phylomictis lintearia is a moth in the depressariidae family .

it was described by edward meyrick in 1921 .

it is found in australia , where it has been recorded from queensland and new south wales .

the wingspan is about 20 mm .

the forewings are whitish irrorated fuscous , with the stigmata cloudy , light brownish , the plical rather beyond the first discal .

there is an oblique series of two or three small spots of dark grey irroration from the costa to the first and second discal respectively , and a strongly curved subterminal series of similar spots .

the hindwings are pale grey .

phylomictis lintearia

this is the place for lintearia definition . you find here lintearia meaning , synonyms of lintearia and images for lintearia copyright 2017 © urltoken
here you will find one or more explanations in english for the word lintearia . also in the bottom left of the page several parts of wikipedia pages related to the word lintearia and , of course , lintearia synonyms and on the right images related to the word lintearia .
phylomictis lintearia meyrick , 1921 ; exotic microlep . 2 ( 14 ) : 445 ; tl : brisbane , queensland
phylomictis lintearia ; duckworth , 1973 , smiths . contr . zool . 147 : 19 ( catalog ) ; [ nhm card ] ; [ aucl ]
phylomictis idiotricha meyrick , 1921 ; exotic microlep . 2 ( 14 ) : 446 ; tl : brisbane , queensland
phylomictis sarcinopa meyrick , 1920 ; exotic microlep . 2 ( 11 ) : 322 ; tl : brisbane , queensland
phylomictis decretoria lucas , 1900 ; proc . r . soc . qd 15 : 160 ; tl : brisbane , queensland
phylomictis decretoria ; duckworth , 1973 , smiths . contr . zool . 147 : 19 ( catalog ) ; [ aucl ]
phylomictis eclecta ; duckworth , 1973 , smiths . contr . zool . 147 : 19 ( catalog ) ; [ aucl ]
phylomictis leucopelta ; duckworth , 1973 , smiths . contr . zool . 147 : 19 ( catalog ) ; [ aucl ]
phylomictis monochroma ; duckworth , 1973 , smiths . contr . zool . 147 : 19 ( catalog ) ; [ aucl ]
phylomictis palaeomorpha ; duckworth , 1973 , smiths . contr . zool . 147 : 19 ( catalog ) ; [ aucl ]
phylomictis maligna meyrick , 1890 ; trans . r . soc . s . aust . 13 : 75 ; tl : melbourne , victoria
phylomictis idiotricha ; duckworth , 1973 , smiths . contr . zool . 147 : 19 ( catalog ) ; [ nhm card ] ; [ aucl ]
phylomictis maligna ; duckworth , 1973 , smiths . contr . zool . 147 : 19 ( catalog ) ; [ nhm card ] ; [ aucl ]
phylomictis sarcinopa ; duckworth , 1973 , smiths . contr . zool . 147 : 19 ( catalog ) ; [ nhm card ] ; [ aucl ]
the adult moths reach a wingspan of about 1 cm . the forewings are grey with lots of little brown chevrons . the hindwings are white shading to pale brown at the margins . the wingspan is about 2 cms .
volume 2 , part 14 ( 1921 ) , pp . 445 - 456 .
comoscotopa leucopelta lower , 1902 ; trans . r . soc . s . aust . 26 : 240 ; tl : mount gambier , south australia
sangmi lee , richard brown & sibyl bucheli . gelechioidea - a global framework ;
[ maps ] warning ! the maps are automatically generated from the textual information , and the process does not always produce acceptable result ; see about maps for more info .
meyrick , 1920 ; meyrick , 1921 exotic microlepidoptera . vol . ii exotic microlep . 2 ( 1 ) : 1 - 32 ( 1916 ) , ( 2 ) : 33 - 64 ( 1917 ) , ( 3 ) : 65 - 96 ( 1917 ) , ( 4 ) : 97 - 128 ( 1918 ) , ( 5 ) : 129 - 160 ( 1918 ) , ( 6 ) : 161 - 192 ( 1918 ) , ( 7 ) : 193 - 224 ( 1918 ) , ( 8 ) : 225 - 256 ( 1919 ) , ( 9 ) : 257 - 288 ( 1919 ) , ( 10 ) : 289 - 320 ( 1920 ) , ( 11 ) : 321 - 352 ( 1920 ) , ( 12 ) : 353 - 384 ( 1920 ) , ( 13 ) : 385 - 416 ( 1921 ) , ( 14 ) : 417 - 448 ( 1921 ) , ( 15 ) : 449 - 480 ( 1921 ) , ( 16 ) : 481 - 512 ( 1922 ) , ( 17 ) : 513 - 544 ( 1922 ) , ( 18 ) : 545 - 576 ( 1922 ) , ( 19 ) : 577 - 608 ( 1922 ) , ( 20 ) : 609 - 640 ( 1923 )
if you have corrections , comments or information to add into these pages , just send mail to markku savela keep in mind that the taxonomic information is copied from various sources , and may include many inaccuracies . expert help is welcome .
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the name is reproduced exactly as proposed in the original publication . the name of a genus is made up of one word and species made up of two words ( genus and species ) separated by a blank .
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the yungas tyrannulet ( phyllomyias weedeni ) is a species of bird in the family tyrannidae , the tyrant flycatchers .

it is , as suggested by its common name , restricted to humid and semi-humid forest in the yungas of north-western bolivia and far south-eastern peru .

although discovered in the early 1990s , it was only formally described in 2008 .

the yungas tyrannulet resembles the planalto tyrannulet , but has a different voice .

being recently described it has not yet been rated by birdlife international ; however , it has been suggested it should be considered vulnerable , because it occurs in low densities within a small range that is subjected to extensive habitat destruction .

