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WonderAnimal defence fact1,785 of 1,961

When attacked, hagfish release mucus and microscopic protein threads that expand through seawater into extraordinary volumes of defensive slime.

The defence that unfolds in water

OceanBiologyEvolution

Why it matters

The idea in context

The hagfish does not carry a tank of finished gel. It releases concentrated mucin and skeins of coiled protein, which seawater rapidly pulls apart into a fibrous network capable of clogging a predator's gills. The animal then ties its flexible body into a knot to scrape itself clean: chemistry deploys the shield, movement removes it.

Türkçe

Aynı kart, başka bir dilde.

Miksinler saldırıya uğradığında mukus ve mikroskobik protein iplikleri salar; bunlar deniz suyunda genişleyerek olağanüstü hacimde savunma balçığına dönüşür.
Suda açılan savunma

Miksin hazır jelle dolu bir depo taşımaz. Yoğun müsin ve sarılı protein yumakları salar; deniz suyu bunları hızla açarak avcının solungaçlarını tıkayabilen lifli bir ağ kurar. Hayvan sonra esnek bedenine düğüm atıp kendini sıyırarak temizler: kalkanı kimya açar, hareket söker.

Source trail

Read beyond the card.

Background reading: HagfishAttribution and context are revised when stronger evidence appears. Corrections are welcome through the editorial page.
Open in the iPhone appEditorial method

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