Hagfish eat with their skin

The slimiest thing on earth has a new distinction. Hagfish can eat with their skin.

If you've ever handled a hagfish you know you've touched something special. Hagfish slime abundantly and with abandon. Even stranger, hagfish can and do tie themselves in knots.

The latest news is that hagfish--which feed by burrowing inside of dead animals--can absorb nutrients through their skin. And not just a little bit, hagfish may be able to get as much food through their skin as from their gut.

Just when you thought you knew some strange stuff about the ocean, comes along another one even stranger.

Tweet