Hagfish - BB Oct 21

Hagfish are jawless fish with skeletons made of cartilage that look like eels, but are not eels. They’re known for secreting a goo from their slime glands that’s made of proteins and mucus that, combined with water, basically becomes anti-predator snot.

They somehow manage to be predators and scavengers, despite not having jaws. Instead, they have two pairs of rasping plates on their tongues that they use to “bite” into chunks of flesh, then they tie their bodies into literal knots to create enough leverage to pull those bites off. They can also absorb nutrients through their skin by burrowing into carcasses and hanging out there.

This pin is designed by Mary Capaldi. You can find out more about her and her work here: https://marycapaldi.squarespace.com/