In May 2025, marine experts shared a shocking video of a shark trying to take on a sixgill hagfish (Eptatretus hexatrema) – and losing.
“You don’t wanna mess with a hagfish,” said Russell Dixon, a video analyst at South African National Parks (SANParks).
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The surprising footage was captured by a type of hidden camera known as baited remote underwater video systems (BRUVs) that scientists use to monitor underwater habitats.
The video shows why even a shark would be foolish to take on this seemingly defenceless fish. “This creepy creature has superpowers,” said Dixon.
Hagfish are an odd-looking animal that look more like an eel than a fish. They don’t have a hard shell or even scales to protect themselves so a hungry shark might think they were easy prey – but they would be wrong.
“If you were a shark, this sixgill hagfish may initially look like a juicy meal without defences. But think again…” he added.
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Hagfish have a bizarre self-defence strategy: when under attack, they overwhelm their enemy with a sticky slime that can clog up their gills.
In the video, a pyjama shark “tries to take a nibble of a hagfish and finds out the hard way” why that was a big mistake, according to Dixon. The shark immediately gets a mouthful of the suffocating slime and retreats. The triumphant hagfish can live to fight another day.
Image and video credit: South African National Parks (SANParks), supported by the SAEON-Shallow Marine and Coastal Research Infrastructure
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