New Zealand Hagfish

The New Zealand Hagfish is a jawless marine fish in the genus Eptatretus, part of the ancient hagfish lineage (Myxiniformes) that predates true bony and cartilaginous fishes. It is found on the continental shelf and slope around New Zealand and southeastern Australia, typically well below the surface on soft muddy bottoms. Hagfish lack a true backbone in the conventional sense, jaws, and paired fins, and are best known for their ability to secrete enormous quantities of defensive slime when threatened. Ecologically, the species is an important seafloor scavenger, consuming dead and dying animals. It is not evaluated as threatened and remains widespread within its regional range.

Field marks:

• Elongated, cylindrical, eel-like body with no scales
• Pale pink to grayish-brown coloring, lacking bold pattern
• No visible functional eyes (eye spots covered by skin)
• Slit-like mouth ringed by short sensory barbels (tentacles), no true jaws
• Single continuous fin fold running along the back and around the tail rather than distinct dorsal/anal fins
• Row of small slime pores visible along each side of the body

New Zealand Hagfish are distinguished from true eels and lampreys by the complete absence of jaws, paired fins, and scales, along with the diagnostic row of slime pores along the flanks.

This hagfish lives on soft muddy or sandy seafloor along the continental shelf and upper slope surrounding New Zealand and southeastern Australia, generally at depths from roughly 20 to over 900 meters, though most commonly encountered on deeper shelf and slope grounds. It favors cool, dark bottom waters with minimal light penetration and tends to burrow partially into sediment or shelter near carcasses and debris. As a bottom-dwelling species adapted to a benthic, low-light existence, it rarely if ever approaches the surface, and its distribution tracks the cool temperate waters typical of the New Zealand region.

New Zealand Hagfish are solitary, nocturnal scavengers that locate food primarily by smell rather than sight, since their eyes are vestigial. When a carcass is located, groups of hagfish may gather to feed, sometimes burrowing into the body from within. Their signature defense is the instantaneous release of thick, fibrous slime from pores along the body when grabbed or threatened, which can clog a predator's gills. They can also tie their bodies into a knot to gain leverage for feeding or to scrape slime away. Reproduction is poorly studied but involves the release of a small number of large, yolky eggs onto the seafloor.