Project Three: Halloween Project

Project Three:
Halloween Project

For the sake of Length on this post, I will not post the Introduction to the project.

Choose a creepy animal and follow these directions:

·

Post a picture of the creepiest animal you can think of (be creative, but make sure it is a real animal).

· Give three pieces of information about that animal.

· Tell why this animal creeps you out.

Happy Halloween!

This is the Hagfish, in the Myxinidae family.

Three pieces of information:

1. These are the only animals that have a skull but no vertebral column.

2. The mouth of the hagfish has two pairs of horny, comb-shaped teeth on a cartilaginous plate that protracts and retracts. These teeth are used to grasp food and draw it toward the pharynx.

3. Hagfish are long and vermiform, and can exude copious quantities of a slime or mucus (from which the typical species Myxine glutinosa was named) of unusual composition. When captured and held, e.g., by the tail, they secrete the microfibrous slime, which expands into a gelatinous and sticky goo when combined with water; if they remain captured, they can tie themselves in an overhand knot which works its way from the head to the tail of the animal, scraping off the slime as it goes and freeing them from their captor, as well as the slime.

The animal creeps me out because of the way it looks, the habits it holds, it’s unusual eating habits, and its ability to produce so much mucus.