Sunday, July 3, 2011

On the Subject of Hagfish

It has come to my attention that some of you don't have a clue what a hagfish is. Consider yourselves lucky.

Hagfish are nasty little fish that act kind of like lampreys. They have no jaws; instead possessing a rasping mouth that scrapes away flesh from dead things that sink to the ocean floor. Did I mention that they eat pretty much only dead things? No? Well, they are the ones you will find swarming over a dead whale on the sea bottom; twisting themselves into knots trying to tear off chunks of flesh. They survive tying themselves into knots because of the production of a thick, slimy mucus that coats their skin. Great creatures, right?

Any questions?

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