Our dying world: Slimy hagfish threatened

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An unromantic name and ugly critter the slimy hagfish plays a vital role in the world’s oceans

Once again man leaves his indelible mark on nature, one that cannot be removed, as scientists discover yet another species, the hagfish, threatened with extinction, and perhaps taking the entire ocean ecosystem with it.  Here is the sad story:

slimy hagfish threatened

Pity the poor hagfish: It has an awful name, an even-worse nickname (“slime eel”), shudder-inducing eating habits (it is thought to burrow into dead and dying creatures on the ocean floor and absorb nutrients through its skin), and now troubling numbers about its very survival. Of 76 species worldwide, nine face risk of extinction, reports Live Science. Scientists are worried because, while the hagfish will never be a cuddly poster subject, its function as a bottom scavenger is important for the food chain.

“Hagfish are a great example of one of those ‘not-so-cute’ species that play a vital role in ecosystem health,” says a member of the Global Marine Species Assessment, which produced the study. Overfishing is again the main culprit: The hagfish is caught for food and leather, and it also gets unintentionally snagged in nets trawling for other fish. “This study highlights the impact we have on hagfish and the importance of protecting them to maintain the stability of ocean ecosystems,” says the researcher.

About Post Author

Carol Bell

Carol is a graduate of the University of Alabama. Her passion is journalism and it shows. Carol is our unpaid, but very efficient, administrative secretary.
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12 years ago

Aren’t those thing harvested for their slime?
I believe they are considered by taxonomists to be the lowest for a vertebrate animal.

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