Split-second slime: hagfish defense clogs predators' gills
When pressed by a predator, hagfish release two cargoes of proteins and mucus into seawater, where they rapidly unravel into a fibrous slime that clogs a predator’s gills in a fraction of a second, often causing the attacker to back off. A full slime-out can reach about a liter from a small amount of exudate; the defense is triggered by direct contact rather than sight. Hagfish can shed slime and clean themselves by knotting and sneezing, and researchers study this fast, water-based slime as inspiration for new materials.