yungas tyrannulet

the yungas tyrannulet is classified as vulnerable ( vu ) on the iucn red list ( 1 ) .
information on the yungas tyrannulet ( phyllomyias weedeni ) is currently being researched and written and will appear here shortly .
the yungas tyrannulet is rare on the east slope of the extreme southeast andes at elevations ranging between 900 - 1200 m . it also occurs in
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but is distinguished by having wing coverts broadly edged with olive - brown . the yungas tyrannulet is known to forage in the canopy of humid montane forest . also , see the
the recently described yungas tyrannulet is known solely from the lower yungas of bolivia and peru , where it is to date known from fewer than ten localities , most of them in bolivia , and the only locality in peru is extremely close to the bolivian border . it inhabits the upper canopy of evergreen foothill and lower montane forest within a relatively narrow elevational band ( 700–1200 m ) , but has also been observed in shade - coffee plantations and remnant forest . given its potentially tiny , and patchy , range , the new species is already considered to be vulnerable to extinction by birdlife international . almost nothing is known concerning its behaviour . in plumage , the yungas tyrannulet most closely resembles the planalto tyrannulet ( phyllomyias fasciatus ) .
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. the yungas tyrannulet has olive back with a grayish crown . it has a pale and thin eyebrow . the bill is black . the wing coverts are gray and broadly edged with olive - brown . the throat is grayish and grades to yellow towards the rest of the underparts . it is similar to the
vulnerable . restricted - range species : present in bolivian and peruvian lower yungas eba . estimated population small , thought to number far fewer than 10 , 000 mature . . .
fjeldså , j . & sharpe , c . j . ( 2018 ) . yungas tyrannulet ( phyllomyias weedeni ) . in : del hoyo , j . , elliott , a . , sargatal , j . , christie , d . a . & de juana , e . ( eds . ) . handbook of the birds of the world alive . lynx edicions , barcelona . ( retrieved from urltoken on 9 july 2018 ) .
herzog , s . k . , kessler , m . and balderrama , j . a . ( 2008 ) a new species of tyrannulet ( tyrannidae : phyllomyias ) from andean foothills in northwest bolivia and adjacent peru . auk 125 : 265 - 276
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sacc . 2005 and updates . a classification of the bird species of south america . available at : urltoken .
this species is listed as vulnerable as it is estimated to have a small population which is declining due to habitat destruction . further surveys are needed to precisely establish the population size and trends , and the ability for the species to persist in mosaics of coffee plantations and forest .
. in bolivia , it is known from three localities in la paz department , one locality in beni department , and a further locality in cochabamba department . in peru , it is known from puno department , 1 - 1 . 5 km from the bolivian border .
. 2010 ) . the population has been estimated at well below 10 , 000 mature individuals based on low density and patchy distribution , hence the band 2 , 500 - 9 , 999 mature individuals seems appropriate . this equates to 3 , 750 - 14 , 999 individuals in total , rounded here to 3 , 500 - 15 , 000 individuals . more accurate surveys are required to precisely quantify the population size .
this species inhabits the upper canopy of evergreen andean foothill and lower montane forest . it has been observed in mosaics of shade - coffee plantations and remnant forest patches , although it is not known whether this habitat can sustain a viable population . little is known about its behaviour . it has almost always been observed in pairs , except in early march in southeast peru . foraging appears to comprise of short aerial sallies to catch flying insects
assess the population size and establish a monitoring programme to establish trends . establish ecological requirements . identify and assess threats . preserve an area of suitable habitat . conduct further surveys for this species within its altitudinal range .
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cryptic species , previously overlooked or included under p . fasciatus ; thought to be closest to p . fasciatus # r , and may eventually be found to be related to p . griseiceps . monotypic .
e andean foothill ridges in extreme se peru ( extreme se puno ) and nw bolivia ( la paz , sw beni , w cochabamba ) .
c . 11–11·5 cm . forehead to nape dark olive - grey with drab feather centres ( giving slightly mottled appearance ) ; upperparts yellow - olive , becoming slightly paler . . .
song a slightly accelerating series of 3–5 whistled notes successively dropping in pitch , . . .
upper canopy of humid and semi - humid foothill and lower montane forest , at 700–1200 m . prefers . . .
foraging appears to consist of short aerial sallies to catch flying insects . usually seen in pairs .
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highly speciose family , herein divided into nine subfamilies ( with ten tribes ) ; recent studies # r # r suggest that the first four listed ( platyrinchinae , pipritinae , tachurisinae , pipromorphinae ) are sister to rest of family , and may merit treatment as 1–4 separate families .
probably polyphyletic , as presently constituted ; objective phylogenetic analysis required , using both molecular and anatomical characters . anatomical evidence suggests that p . fasciatus ( and presumably p . weedeni ) , p . griseocapilla and p . griseiceps may be unrelated to others in genus , some or all of which might be better placed in a resurrected tyranniscus ( type of phyllomyias is p . fasciatus brevirostris ) .
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) , in neotropical birds online ( t . s . schulenberg , editor ) . cornell lab of ornithology , ithaca , ny , usa . retrieved from neotropical birds online :
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eptatretus deani , known as the black hagfish , is a species of hagfish .

common to other species of hagfish , their unusual feeding habits and slime-producing capabilities have led members of the scientific and popular media to dub the hagfish as the most " disgusting " of all sea creatures .

although hagfish are sometimes called " slime eels " , they are not eels at all .

