'Not-So-Cute' Hagfish Threatened | Marine Species & Fishing | LiveScience

Andrea Morash CREDIT: Andrea Morash View full size image

As primitive, tubelike scavengers that feed on dead and dying animals, hagfish are hardly charismatic or appealing, so the discovery that at least 12 percent of hagfish species face an elevated risk of extinction may not tug on the heartstrings.

But conservationists are concerned. 

"Hagfish are a great example of one of those 'not-so-cute' species that play a vital role in ecosystem health," said Cristiane Elfes, a program officer with a unit of the Global Marine Species Assessment, a joint initiative of several groups. The study was produced as part of this initiative. "This study highlights the impact we have on hagfish and the importance of protecting them to maintain the stability of ocean ecosystems." [...]

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

You can follow LiveScience writer Wynne Parry on Twitter @Wynne_Parry.

Full article at livescience.com

 

Posted via email from Moments of Awareness