quattrini, 2008
 
Eptatretus mcconnaugheyi Wisner & McMillan, 1990
Shorthead hagfish
Eptatretus mccoskeri McMillan, 1999
 
Eptatretus mendozai Hensley, 1985
 
Eptatretus menezesi Mincarone, 2000
 
Eptatretus minor Fernholm and Hubbs, 1981
 
Eptatretus multidens Fernholm and Hubbs, 1981
 
Eptatretus nanii Wisner and McMillan, 1988
 
Eptatretus octatrema (Barnard, 1923)
Eightgill hagfish
Eptatretus okinoseanus (Dean, 1904)
 
Eptatretus polytrema (Girard, 1855)
Fourteen-gill hagfish
Eptatretus profundus (Barnard, 1923)
Fivegill hagfish
Eptatretus sinus Wisner & McMillan, 1990
Cortez hagfish
Eptatretus springeri (Bigelow & Schroeder, 1952)
Gulf hagfish
Eptatretus stoutii (Lockington, 1878)
Pacific hagfish
Eptatretus strahani McMillan and Wisner, 1984
 
Eptatretus strickrotti Møller & Jones, 2007
 
Eptatretus wisneri McMillan, 1999
 
Myxine affinis Günther, 1870
Patagonian hagfish
Myxine australis Jenyns, 1842
Southern hagfish
Myxine capensis Regan, 1913
Cape hagfish
Myxine circifrons Garman, 1899
Whiteface hagfish
Myxine debueni Wisner & McMillan, 1995
 
Myxine dorsum Wisner & McMillan, 1995
 
Myxine fernholmi Wisner & McMillan, 1995
 
Myxine formosana Mok & Kuo, 2001
 
Myxine garmani Jordan & Snyder, 1901
 
Myxine glutinosa Linnaeus, 1758
Atlantic hagfish
Myxine hubbsi Wisner & McMillan, 1995
 
Myxine hubbsoides Wisner & McMillan, 1995
 
Myxine ios Fernholm, 1981
White-headed hagfish
Myxine jespersenae Møller, Feld, Poulsen, Thomsen & Thormar, 2005
 
Myxine knappi Wisner & McMillan, 1995)
 
Myxine kuoi Mok, 2002
 
Myxine limosa Girard, 1859
 
Myxine mccoskeri Wisner & McMillan, 1995
 
Myxine mcmillanae Hensley, 1991
 
Myxine paucidens Regan, 1913
 
Myxine pequenoi Wisner & McMillan, 1995
 
Myxine robinsorum Wisner & McMillan, 1995
 
Myxine sotoi Mincarone, 2001
 
Nemamyxine elongata Richardson, 1958
 
Nemamyxine kreffti McMillan and Wisner, 1982
 
Neomyxine biniplicata (Richardson and Jowett, 1951)
 
Notomyxine tridentiger (Garman, 1899)
 
Paramyxine atami Dean, 1904
 
Paramyxine cheni Shen and Tao, 1975
 
Paramyxine fernholmi Kuo, Huang and Mok, 1994
 
Paramyxine moki McMillan & Wisner, 2004
 
Paramyxine sheni Kuo, Huang and Mok, 1994
 
Paramyxine walkeri McMillan & Wisner, 2004
 
Paramyxine wayuu Mok, Saavedra-Diaz & Acero P., 2001
 
Paramyxine wisneri Kuo, Huang and Mok, 1994
 
Quadratus ancon Mok, Saavedra-Diaz and Acero P., 2001
 
Quadratus nelsoni (Kuo, Huang and Mok, 1994)
 
Quadratus taiwanae (Shen and Tao, 1975)
 
Quadratus yangi (Teng, 1958)
 

Hagfishes

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