black hagfish

another hagfish species that may occur in california is the black hagfish ( eptatretus deani ) ; it is found in deeper water , is darker in coloration ( purplish black ) , and has a shorter head in proportion to the body .
a mongoose is lightning fast and has razor - sharp teeth . a black mamba can kill 15 grown men with just one bite . which of these two mortal enemies will win ?
hagfish lack bones , paired fins , and a true jaw . the hagfish skeleton is composed of
14 . hagfish are threatened from both intentional fishing and unintentional bycatch . hagfish weren’t always fished , but because several more preferable fish species are overfished and hard to catch , fishermen have moved down to catching hagfish .
a mature pacific hagfish female will produce between 20 - 30 eggs per reproductive cycle . there is no known reproductive season or cycle length for hagfish .
the slime could also give the hagfish a competitive edge among other scavengers . if many hagfish were feeding off zintzen’s bait , it soon became draped in slime . the mucus puts off fish competitors , allowing the hagfish to monopolise their morsels .
thought the hagfish day was the 19th of oct . enjoyed reading this ! ~
don ' t worry the hagfish is not hurt , it ' s just anaesthetised .
the hagfish is preyed upon by some marine mammals and large sea living invertebrates . most animals do however stay away from the hagfish since they risk being suffocated by the slime .
pacific hagfish - eptatretus stoutii the hagfish can tie itself into a knot . source : aquarium of the pacific intended audience : general reading level : middle school teacher section : yes
the hagfish eats marine worms and other invertebrates . it has a very low metabolism and can go for as long as seven months without eating . newly hatched hagfish are miniature copies of the adult hagfish . the hagfish is found in cold ocean waters in the northern and southern hemispheres . it is found on muddy sea floors and may live in very large groups of up to 15 , 000 individuals . there are about 60 species of hagfish .
pacific hagfish are not currently exhibited . this information is supplied for use as a reference .
pacific hagfish - eptatretus stoutii the pacific hagfish is also known as the slime eel . source : monterey bay aquarium intended audience : general reading level : middle school teacher section : yes
the metabolism of the hagfish is remarkably slow and up to seven months can pass between meals .
“ atlantic hagfish ” , sea and sky . retrieved on 2008 - 03 - 28 . urltoken
10 . this slime gives hagfish a slippery exit when attacked by predators . a larger fish looking for a meal instead gets a mouth full of slime , while the hagfish can slide away .
we are developing standard procedures for sampling hagfish landed by commercial fisheries and collected during scientific surveys .
table 29 . 1 . recreational and commercial landings of atlantic hagfish ( thousand metric tons ) .
forster , m . e . ( 1990 ) confirmation of the low metabolic rates of hagfish .
shelton , r . g . j . ( 1978a ) of hagfish , goats and sprats .
the pacific hagfish is listed on the iucn red list as “data deficient , more research needed” to quantify the impacts of fishing on the population of this species . the red list states : “this species is only known from the northeastern pacific where it is heavily targeted in at least half of range for the asian eel - skin leather market , ( wallets , leather , and boots ) . reported landings for this species are mixed with the black hagfish ( e . deani ) and have been quite variable in both total catch and effort over the past 20 years . the reasons for the variability in catch and effort trends are not well understood . ”
commercial interest has developed in pacific ( eptatretus stoutii ) and black hagfish ( e . deani ) in southeast alaska with information lacking to properly develop a fishery . currently , the fishery is targeted using a commissioner’s permit in which the alaska department of fish game decides harvest level , gear type , season , etc to prosecute the fishery . the primary market is freezing hagfish in blocks and / or shipping them live to korea . little is known on both species life history within southeast alaska including : distribution , size at maturity , fecundity , sex ratio , length and weight frequencies . preliminary life history information will be collected on experimental longline trap sets .
atlantic hagfish - myxine glutinosa the atlantic hagfish is found on both sides of the north atlantic ocean . source : sea and sky intended audience : student reading level : middle school teacher section : no
in asia , over fishing has led to a significant decrease in the local hagfish population and asian fisheries have therefore begun to show an interest in the hagfish populations in the atlantic . while this might be beneficial for local economies along the atlantic coasts , it could also pose a threat to the atlantic hagfish population . care and caution must be exercised unless we wish to see the atlantic hagfish population go the same way as the asian one . as mentioned above , studies indicate that the hagfish female only produces a low number of eggs each breeding period and hagfish are therefore extra sensitive to over - fishing .
braun , c . b . ( 1994 ) a novel cutaneous sensory system in hagfish . soc .
where present at high densities , hagfish burrowing and feeding activities have a significant impact on substrate turnover .
hagfish are significant as predators on benthic invertebrates and , in some cases , mesopelagic invertebrates and vertebrates .
when studied , hagfish females have produce up to 30 yolky one inch long eggs with tough shells . if this low number is true for all hagfish , it means that it might take a long time for a hagfish population to recover when harmed , e . g . by over - fishing or pollution .
in most parts of the world hagfish is viewed as a useless by - catch , but there are a few countries in south east asia where hagfish is appreciated on the dinner table . nearly 5 million pounds ( 2 268 000 kg ) of hagfish meat is for instance consumed in south korea each year .
justification : this species is only known from the northeastern pacific , where it is heavily targeted in at least half of range for the asian eel - skin leather market . reported landings for this species are mixed with the black hagfish ( e . deani ) and have been quite variable in both total catch and effort over the past 20 years ( 1988 - 2007 ) . the reasons for the variability in catch and effort trends are not well understood . this species is therefore currently listed as data deficient . more research is needed to quantify the impacts of fishing on this species population .
although a hagfish fishery exists in the gulf of maine , the resource is not actively managed at present .
fernholm , b . and holmberg , k . ( 1975 ) the eyes in three genera of hagfish (
the hagfish needs the salinity in its habitat to be stable , because these fishes have virtually no osmoregulation and are therefore highly vulnerable to salinity changes . the hagfish is the only known vertebrate with body fluids isosomotic with seawater . this means that the body fluids of the hagfish have the same total osmotic pressure or osmolality as seawater .
ps it’s sad that this paper didn’t come out on october 16 th , which was designated as hagfish day .
hagfish adults , juveniles , and eggs can represent a significant prey item for marine mammals and large predatory invertebrates .
slip ' n ' slime . the slime that an annoyed hagfish oozes through its skin can fill a bucket .
