Hagfish Anatomy

The mouth of the hagfish has two pairs of horny comb shaped teeth on a cartilaginous plate that protracts and retracts. Affinities and systematic position of hagfish.

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Hagfish anatomy. The ventral finfold is very low. Hagfish were observed to have the capacity to absorb pi from the environment into at least three epithelial surfaces the intestine skin and gill. It has a moderately broad and round caudal with ray like markings.

The cyclostomes constitute a curious group of animals and represent the most primitive craniates that are living today. Fishes a peculiar respiratory structure the velum just behind the nostril opening dangles from the upper midline of the pharynx resembling an inverted t. Hagfish have no true fins and have six or eight barbels around the mouth and a single nostril.

Membranous scrolls attached to this horizontal bar can extend downward and then roll upward like window shades. External features of hagfish. Instead of vertically articulating jaws like gnathostomata vertebrates with jaws they have a pair of horizontally moving structures with tooth like projections for pulling off food.

Cyclostomata belongs to superclass agnatha. As compared to other marine animals their defense mechanism is very different. The black hagfish is scaleless and ranges from 30 89 cm 35 in with an average maximum overall length of 64 cm 25 in.

While studying hagfish anatomy it is important to study their defense mechanism. Anatomy and physiology intro digestive system and other organs 1. If a hagfish is in danger or is caught by a predator it secretes a huge amount of mucus.

The anatomy of the cyclostomes exhibits many primitive specialised and degenerative features which resemble other forms graded lowly or highly than this group. It has no true fins but instead one dorsal finfold far back on its body. Hagfishes are extensively ocean dwellers and generally living on.

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