|
Search over 100 encyclopedias and dictionaries: |
Research categories | Follow us on Twitter |
Research categories
View all topics in the newsView all reference sources at Encyclopedia.com |
|||
hagfish
hagfish primitive marine fish of the order Cyclostomata, or jawless fishes (see cyclostome ), of worldwide distribution in cold and temperate waters. Its rudimentary skeleton, of cartilage rather than bone, has a braincase, but no jaw. The circular sucking mouth has rows of horny teeth. There is a single median nostril and the eyes are poorly developed. Like the other jawless fishes, the lampreys , hagfish retain the notochord , a supporting structure found in higher vertebrates only in the embryo, throughout life. They lack a sympathetic nervous system, a spleen, and scales. Hagfish, or hags, spend much time embedded in muddy bottoms. They are chiefly scavengers, but also parasitize slow-moving fishes, eating their way into the victim's body and leaving only the skin and skeleton. Also known as slime eels, hagfish have glands on either side of their bodies that produce enormous quantities of mucoid material, probably as a defense mechanism. The sexes are separate, although an individual may have rudimentary organs of the opposite sex. Spawning occurs throughout the year; no larval stage is known. There are 3 genera and about 20 species of hagfishes. The Atlantic hagfish, Myxine glutinosa, may reach a length of 30 in. (76 cm). The Pacific hagfish, Eptatretus stouti, has been extensively used in physiological studies. The hagfish is classified in the phylum Chordata , subphylum Vertebrata, class Agnatha, order Cyclostomata, family Myxinidae. |
|
|
Cite this article
"hagfish." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2008. Encyclopedia.com. 9 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "hagfish." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2008. Encyclopedia.com. (February 9, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-hagfish.html "hagfish." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2008. Retrieved February 09, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-hagfish.html |
|
hagfish
hag·fish / ˈhagˌfish/ • n. (pl. same or -fishes) a primitive jawless marine vertebrate (Myxine and other genera, family Myxinidae) distantly related to the lampreys, with a slimy eellike body, a slitlike mouth surrounded by barbels, and a rasping tongue used for feeding on dead or dying fish. |
|
|
Cite this article
"hagfish." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. 9 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "hagfish." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. (February 9, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-hagfish.html "hagfish." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Retrieved February 09, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-hagfish.html |
|
hagfish
hagfish See MYXINIDAE.
|
|
|
Cite this article
MICHAEL ALLABY. "hagfish." A Dictionary of Zoology. 1999. Encyclopedia.com. 9 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. MICHAEL ALLABY. "hagfish." A Dictionary of Zoology. 1999. Encyclopedia.com. (February 9, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O8-hagfish.html MICHAEL ALLABY. "hagfish." A Dictionary of Zoology. 1999. Retrieved February 09, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O8-hagfish.html |
|
|
Search over 100 encyclopedias and dictionaries:
HighBeam™ Research, Inc. © Copyright 2012. All rights reserved.
The Encyclopedia.com advertising network includes:
