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Hagfishes: Myxini - Physical Characteristics, Behavior And Reproduction, Hagfishes And People, Atlantic Hagfish (myxine Glutinosa): Species Account - GEOGRAPHIC RANGE, HABITAT, DIET, CONSERVATION STATUS

live soft muddy bottoms

ATLANTIC HAGFISH (Myxine glutinosa): SPECIES ACCOUNT

Hagfishes live in the Atlantic, Pacific, Indian, Arctic, and Antarctic Oceans and in the Bering, Mediterranean, and Caribbean Seas.


Most hagfishes live at the bottom of the ocean. Atlantic hagfishes live on soft, muddy bottoms, where they form burrows. Pacific hagfishes live on surfaces ranging from soft, muddy bottoms to boulders and sand, where they coil up and nestle among rocks.

Hagfishes eat dead and dying fish, small worms, and crustaceans (krus-TAY-shuns), which are animals that live in water and have a soft, segmented body covered by a hard shell, such as hermit crabs and shrimps. Using its biting plate, a hagfish pierces the food animal and bores into it, eating the soft insides and leaving only the bones and skin or shell.


Hagfishes are not threatened with extinction.

Additional Topics

Hagfishes: Myxini - Physical Characteristics

Hagfishes: Myxini - Behavior And Reproduction

Hagfishes: Myxini - Hagfishes And People

Hagfishes: Myxini - Atlantic Hagfish (myxine Glutinosa): Species Account

Physical characteristics: Atlantic hagfishes are 18–31 inches (45–78 centimeters) long and grayish or reddish brown tubes. They are jawless and have four barbels around the mouth. The nose also is surrounded by four barbels. The eyespots are on top of the head and are covered with thick skin. Atlantic hagfishes have a single pair of gill openings. There are slime glands along the sid…

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about 2 years ago

stephanie arkuszeski

this is not a really helpful article to use for a project. It is a really stupid article for college kids to use.

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almost 5 years ago

Thanks! This website really helped me with a book me and my friend are writing.

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3 months ago

Thank you for posting an interesting article about Hagfishes. This article describes the physical characteristics and reproduction of hagfishes. Hagfishes eat dead and dying fish, small worms, and crustaceans. Hagfishes live in the Atlantic, Pacific, Indian, Arctic, and Antarctic Oceans and in the Bering, Mediterranean, and Caribbean Seas. Hagfishes are not threatened with extinction.

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about 1 year ago

Christian

This helped me so much!