Britannica Sources used in this answer

How do hagfishes defend themselves with slime?

Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

Hagfishes, which are primitive vertebrates belonging to the superclass Agnatha, possess a unique defense mechanism to deter predators. Along each side of their body, they have a row of prominent glands that secrete copious amounts of a gelatinous slime when the animal is disturbed. This rapid production of slime is so effective that it has earned them the nickname "slime eels".123