hagfish are found in temperate seas in both hemispheres , but hagfish has not been found in the red sea . a majority of the species live in rather cold environments where the water is at least 20 meters ( 66 feet ) deep . when hagfish live in warmer parts of the world , they are normally only found in really deep waters . hagfish can survive at remarkable depths and have been found 1700 metres ( 5600 feet ) down into the ocean .
in the western pacific ocean a fishery for hagfish has existed since world war ii . overharvesting lead to the expansion of hagfish fisheries into the eastern pacific off the northwestern us and british columbia , and then during the late 1980’s to the mid 1990’s to the western atlantic off of maritime canada and new england . hagfish are utilized as a food source and their skins are valued for leather products . all hagfish are exported whole to korea ( nefsc 2003 ) .
pacific hagfish - eptatretus stoutii hagfish have been around , mostly unchanged , since the paleozoic era 450 million years ago . source : california department of fish and wildlife intended audience : general reading level : middle school teacher section : yes
the inshore hagfish , eptatretus burge , is listed on the iucn red list as near threatened . this hagfish species is commonly found in the western north pacific off the coasts of southern japan , south korea , northern , and northwestern taiwan . in these geographic locations hagfish is a native ( endemic ) species . they are very heavily fished in the china sea for their skin and for food . approximately five million pounds of hagfish meat is eaten yearly in korea .
hagfish represent one of the most important mechanisms for the rapid cleanup and processing of carrion - falls . in areas subject to intensive commercial fisheries , hagfish probably play a key role in the removal and recycling of discarded by - catch .
munz , f . w . and morris , r . w . ( 1965 ) metabolic rate of the hagfish ,
us navy scientists have produced a synthetic version of hagfish slime that they hope to use in protective gear for troops .
dining in . hagfish swarm to a corpse and bury themselves in it before eating their way out with their skin .
a data collection program has been proposed for atlantic hagfish by nmfs requiring seafood dealers to acquire permits and report on the purchase of hagfish made from commercial fishing vessels to aid in the future management of this species ( federal register 2006 ) .
all these interesting properties make hagfish slime dead useful for lots of potential applications . there’s even an online recipe for scones made with hagfish slime—courtesy of the museum of awful food—for the culinarily adventurous . the slime is a handy substitute for egg whites . ( by the way , that trendy “eel skin” wallet or purse in your collection might actually be hagfish leather . )
the tough and soft skin of the hagfish is also a popular commodity and is used to make wallets , purses , handbags , boots and similar items . the skin is normally market under the name “eelskin” or “eel skin” , not hagfish skin .
a hagfish usually swims slowly along the seafloor in a snake - like fashion although it may have occasional bursts of speed .
mcinerney , j . e . and evans , d . o . ( 1970 ) habitat characteristics of the pacific hagfish ,
hall - arber , m . ( 1996 ) workshop probes hagfish processing potential in us : fishery discards worry fishermen . in
martini , f . h . and heiser , j . b . ( 1989 ) field observations on the atlantic hagfish ,
wisner , r . l . and mcmillan , c . b . ( 1988 ) a new species of hagfish , genus
pacific hagfish - eptatretus stoutii hagfish eat worms and invertebrates , but they also enter both dying and dead fish and eat them from the inside out . source : oregon coast aquarium intended audience : general reading level : middle school teacher section : yes
” disgusting hagfish and magnificent sharks ” , tammy frank , noaa ocean explorer . retrieved on 2008 - 03 - 28 . urltoken
it is estimated that hagfish may live 40 years in the ocean and 17 years in a protected environment such as an aquarium .
dorsal spines ( total ) : 0 ; dorsal soft rays ( total ) : 0 ; anal spines : 0 ; anal soft rays : 0 . no true fins - one dorsal finfold , far back , median , very low , continuous with the caudal ; caudal moderately broad , and round with ray - like markings ; ventral finfold very low , origin somewhat posterior to last gill aperture , extending to anus ( ref . 6885 ) . prune colored , preserved specimens black ; frequently piebald with light spots ; the very edges of caudal and ventral finfolds may be light colored ( ref . 6885 ) .
dorsal spines ( total ) : 0 ; dorsal soft rays ( total ) : 0 ; anal spines : 0 ; anal soft rays : 0 . no true fins - one dorsal finfold , far back , median , very low , continuous with the caudal ; caudal moderately broad , and round with ray - like markings ; ventral finfold very low , origin somewhat posterior to last gill aperture , extending to anus ( ref . 6885 ) . prune colored , preserved specimens black ; frequently piebald with light spots ; the very edges of caudal and ventral finfolds may be light colored ( ref . 6885 ) .
the hagfish is famous for its ability to emit mucus and even its scientific name is derived from the greek word for slime . one single hagfish can fill a milk jug with slime in no time . the slime is probably a way for the hagfish to fend of predators , since the slime can be used to form a protective slime - cocoon . if a fish tries to eat the cocoon , the slime can clog its gills and make it suffocate . if you try to chew hagfish slime , it will expand .
after the shark encounter , we looked for a good place to deploy the baited benthic traps we were carrying . the mussel beds around the brine pool are covered with hagfish , so we placed the traps on its periphery , in hopes of trapping fewer hagfish and perhaps a crab or two . remarkably , hagfish were even swimming in the brine pool , which is four times saltier than seawater . on other expeditions , scientists have taken pictures of dead fish floating up in the brine ; hagfish must have a remarkable salt tolerance .
hagfish may be one of the most abundant groups of demersal fishes in many areas , in terms of numbers and / or biomass .
cailliet , g . m . , mcnulty , m . and lewis , l . ( 1991 ) habitat analysis of pacific hagfish (
lesser , m . , martini , f . h . and heiser , j . b . ( 1996 ) ecology of hagfish ,
pacific hagfish - eptatretus stoutii the pacific hagfish is found on muddy bottoms in cold ocean waters along the pacific coast from vancouver , canada south to baja california , mexico . source : animal diversity web intended audience : general reading level : middle school teacher section : yes
the atlantic hagfish or “slime eel” , myxine glutinosa , is found in deep , cold waters to depths of at least 1100 m . in the western north atlantic , hagfish are distributed from davis straits , greenland to the continental slope waters off of florida . in the gulf of maine the distribution of hagfish is primarily affected by salinity , temperature and substrate type ( collette and klein - macphee 2002 ) .
hagfish is considered to be the most primitive vertebrate species either living or extinct ( collette and klein - macphee 2002 , powell et al 2005 ) . hagfish evolved over at least 300 million years and have the same basic morphological traits of fossilized specimens ( bardack 1991 ) .
ronan , m . ( 1988 ) the sensory trigeminal tract of the pacific hagfish : primary afferent projections and neurons of the tract nucleus .
