Hagfish is an eellike fish related to the lampreys. Hagfishes live in the sea. Some live in deep water and others in muddy bays. A hagfish has a round mouth surrounded by six short barbels (fleshy whiskerlike growths). Its tongue has sharp, horny teeth. The hagfish uses them to bore into dead or dying fish and eat their flesh. When threatened, a hagfish may defend itself by releasing large amounts of slime. The Atlantic hagfish produces enough slime to fill a bucket in a minute.
