Hagfish

Fascinating facts about the Hagfish

• Hagfish slime fibres are pound-for-pound as strong as nylon and ten times tougher than silk. Researchers are studying them for use in bulletproof materials and biodegradable textiles.
• The oldest hagfish fossil dates to 300 million years ago, from the Carboniferous period. The living animal is so similar it is considered a 'living fossil'.
• Despite having no jaw, it has two rows of tooth-like keratin plates that rasp flesh from prey. It pulls meat by biting and twisting its body in a corkscrew motion.

At a glance

About the Hagfish

Hagfish are among the most ancient vertebrate lineages alive, largely unchanged for 300 million years. They have no jaw, no eyes beyond light-sensitive cells, and no true vertebrae. What they do have is a unique defence mechanism: under threat, they release explosive threads of mucus and water that expand into thick, fibrous slime capable of clogging a shark's gills.

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