, n . sp . , a new hagfish ( family eptatretidae ) from south australia , with a key to the 5–7 gilled eptatretidae .
the hagfish is a true monster of the deep . to see why , one only has to examine its greusome feeding habits . a hagfish begins its feeding process by attaching itself to a passing fish . once firmly attached , 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 . when no large prey can be found , hagfish will feed on worms and other small invertebrates they find on the ocean floor . hagfish have a very slow metabolism and can go for months without feeding . they can sometimes be a nuisance to fishermen because they can spoil an entire catch of deep sea fish before the catch can be hauled to the surface . one catch of fish can contain hundreds of hagfish .
6 . a 2011 report from the international union for conservation of nature ( iucn ) found that 12 % of hagfish species are at an elevated risk of extinction . one hagfish species is critically endangered , two are endangered , six are vulnerable to extinction and two are near - threatened .
these fish are affected by the trash and chemicals that we put into the ocean . pacific hagfish are a crucial part of the cycle of life as they eliminate dead and dying organisms . there could be a significant impact on the ecosystem should there be a large scale removal of hagfish .
the seal shark dalatias licha ( a–c ) and the wreckfish polyprion americanus ( d–f ) fare poorly when they attack the hagfish . ( image :
as late as 2006 , a new member was added to the hagfish family myxinidae when the goliath hagfish was scientifically described by mincarone & stewart and given the name eptatretus goliath . eptatretus goliath was described from a specimen caught at a dept of 811 metres ( 2 , 661 feet ) at the head of the hauraki canyon off the northeast north island in new zealand . the species was named goliath since it was a true giant in the world of hagfish ; the specimen measured an astonishing 127 , 5 cm ( approximately 50 inches ) . this makes eptatretus goliath the largest known species of hagfish .
reference : zintzen , roberts , anderson , stewart , struthers & harvey . 2011 . hagfish predatory behaviour and slime defence mechanism . scientific reports . urltoken
horn - like teeth . atlantic hagfish belong to the family myxinidae which have one pair of gill openings attached to 6 - 7 internal gill pouches per opening . the species has paired barbels on the tip of its snout and four barbels surrounding the mouth . hagfish are almost blind because their eyes are rudimentary but their sense of smell is keen . the skin of the atlantic hagfish is smooth and scale - less with a series of slime glands along both sides of the ventral midline ( collette and klein - macphee 2002 ) . these glands produce fibrous mucus that protects hagfish from predators and possibly parasites .
the humble hagfish produces a sticky slime to defend itself from predators , as well as to hunt for its own food . now a team of swiss scientists has figured out the physics behind how the hagfish can use the same slimy substance for both purposes , according to a new paper in scientific reports .
“oregon had a limit on permits for a while , but now it’s an open - access fishery , ” he said , noting that “no one knows the science” of hagfish . while the slimy eels seem plentiful for the moment , he doesn’t want to see a repeat of korea’s depletion of homegrown hagfish .
martini , f . h . , heiser , j . b . and lesser , m . p . ( 1997 ) a population profile for hagfish ,
the mouth of the hagfish is perfectly adapted to tearing flesh away from dead and dying animals and is also great when it comes to catching marine invertebrates such as bristleworms . inside the mouth you will find a single tooth and a tongue equipped with pairs of rasps . every time the hagfish pulls back its tongue into the mouth , the rasps will pinch together . the hagfish attach its mouth to a fish or other animal and gradually work its way through the animal .
bottom dwellers , pacific hagfish are typically inhabits temporary burrows in mud and other soft substrate at depths of 18 - 900 m ( 584 - 2970 ft ) .
wicht , h . and northcutt , r . g . ( 1992 ) the forebrain of the pacific hagfish : a cladistic reconstruction of the ancestral craniate forebrain .
the atlantic hagfish is a deep - water fish . they can be found at depths of up to 5 , 600 feet ( about 1 , 800 meters ) . they are known on both sides of the north atlantic ocean as far north as norway . hagfish prefer soft sea bottoms where they can quickly bury themselves when threatened .
dr . frank holds a hagfish caught in one of the benthic traps . these fish appear to be prevalent at the brine pool . click image for larger view .
the hagfish has a fairly primitive look and since it was viewed as a form of parasite earlier , scientists suggested that its primitiveness was caused by this parasitic lifestyle . today , most scientists instead think that the hagfish is so perfectly adapted to its environment that no changes have been necessary during the most recent several hundred million years .
bardack , d . 1991 . first fossil hagfish ( myxinoidea ) : a record from the pennsylvanian of illinois . science , vol . 254 : 701 - 703 .
falkmer , s . , marklund , s . , mathisson , p . and rappe , c . ( 1977 ) hepatomas and other neoplasms in the atlantic hagfish (
hagfish are well known for their ability to tie themselves in knots , which can travel down the length of their bodies . this could help to clear their own bodies of slime ( they can choke on their own mucus ) or free themselves from the grip of a predator . here , the knot seemed to give the hagfish leverage for pulling the bandfish from its burrow . zintzen thinks that the hagfish may even have used its mucus as an offensive weapon , to choke the bandfish inside its burrow .
reporting of atlantic hagfish landings is presently not required by law and fishery data are therefore incomplete . atlantic hagfish landings first appear in the nefsc commercial database in 1993 with a reported landing of approximately 500 metric tons . annual reported landings during 1994 - 2000 ranged between 1 , 100 and 3 , 000 metric tons with a peak in 2000
crewmembers from the f / v first hope unload hagfish – otherwise known as slime eels – at the port dock in newport , oregon . vessel owner frank button has plied the waters off the oregon coast for hagfish for the past three years . it’s a wide - open , year - round fishery with an eager market in korea .
as mentioned above , a hagfish will contain both ovaries and testes , but these fishes are functionally non - hermaphroditic . young fishes are hermaphroditic , but as they age they will become either male or female . the hagfish may however switch sex from season to season if it finds itself in a group where another sex would be more favourable .
zintzen filmed slender hagfish chasing after red bandfish , ensconced in sandy burrows . the hagfish completely ignored the bait that zintzen was offering . instead , they seemed to search the ocean floor for hidden burrows , using the whisker - like barbels on their faces . once they found an entrance , they rapidly burrowed inside , emerging several minutes later .
kabasawa , h . and ooka - souda , s . ( 1991 ) circadian rhythms of locomotory activity in the hagfish and the effect of the light - dark cycle .
ooka - souda , s . , kadota , t . and kabasawa , h . ( 1991 ) in the hagfish visual information sets the circadian pacemaker via the pretectum .
