Many weird, creepy creatures dwell the deep sea and the Hagfish is one
of them. Looking nothing like a fish, it resembles an eel with an 'alias'
"Slime eel". It belongs to the group of primitive, jawless fish which
includes the marine and freshwater lampreys known as Myxini.
(http://www.ryanphotographic.com/myxinidae.htm)
So it just looks
a teeny bit disgusting. What makes it truly fascinating is its defense
mechanism. When captured and held by the tail, it escapes by secreting the
fibrous slime, which turns into a thick and sticky gel when combined with
water. The slime surrounds the predator and protects the hagfish. It can even
kill the predator if it comes into contact with the slime which will clog its
gills (but sometimes hagfish even kill themselves with their own slime haha)
When the hagfish thinks it's safe, it ties itself in knots to get rid of the
excess goo. The video below will show how this slime is produced by the hagfish
when disturbed; the subsequent picture is that of the glands which secrete the slime.
(http://courses.washington.edu/chordate/453photos/skin_photos/special_integument1.htm)
Other than for
individual defense and for frightening humans, the slime may be used to deter
predators from hagfish nest eggs. More appalling, however, is its use as a
replacement for egg whites in cooking, and oils in various ointments!
Aside from its
sliming mechanism, what really makes the hagfish a deep sea monster is its
eating habits. It feeds by attaching itself to a passing fish, boring its way
inside its unsuspecting host. Once inside, the hagfish will actually eat the
fish's flesh with a specialized rasping tongue, literally eating its victim
from the inside out, thus leaving a jagged hole in the hapless victim!
Nonetheless, notwithstanding
its repugnant, parasite-like appearance and sliming tactics, Jean Lee (an Undergraduate
of Integrative Biology,
University of California, Berkeley) has contended that the hagfish are actually “useful in the study of
tumours [and] the cooperation of body parts in producing slime (essentially
polypeptides) is also important in examining functionality, morphology, and
metabolic actions”. On top of this, the Koreans have even made it part of their
gourmet!
(http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19336602/)
Eel.
References
Jean Lee.
Hagfish Aren’t So Horrible Afterall. (2002). Journal of Young Investigators, Volume
5, Issue 7. Retrieved 19 March from http://www.jyi.org/volumes/volume5/issue7/features/lee.html
DivaBoo.
25 World’s Weirdest Animals. Retrieved 19 March from http://divaboo.info/