hagfish

[ hag-fish ]

noun

, plural (especially collectively) hag·fish, (especially referring to two or more kinds or species) hag·fish·es.

1. any eellike, marine cyclostome of the order Myxiniformes, having undeveloped eyes, a barbel-rimmed, circular mouth, and horny teeth for boring into the flesh of fishes to feed on their interior parts.

hagfish

/ ˈhæɡˌfɪʃ /

noun

1. any eel-like marine cyclostome vertebrate of the family Myxinidae, having a round sucking mouth and feeding on the tissues of other animals and on dead organic material Often shortened tohag

Word History and Origins

Origin of hagfish¹

First recorded in 1605–15; hag ¹ + fish

Example Sentences

The hagfish, a deep-sea scavenger about the size and shape of a tube sock, has the curious ability to smother itself in its own snot.

From New York Times

"The cell clusters we observed are likely lamprey-specific features, as they are not recognizable in the head mesoderm of both hagfish and shark embryos," explains Dr. Onai.

From Science Daily

“I have never met anyone like John,” said Douglas Fudge, a professor of biological sciences at Chapman University whose research into the biophysics of hagfish slime has benefited from Gregg’s funding.

From Los Angeles Times

“It was a little hard to wrap my head around because of how different it looks from a lamprey or hagfish,” says McCoy, who was not involved in the new study.

From Scientific American

The whale’s stomach contained six hagfish traps, seven types of fishing net, two types of plastic bags, a light protector, fishing line and a float from a net.

From Seattle Times