9 . to ward off predators and other fish trying to steal their meals , hagfish produce slime . when harassed , glands lining their bodies secrete stringy proteins that , upon contact with seawater , expand into the transparent , sticky substance . according to common hagfish mythology , they can fill a 5 - gallon bucket with the stuff in mere minutes .
matsuda , h . , goris , r . c . and kishida , r . ( 1991 ) afferent and efferent projections of the glossopharyngeal - vagal nerve in the hagfish .
january 13 , 2012—for the first time , scientists have recorded the defense strategy of the hagfish , which , when attacked , secretes slime from hundreds of pores on its body .
in the gulf of maine ( gom ) , atlantic hagfish are caught using modified 55 - gallon plastic barrels , called hagfish pots , attached to sinking line and buoys . typically 20 - 40 traps are deployed in a string for a small commercial vessel and 80 - 200 traps for larger vessels ( nefsc 2003 ) . a series of funneled holes in the side of the barrel allow hagfish to enter the baited pot but doesn’t allow them to escape . several rows of 3 / 8” holes allow smaller animals to escape the traps .
ferocious fangs aren’t the purpose this weird fish is included in our list , however . hagfish have an entirely revolting trick up their sleeves to avoid predators . when disturbed , the hagfish will ooze proteins from slime glands in its skin that interact with the surrounding water to form a thick , slimy outer coating which ultimately expands into a huge mass of slime . in fact , deep - sea diving equipment has been thwarted from reaching its final destination in the past by large amounts of hagfish slime , produced when the fish are alarmed .
7 . no one is sure whether hagfish belong to their own group of animals , filling the gap between invertebrates and vertebrates , or if they are more closely related to vertebrates .
zintzen also filmed some hagfish hunting , a behaviour that had been suspected but never witnessed . while they’re typically regarded as scavengers , some scientists have suggested that their numbers are so great that they couldn’t possibly be sustained by corpses alone . on top of that , some people have found the flesh of prawns , worms and fish among the stomach contents of hagfish .
walvig , f . ( 1967 ) experimental marking of hagfish ( myxine glutinosa l . ) . norwegian j . zool . ( nytt . mag . zool ) , 15 , 35–3
hagfish slime can be both . it turns out that the suction feeding employed by many of the hagfish’s predators creates a unidirectional flow . the elongated stress of that sucking flow increases the goo’s viscosity , the better to suffocate said predators by clogging of the gills . but when the hagfish is trying to escape from its own slime , its motion creates a shear - thinning flow that actually reduces the viscosity of the slime , making it easier to escape . in fact , the slimy network quickly collapses in the face of a shear - thinning flow .
considered a scavenger , the hagfish feeds mostly on dead and dying fish and marine mammals , thereby playing an important role in the ecosystem . using its keen sense of smell , the hagfish will identify its food source and either burrow into its prey by making a hole with its rasping teeth , or entering through an existing opening to consume it from the inside out , usually only leaving skin and bones when it is done . due to its slow metabolism , the hagfish may survive for up to seven months without eating . when other food sources are not available , it subsists on worms and other bottom fauna . the hagfish is preyed upon by some marine mammals and large invertebrates , but most stay away due to the risk of slime suffocation .
spitzer , r . h . , downing , s . w . and koch , e . a . ( 1979 ) metabolic - morphologic events in the integument of the pacific hagfish (
pacific hagfish are among the very first arrivals at a whale fall in deep waters off the california coast . called mobile scavengers , they feast on the soft tissue of the whale carcass / .
nishizawa , h . , kishida , r . , kadota , t . and goris , r . c . ( 1988 ) somatotopic organization of the primary sensory trigeminal neurons in the hagfish ,
pacific hagfish , like other hagfish , represent an ancient form of life that has remained virtually unchanged since the paleozoic era 450 million years ago . it is a cartilaginous fish that lacks scales , paired fins , a stomach , and true jaws . it has rudimentary eyes ( eye spots ) that are only able to detect light , and relies on its keen sense of smell and touch to get around ( using a single nostril and barbels , respectively ) . the hagfish ' s jawless mouth contains two parallel rows of pointed keratinous teeth , which are secured to rasping dental plates .
the hagfish looks like an easy meal . its sinuous , eel - like body has no obvious defences , but any predator that moves in for a bite is in for a nasty surprise . the hagfish releases a quick - setting slime that clogs up the predator’s gills , causing it to gag , choke and flee . scientists have known about this repulsive defence for decades , but vincent zintzen has finally filmed it in the wild . his videos also prove that hagfish , generally thought to be scavengers of the abyss , are also active hunters that can drag tiny fish from their burrows .
unique vertebrates , hagfish are able to absorb nutrients through their skin . they prefer polychaete worms for a meal but also prey on small invertebrates and are scavengers of dead and dying marine life . once a firm hold is established on the prey , the hagfish ties and untied a knot within its own body to create a ripping force . it then burrows into dead carcasses exposing its skin to the nutrient - rich decomposing matter while eating away at the dead animal’s inside . it leaves the skin and bones behind . due to their slow metabolism , hagfish can survive for several months without eating .
hagfish play an important role in the oceans ecosystem , getting rid of ( e . g . , eating ) decaying material on the sea floor . as a biological oceanographer , i ' m intrigued by the functions lifeforms perform in the deep . this does not mean , however , that i enjoy being up close and personal with hagfish , as my graduate student nicole mcmullen and i were last night .
“ friends of oceanography public lecture series explores the strange , wondrous , and disgusting hagfish ” , university of rhode island , 2002 - 03 - 25 . retrieved on 2008 - 03 - 28 . urltoken
11 . to prevent choking on its own slime , a hagfish can “sneeze” out its slime - filled nostril , and tie its body into a knot to keep the slime from dripping onto its face .
to retrieve the slime , they placed the hagfish in a bucket of cold seawater and used a mix of clove bud oil and ethanol to anesthetize them . then they put the hagfish on a dissection tray , blotted them dry , and zapped them with electricity to make the muscles contract and expel the milky pre - slime from the pores . finally , the fish were transferred to nice , comfy recovery bath .
davison , w . , baldwin , j . , davie , p . s . , forster , m . e . and satchell , g . h . ( 1990 ) exhausting exercise in the hagfish ,
the hagfish is almost completely blind , but it has a good sense of touch and smell . it has a ring of tentacles around its mouth that it uses to feel for food . it has a tongue - like projection that comes out of its jawless mouth . at the end of the projection are tooth - like rasps that close when the
tongue
is pulled back into the hagfish ' s mouth .
the hagfish is almost blind , but it has not problem detecting food since it is equipped with highly developed senses of touch and smell . no less than four pairs of sensing tentacles are located around its mouth .
