hagfish

American  

[hag-fish] / ˈhægˌfɪʃ /

noun

• hagfish,
  plural
• hagfishes
  plural

1. any eellike, marine cyclostome of the order Myxiniformes, having undeveloped eyes, a barbel-rimmed, circular mouth, and horny teeth for boring into the flesh of fishes to feed on their interior parts.

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hagfish British  

/ ˈhæɡˌfɪʃ /

noun

1. Often shortened to: hag.  any eel-like marine cyclostome vertebrate of the family Myxinidae, having a round sucking mouth and feeding on the tissues of other animals and on dead organic material

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• hagfish
  plural
• hagfishes
  plural

Etymology

Origin of hagfish

First recorded in 1605–15; hag ¹ + fish

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

hagfish hagfishes

"The cell clusters we observed are likely lamprey-specific features, as they are not recognizable in the head mesoderm of both hagfish and shark embryos," explains Dr. Onai.

From Science Daily ● Jan. 10, 2024

The whale’s stomach contained six hagfish traps, seven types of fishing net, two types of plastic bags, a light protector, fishing line and a float from a net.

From Seattle Times ● Feb. 2, 2023

They’ve fished for black cod, rockfish, hagfish and “dabbled in tuna.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 1, 2021

Jeff VanderMeer for recognizing the sheer eldritch eeriness of “nature”: How can a world that contains the hagfish, the axolotl and the Devil’s Finger fungus not make for weird writing?

From New York Times ● Nov. 19, 2020

The skeleton of a hagfish is composed of cartilage, which includes a cartilaginous notochord that runs the length of the body.

From Textbooks ● Jan. 1, 2015

Two other clades gave rise to modern lampreys and hagfishes.

From Textbooks ● Jan. 1, 2018

Today, hagfishes and lampreys are recognized as separate clades, primarily because lampreys are true vertebrates, whereas hagfishes are not.

From Textbooks ● Jan. 1, 2015

The clade Myxini includes at least 20 species of hagfishes.

From Textbooks ● Jan. 1, 2015

Jawless fishes—the hagfishes and lampreys—have a distinct cranium and complex sense organs including eyes, distinguishing them from the invertebrate chordates.

From Textbooks ● Jan. 1, 2015

It seems probable that during the breeding period the hagfishes retire into some particularly inaccessible habitat.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 7, Slice 8 "Cube" to "Daguerre, Louis" by Various