Atlantic Hagfish (Myxine glutinosa)
Common name: Atlantic hagfish
Scientific name: Myxine glutinosa
Locations: in deep water at the ocean floor
Seasonality: available all year
Color: tan, pink, grey
Size: 18”+
Collected: deep water trapping
Quantity: sold by the each
Common name: Atlantic hagfish
Scientific name: Myxine glutinosa
Locations: in deep water at the ocean floor
Seasonality: available all year
Color: tan, pink, grey
Size: 18”+
Collected: deep water trapping
Quantity: sold by the each
Common name: Atlantic hagfish
Scientific name: Myxine glutinosa
Locations: in deep water at the ocean floor
Seasonality: available all year
Color: tan, pink, grey
Size: 18”+
Collected: deep water trapping
Quantity: sold by the each
Tidepool Tim says, “These primitive animals are from the pre-jaw era of agnathans! They are a relic of ancient times. They may be quite disgusting, but their abilities are awe-inspiring for several reasons. For example, when predators attack them, they secrete slime at a rate of 4 cups in less than a second! The slime is a mix of fibers and mucus that clog the predator’ gills every time.
Hagfish are the only animal in the kingdom with a cranium, but no spinal column. This fish is an early “chordate,” animals with notochords (or spinal column + notochord remnants, like humans). Hagfish can also escape a predator’s mouth by tying itself into a knot! The knot shape is also used to leverage their weight when feeding on a big, dead prey item.
Maybe even more amazing, hagfish hearts can beat for three hours with absolutely no oxygen, using fats instead!”