we still know very little about how hagfish reproduce , but we do know that each fish contains both ovaries and testes and that the parents do not guard their offspring . one and a half century ago , the royal danish academy of sciences and letters ( kongelige danske videnskabernes selskab ) announced an award to anyone who could solve the mystery about how the hagfish reproduces . as of 2008 , no one has received the award .
the pacific hagfish ( eptatretus stoutii ) is eel - like , with 10 to 14 pores along its elongated body . it usually ranges in color from tan to brown or grey on the top and lighter on the bottom . it can be found at depths ranging from 60 to 3000 feet on mud substrate . sampling of california commercial fishery landings has shown that the average pacific hagfish measures between 12 and 18 inches in length .
8 . the only known fossil hagfish , from 300 million years ago , looks very much like a modern hagfish , leading some scientists to speculate that it has changed little since then . “it’s an indication , not that they’ve stalemated and are not evolving , but that they have arrived at a body plan that is still very successful today , ” says tom munroe , a fish zoologist at the smithsonian national museum of natural history .
the larval stage can last as long as seven years ! at the end of the larval state , the lamprey changes into an eel - like creature that swims and usually attaches itself to a fish . there are around 50 living species of lampreys . the hagfish is also know as the slime fish . it is eel - like and pinkish in color . it has glands along its sides that produce a thick , sticky slime that it uses as a defense mechanism . the hagfish can also twist its body into knots ! it may do this to clean off slime or escape predators . the hagfish may also sneeze to clear its nostrils of slime .
science now hagfish just got more disgusting urltoken proc . r . soc . b adaptations to in situ feeding : novel nutrient acquisition pathways in an ancient vertebrate http : / / rspb . royalsocietypublishing . or . . .
it seems to be working because most fishes don’t only bite : they open their mouth quicky to suck water and prey into their mouth before biting . in the case of hagfish , they suck the slime as well .
it ' s an interesting and novel result ,
says fish ecologist jeffrey drazen of the university of hawaii , manoa . when it ' s not busy consuming cadavers , the hagfish ' s larger role in the food web remains a mystery , he says , as it ' s difficult to study fish that live this deep in the ocean . the new finding is the latest in a list of hagfish feeding habits that would make miss manners weep . for instance , hagfish coat a corpse they ' re interested in with slime exuded from pores in their bodies , keeping other scavengers at bay .
nobody else wants it after that ,
drazen says .
research is being done on hagfish slime in which the mechanical properties of threads made from the slimy mucus are being studied . the threads are both strong and stretchy , features that may lead to development of superior new materials .
starting off our list of weird animals with absolutely disgusting defense strategies is the particularly handsome hagfish ( eptatretus stoutii ) . these jawless , spineless denizens of the deep are a throwback to the paleozoic era when fish evolved . using feelers located on the ends of its face , the hagfish locates dead and rotting animals that have sunk to the bottom of the ocean floor . swarms of hagfish will penetrate the decomposing carcass and feast on the body from the inside out . it uses its razor sharp teeth to bite and tear rotting flesh right off the bones . it’s a good thing the poor animal is dead when all of this is happening because good god that sounds painful .
since the hagfish feed on carcases , it might be able to worn us about cancerogenous compounds in the environment . it is a well known fact that many dangerous pollutants congregates along the food chain , and a scavenger like the hagfish will therefore ingest large amounts of pollutants . today , primary liver cancer is rare in humans living in western europe , but fairly common in africa and china where the environmental laws tend to be less strict or poorly enforced .
12 . although their eating habits seem disgusting , hagfish help clean and recycle dead animals from the seafloor . they also serve as a food source for fish , seabirds and seals—at least those that can make it through the slime .
in areas where there is considerable bycatch discarded by fishermen , or falls of marine mammals such as whales and sea lions , hagfish may play a significant role in recycling and maintaining the seafloor by savaging and burrowing through the substrate .
agnatha are jawless fish . lampreys and hagfish are in this class . members of the agnatha class are probably the earliest vertebrates . scientists have found fossils of agnathan species from the late cambrian period that occurred 500 million years ago .
in the early 1990s , the exported hagfish were used primarily for eel - skin leather , not food . as demand for eel - skin leather dropped , so did west coast exports . by 2000 , overfishing had depleted korea’s hagfish stocks , so buyers looked elsewhere , including the west coast . processors learned that korean buyers rarely purchased west coast hagfish because they didn’t like the method oregon processors used to freeze the eels . that changed in 2002 , when mike erdman of oregon sea green products in coos bay / north bend decided to do something about it , traveling to korea to learn their freezing techniques and in the process creating a niche for oregon , washington and to some extent california .
although hagfish was a traditional food item in japan and korea , harvesting of the fish for their skin to be used as soft leather did not start until world war ii brought about a shortage in japan for leather from land animals .
after the catch , fishermen and processors stay busy removing slime from hagfish tanks to keep them alive . for shipping , processors pack the eels into containers filled with saltwater and liquid oxygen to keep them breathing and keep the containers cool .
there are a few reasons why the slime might be useful in the fashion world : it’s incredibly strong , easily stretched , and when it dries , the texture becomes silky . while a hagfish only reaches up to a foot in length , one animal alone contains hundreds of miles of slime . that’s why researchers are trying to replicate the proteins of hagfish slime as we speak , in order to be able to manufacture an artificial product with similar properties . ( source )
this is the first time such feeding habits have been observed in a non - invertebrate animal , suggesting that hagfish may be a transitional organism between modern fish and invertebrates such as aquatic worms , which can absorb food through their skin .
the hagfishes are believed to have been around for at least 500 million years without changing much and are therefore of great interest for scientists that wish to understand more about how different life forms have evolved on our planet . the hagfish is for instance equipped with an anatomical feature that is believed to be the beginning of a vertebral column . the hagfish has no cerebrum or cerebellum , no jaws and no stomach , and its skeleton is made up by cartilage instead of bones .
we placed the traps in two different locations , then motored back to pick up the eits camera . on the way , i saw several hagfish swimming happily toward my traps . sigh . the glamorous life of a marine biologist . . .
