THE myxine class it's part of superclass of agnates, primitive vertebrate animals, devoid of jaws, with an elongated cylindrical body, poorly developed cartilaginous skeleton and notochord present in adulthood. The animals that are part of the myxine class have as main representatives the hagfish or witch fish. They have smooth skin, devoid of scales, with one or two fins, one on the back and the other on the tail.
Also called cyclotome fish for having a circular mouth, the hagfish they have a pink-gray color and can measure up to 1 meter in length. They are exclusively marine and can be found curled up and half buried at the bottom of the oceans. When they feel threatened, hagfish they release mucus produced by glands in their skin, which make them slippery and cause real knots in their own bodies, allowing them to escape predators.
With approximately 64 cataloged species, the hagfish they are animals whose mouths are endowed with cartilaginous structures with denticles that protrude outwards when the food is captured. This animal's diet consists of polychaetes annelids, live, sick or dead fish, which it penetrates (through the gills or anus) to eat the victim's viscera. Short tentacles around the animal's mouth have a sensory function. In addition, hagfish have a sense of smell, well-developed eyes and an inner ear with a balancing function.
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You hagfish they have from five to fifteen pairs of gill slits, they are monoecious animals, which present cross-fertilization, oviparous and with direct development, that is, without larval stage.
In Japan and Korea these animals are known as leather eels, and are very popular in local cuisine. fur is used in the manufacture of bags, shoes, wallets, etc., which has contributed to the disappearance of these animals in oceans.
By Paula Louredo
Graduated in Biology
Would you like to reference this text in a school or academic work? Look:
MORAES, Paula Louredo. "myxine class"; Brazil School. Available in: https://brasilescola.uol.com.br/biologia/myxini.htm. Accessed on June 27, 2021.
