Hagfish Day
Hagfish Day:
Celebrated in the month of October on the third Wednesday, the Hagfish Day is a day to bring about awareness of the slimy evolving species of hagfish.
| Year | Date | Day | Where |
| 2023 | 18th October | Wednesday | United States |
| 2023 | 16th October | Wednesday | United States |
| 2025 | 15th October | Wednesday | United States |
Twitter Hashtags:
#HagfishDay
Related: Other National Days Celebrated on October:
National Make A Difference Day
Why Hagfish Day?
While they look slimy and really ugly, the Hagfish is probably the most evolved of the species. The Hagfish Day is a celebration to tell everyone that one needs to look beyond the outward appearance and focus on evolution. It is truly amazing to know that the Hagfish though ugly on the outside has evolved so much. The Hagfish day is a celebration to look deeper inside rather than focusing on just the cover of a book. It is a day to understand that what we see on the surface is not a representation of what is truly inside and to appreciate and evolve internally.
How can we observe Hagfish Day?
On this special day celebrating the Hagfish, let us know more about what the Hagfish brings to our ecosystem. It is a well-known fact that Hagfish does not have an appealing look. However, the benefits that they offer to our ecosystem are humungous. The Hagfish scavenges on the dead sea animals lying on the ocean floor, cleaning it up for you.
Also, the slime which is produced by the Hagfish to keep themselves safe from other predators is now being researched for its many uses. The slime appears thinner than the human air and yet is stronger than nylon. There are studies underway to find the benefits this slime from hagfish can offer to the environment, medical, and also in a commercial aspect.
On the Hagfish Day, let us celebrate the inner beauty of things we consider to be unpleasant visually. You can share your experiences on this thought or anything you might have on Hagfish using the hashtag #HagfishDay on social media.
Interesting facts about Hagfish Day:
On the Hagfish Day where we celebrate to focus on the inner caliber, let us take a look at some interesting facts about Hagfish.
- There are nearly 76 different species of Hagfishes that live in cold waters across the globe. They exist in both shallow and deep waters.
- Hagfishes can survive for a very long time without any food. The skin of hagfishes can easily absorb nutrients directly and doesn’t require them to ingest it through the mouth.
- While they are also called “slime eels” they do not exactly belong to the family of eels.
- The Hagfishes do not have jaws and yet have tooth-like keratin structures which helps them to bury into the flesh of the carcasses. They don’t have bones either. They don’t have vertebrae and their skull is made of cartilage.
- Hagfish produce slime when they want to protect themselves from predators and to keep the other fishes away from stealing meals. They then tie into knots to get out of their slime.
- Their skin produces stringy proteins or slime which turn into a sticky transparent material when they come in touch with seawater.
- Hagfish have four hearts with one being the main heart and the others serving as an accessory.
- Their skin has capillaries that give them the ability to breathe even when they are buried in the mud.
- Hagfishes do not have eyesight and yet they survive with a well-developed smell and touch senses.
- There are also some cuisines where the slime is considered as a gastronomical experience in itself.
- They live in large groups with nearly 15000 of them living together in a group.
History of Hagfish Day:
It was in the year 2009 when the Hagfish Day was first celebrated and it was introduced by WhaleTimes. The day was created as an effort to celebrate the “beauty of the ugly” and in an effort to increase the awareness of every animal, both the pretty and not so pretty ones. It is a well-known fact that Hagfish have a lot to offer to our ecology. And there is still exploration underway on commercial and medical uses of the slime from their body.
On the Hagfish day, let us understand the importance of every living being on this planet and how they contribute to our ecosystem. It is time to look beyond the appearance and appreciate the inner core.