powell , m . l . , s . i . kavanaugh and s . a . sower . 2005 . current knowledge of hagfish reproduction : implications for fisheries management . integrative and comparative biology 45 ( 1 ) : 158 - 165 .
shelton , r . g . j . 1978 . on the feeding of hagfish myxine glutinosa in the north sea . j . mar . biol . assoc . u . k . , vol . 58 , pp . 81 - 86 .
nicole and i carried the traps to the light - tight cold room , where we excitedly opened them under dim red light . instead of seeing beautiful shrimp and crabs with glowing eyes , we saw blind hagfish heads poking up at us from the traps .
hagfish slime is strong and hard to remove , because unlike the other known forms of slime found in nature hagfish slime is reinforced with special fibres . inside the slime , each fibre is no thicker than a thousandth of a millimetre , but the fibres are very strong and can reach a length of half a metre ( 1 foot 8 inches ) . we still do not know how the fibres are put together , but scientists are trying to find out since that knowledge might make it possible to create really strong synthetic materials .
probably eating their way out of the carcass , according to a new study—and not with any sort of politesse , either . when they can ' t pack enough flesh into their tentacle - lined mouths , hagfish absorb the carcass ' s nutrients right through their skin .
atlantic hagfish inhabit soft clay or muddy sediments and spend much of their time in temporary burrows in the sea floor ( collette and klein - macphee 2002 ) . they prey primarily on shrimp , worms and small crabs ( gustafson 1935 , shelton 1978 , collette and klein - macphee 2002 ) . they are also scavengers that feed upon dead and dying fish , mammals and shellfish . hagfish are often considered a nuisance by commercial fishermen because they can feed on targeted species ( martini et al 1997 , collette and klein - macphee 2002 ) .
grant , s . m . 2006 . an exploratory fishing survey and biological resource assessment of atlantic hagfish ( myxine glutinosa ) occurring on the southwest slpoe of the newfoundland grand bank . j . northw . atl . fish . sci . , v 36 : 91 - 110 .
martini , f . m . lesser and j . b . heiser . 1997 . a population profile for atlantic hagfish , myxine glutinosa ( l . ) , in the gulf of maine . part i : morphometrics and reproductive state . fishery bulletin 95 : 311 - 320 .
wells , r . m . g . , forster , m . e . , davison , w . , taylor , h . h . , davie , p . s . and satchell , g . h . ( 1986 ) blood oxygen transport in the free - swimming hagfish ,
the most distinguishing hagfish behavior is its ability to produce copious amounts of mucilaginous slime nearly instantaneously . pores along the degenerate lateral line secrete the slime as a defense mechanism . as the slime contacts seawater , it rapidly expands into a sticky gel that can suffocate an attacker or foul mechanical equipment . another unique a hagfish behavior is its ability to tie a knot in its body and then slide in and out of the knot . they can use this behavior to bury into a carcass to elude predators , gain leverage to tear off pieces of flesh , or clean slime from itself .
the hagfish has for instance been used by researchers studying the islets of langerhans , a special type of pancreatic cells responsible for producing insulin . hagfishes are of special interest since their insulin is the most primitive form of insulin known to science . in hagfish , insulin is produced in a small organ named the islet organ which is located on the bile duct wall at the section where the bile duct opens into the bowels . by learning more about this primitive form of insulin , researchers hope to understand more about how the insulin production works in the human body and why it sometimes malfunctions .
“when i first reviewed this video , i thought : those hagfish are not very clever . they have the bait right above their head and they keep on searching the sediment for it . ” then , zintzen noticed one particular hagfish that had stuck the front third of its body inside a hole . it twisted its body into a knot , using it for leverage to push against the sediment . twenty seconds later , it withdrew from the burrow with a red bandfish , dead and motionless , in its mouth . “i then only understood what was actually happening : they were hunting ! ”
hagfish , the eel - like , slime - emitting wrigglers of the sea floor , just can ' t get enough of decaying corpses . when they come across a dead fish , they snuggle their sinewy bodies down into its cavities and stay there , writhing blissfully . but what are they doing ?
the ability of a hagfish to tie itself into a knot and then untie is believed have several purposes . it may pull its body through the knot so as to remove itself from its own slime that would otherwise suffocate it or the knot can be used as leverage for tearing meat from a carcass .
the salt concentration of a hagfish ' s tissue is the same as that of the seawater it normally swims in , suggesting that dissolved substances can cross the skin . to determine whether the animals can soak up nutrients as well as salt , physiologist chris glover of the university of canterbury in christchurch , new zealand , and colleagues took a piece of hagfish skin and stretched it out in a flask containing a seawater - like solution on one side and a solution resembling a hagfish ' s own bodily fluids on the other . in the seawater , they dissolved radioactive amino acids and sugars , along with food coloring to test how permeable the skin was . after a few hours , the skin started to become radioactive as it absorbed the amino acids , the researchers reveal online this week in the proceedings of the royal society b . the skin didn ' t allow food coloring through , however , suggesting that it selects nutritious detritus .
there have been prior studies on the unusual fluid properties of hagfish slime . but lead author lukas boni of eth zurich in switzerland and his colleagues wanted to focus specifically on how those properties played a role in the animal’s defense system—as well as its trick of tying itself in knots to escape from its own slime .
fernholm , b . , 1998 . hagfish systematics . p . 33 - 44 . in j . m . jørgensen , j . p . lomholt , r . e . weber and h . malte ( eds . ) the biology of hagfishes . chapman & hall , london . 578 p . ( ref . 31276 )
5 . although they are jawless , hagfish have two rows of tooth - like structures made of keratin that they use to burrow deep into carcasses . they can also bite off chunks of food . while eating carrion or live prey , they tie their tails into knots to generate torque and increase the force of their bites .
but the more promising applications are far less frivolous . it could be used to staunch bleeding in accident victims during surgery , for instance , expanding upon contact with the salty blood . the stretchiness—akin to the plastic rings that hold together six packs of beer—would make hagfish slime useful in biomedical devices , tissue engineering , or biosensors .
you can see the results below . the hagfish in the videos are attacked by sharks , conger eels , wreckfishes and more . in less than half a second , the predator’s mouth and gills are filled with slime . it leaves , gagging and convulsing , slime hanging in long wisps from its head . even voracious seal sharks turn tail . the cameras didn’t follow the fleeing predators , so zintzen doesn’t know if they eventually died or if the slime dissolved away . either way , the hagfish , uninjured and oblivious , just carried on feeding . its defence is so effective that it can totally ignore the fact that a shark just tried to bite it .