Hagfish at home!
What is a hagfish? A hagfish is a type of fish whose body looks similar to that of an eel or worm with a flattened tail. They are usually about a half meter long and are generally found in cold deep waters near the ocean floor (abyssmal zone) where they can live for months without food. When they do eat, they feast on the remains of deceased animals like whales and sharks, that sink to the bottom. Often, hundreds of hagfish will congregate around a carcass and eat it from the inside out.
Why are they so slimy?
Like many ocean animals, the hagfish needs a way to defend itself against hungry predators. Hagfish accomplish this task by producing a thick, fibrous slime that expands upon contact with saltwater. The slime coats their whole bodies making them unpalat- able, and possibly even dangerous to eat, as hagfish can even hurl their slime to choke potential predators. But if this slime is a choking hazard, why don’t hagfish choke on their own slime? Well, hagfish take their own precautions: they tie their bodies in knots to wipe the excess slime away from their heads so they can eat Above, a car is covered in hagfish slime as result without choking on their own slime! of an accident involving a truck transporting hagfish for human consumption. Photo: Reuters, via The Atlantic Make Your own hagfish slime!
What yOU'LL NEED Washable school glue (8 oz) Baking soda (1 tsp) Saline solution/contact lens solution (3 tbsp) Optional Ingredients Liquid food-coloring Mixing bowl Craft glitter Measuring spoons Mixing spoon Airtight container for storage* *Bonus points if it’s a reusable or non-plastic con- tainer! instructions Pour 8 oz of glue into the mixing bowl. Add a few drops of food coloring and/or 1/4 cup of 1 glitter. You can also leave out the color/glitter to make your slime just like a hagfish’s. 2 Add 1 tsp of baking soda to the glue and mix.
Add 2-3 Tbsp of contact lens solution to the mixture. It should become more firm and 3 stringy as more contact lens solution is added. 4 Once a ball has formed, knead the ball by hand. 5 Enjoy playing with your hagfish slime!!!!