Atlantic Hagfish
Myxine glutinosa
- Group: Other
- Typical depth: 20–1200 m
- Max size: 95 cm
- For divers: safe
- IUCN status: LC
The Atlantic hagfish burrows into soft muddy bottoms in deep water and finds its meals by smell, boring into dead and dying fish to eat them from the inside out. Threatened, it floods the water with thick slime that clogs a predator's gills, a defence few other animals can match. It has no jaws and reaches nearly a metre.
Taxonomy: Animalia › Chordata › Myxini › Myxiniformes › Myxinidae › Myxine
Species data via the World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS), AphiaID 101170.
FAQ
- How deep does the Atlantic Hagfish live?
- The Atlantic Hagfish (Myxine glutinosa) is typically found at 20–1200 m.
- Is the Atlantic Hagfish dangerous to divers?
- The Atlantic Hagfish is harmless to divers.
- How big does the Atlantic Hagfish get?
- The Atlantic Hagfish grows to about 95 cm.