What is a hagfish, and why is its slime so amazing?
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Can slime last for 100 million years? Yes, yes it can.
Scientists have discovered the fossil of an ancient hagfish with traces of its slime still preserved.
The hagfish is a spineless creature that lives at the bottom of the ocean. It's been around for 500 million years and looks a bit like a swimming sausage.
It doesn't have jaws but does has a special way of defending itself - by letting out slime!
In the creepy video below, you'll see a hagfish defending itself against a shark. When the shark bites the hagfish, its mouth and gills are quickly covered in slime and the shark has to back off, or face suffocation.
Watch the hagfish slime in action
A bit like Doctor Who, the hagfish has more than one heart. In fact, it has four hearts.
It also has twice as much blood in its body as other fish.
Don't underestimate the hagfish. It's known as the scavenger of the sea because it sometimes feeds on whale carcasses.
The hagfish can literally tie itself in knots. It uses its knot tying ability to help bite through tough flesh
It absorbs some of its food straight through its skin.
The hagfish's slime is so strong and stretchy that scientists believe it could be turned into tights, breathable athletic wear or even bullet-proof vests in the future.
That's the power of slime...
It's not good to crash a car at the best of times, but imagine doing it with 3,400kg of hagfish in the back.
The picture above shows a slime covered car in Oregon, America back in 2017. It was covered in hagfish slime after a truck overturned on the road. The truck was helping deliver hagfish to South Korea where they are considered a delicacy.
No one was injured in the crash but 3400kg worth of hagfish goo was released all over the cars and road.
- Published9 January 2019
- Published22 January 2019
