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Pacific Hagfish

This strange creature is known as a Pacific hagfish (Eptatretus stoutii). It is found throughout the deep waters of the Pacific Ocean. This jawless fish is known for its slimy skin. When alarmed, this fish can excrete large amounts of slime. This slime makes the hagfish very unappetizing to predators. Hagfish slime has also been known to foul up deep-sea diving equipment. The hagfish is an opportunistic feeder, eating dead and rotting animals that float down to the ocean floor. It is found at depths of up to 2900 feet (900 meters).