There are animals that are loved by all. Penguins, pandas, Chinese snub-nosed monkeys … But there are those who can safely claim the last place in the ranking of the cutest animals.
The mixina is so slippery that it is very difficult for a person to hold it in his hands, and predatory fish cannot overcome it. When an enemy approaches the myxine, its pores begin to secrete mucus in huge quantities, which predators can choke on. When the danger is over, myxina dumps the mucus enveloping her body and even sneezes to free her only nostril from the viscous substance. A fleshy whisker surrounds this nostril, as well as the myxine mouth. The round mouth is equipped with horny teeth: two rows of teeth are located on each side of the tongue, and one unpaired tooth is in the palate. The eyes of this fish are not visible at all - they are covered with skin. The organs of vision are light-sensitive cells located on the back of the myxine worm-like body.
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Slime performs not only a protective function, but also helps to hunt: mixins are predators. For example, if a fish that is sick but still able to resist becomes a victim of a mixina, then the mixina releases mucus under the gill cover of its prey, after which the victim suffocates. The slippery cyclostome hunts not only diseased and dying fish, but also healthy ones. Having taken possession of the fish, the mixina gnaws a hole in its body and begins to eat the insides or suck the meat to the bone.
Sometimes mixins hunt in groups. For example, fishermen in Southern Norway, England and Western Sweden often find fish in their nets, which they eat several mixins at once. Most often, the mixina prefers to eat sturgeon, haddock, cod, mackerel and herring, but will not refuse other fish either. The mixin itself is considered inedible.
Mixina (lat. Myxini) ordinary lives at depths of 100-500 meters, its predominant habitat is near the shores of North America, Europe, Iceland, Eastern Greenland. Sometimes it can be found in the Adriatic Sea. In winter, myxina sometimes descends to great depths - up to 1 km.
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The size of this animal is small - 35-40 centimeters, although sometimes giant specimens are found - 79-80 centimeters. Karl Linnaeus, who discovered this animal, initially even included it in the class of worms due to its specific appearance. Although in fact, myxins belong to the class of cyclostomes, which are the historical predecessors of fish. The color of myxines can be different, however, the predominant colors are pinkish and gray-red.
A distinctive feature of myxines is the presence of a series of mucus-secreting orifices along the lower edge of the animal's body. It should be noted that mucus is a very important myxin secret, which is used by animals to penetrate into the cavity of a fish chosen as a victim. Mucus also plays an important role in the respiration of the animal. Mixin is a real slime-making plant, in particular, if you put it in a bucket full of water, then after a while all the water will be converted into slime.
The fins of myxines are virtually undeveloped; they are difficult to distinguish on the long body of the animal. The organ of vision - the eyes do not see well, they are masked by the light areas of the skin in this zone. In the round mouth there are as many as 2 rows of teeth, there is also one unpaired tooth in the region of the palate. Myxins "breathe through the nose", while water enters the hole at the end of the snout - the nostril. Respiratory organs of myxins, like all fish, are gills. The zone of their location is special cavity-channels that run along the body of the animal.
By its way of life, myxina is a nocturnal animal; during the daytime it burrows into silt, hiding from other aquatic inhabitants. In this case, part of the head remains outside.
Myxina hunts only those fish that are sick, weakened (for example, after spawning) or have fallen into gear, nets set by man. The process of attack itself occurs as follows: the myxine eats up the wall of the fish's body with its sharp teeth, after which it enters the body, first consuming the internal organs and then the muscle mass. If the unfortunate victim is still able to resist, then the myxine passes into the gills and fills them with mucus, abundantly secreted by its glands. As a result, the fish dies from suffocation, leaving the hunter the opportunity to eat her body.
Often, mixins hunt one prey together, once a case was recorded when 123 mixins attacked one cod. The most favorite prey of these animals are sturgeon, cod, herring and mackerel. However, if the opportunity is given, the mixina will not miss the opportunity to feast on other fish.
As a rule, when it reaches 25-28 centimeters in length, the myxine is already sexually mature. The mixins lay eggs, having previously gone to great depths. Usually one female produces a clutch of 12-30 eggs with a cornea for protection. The process of fertilization of eggs is external, while both the female and the male continue their normal life after spawning. After hatching, the mixins soon become a complete copy of the parent individuals.
Since the appearance of the mixins and their feeding habits are disgusting, no commercial fishing is conducted on them. Moreover, in places of bottom pickling, the witchfish is considered an economic pest. Currently, all caught mixin is used in leather production, making the famous "eel skin" from it. The western coast of North America is particularly prominent, where the commercial fishing for myxines is already underway.
In some Asian countries, mixin is used for food. In Japan, Taiwan and especially in South Korea, fried foods are prepared from it.
Modern research on mucus has shown that it has a unique chemical structure. Its composition is such that it can potentially replace the most powerful means of stopping bleeding.
Mixins spend most of their lives at the bottom, preferring clay, muddy or sandy rock. The animal digs upside down, assuming an upright position. In the bottom silt, they find worms and carrion, which make up their main diet. Myxins enter the bodies of dead fish through the mouth or gills. Having penetrated the body, the animal scrapes the decomposing flesh from the bones. He is also not afraid to attack an exhausted sick fish, climbing into its insides in the same way as into a dead body.
Mixin is attracted by any available prey, so it often pounces on healthy fish that cannot move. Fishermen using nets know that in places favored by mixins, it is impossible to get any catch, since the animal attacks at every opportunity. Considering that a school of witch fish can contain up to ten thousand individuals, it is easier to change fishing place than to hope that the mixins will leave the prey alone.