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The Atlantic Hagfish
The hagfish, scientifically known as Myxine glutinosa, is a true monster of the deep. Its body is covered with special glands that can emit a sticky slime. In fact, a single hagfish can produce enough slime at one time to fill a milk jug. This has earned this creature the name of "slime eel". They will actually "sneeze" when their own nostrils fill with slime. Hagfish slime is different that any other natural slime secretions in that it is reinforces with tiny fibers. The fibers make the slime strong and difficult to remove. It is believed that the hagfish uses this slime to protect itself from predators. It can easily produce a protective cocoon of slime. This slime can actually suffocate predators by clogging their gills if they come in contact with it. The hagfish has a trick for escaping this slime cocoon. It simply ties itself in a knot and passes the knot down the length of its body to wipe the slime away. It has a long, eel-like body that ranges in size from 16 to 32 inches in length. They have been called the nastiest little creature in the sea. The hagfish is a scaleless fish with soft skin and thick barbels on the end of their mouth. They have no jaws and no bones. The hagfish's skeleton is made up entirely of cartilage. They have very poorly developed eyes located just under the skin and are almost blind. They also have between 5 and 15 pairs of gills. What really makes the hagfish a monster is its eating habits. The hagfish feeds by attaching itself to a passing fish. It then bores its way inside its unsuspecting host. Once inside, the hagfish will actually eat the fish's flesh with a specialized rasping tongue. It literally eats its victim from the inside out. How's that for a monster? The hagfish is a deep-water fish. The are found worldwide at depths of 5600 feet. They live on soft bottoms where they lie buried except for the top of their head. In addition to fish, they will also eat small invertebrates and will scavenge dead and dying fish. Food is scarce at these depths, so the hagfish will eat just about anything it can find.
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