How do lampreys and hagfish feed?

Question

Lydia Adams · Accepted Answer

Hagfishes and lampreys are believed to form a monophyletic group called the clyclostomes ("circle mouths"). Members of this group of fishes produce an excessive amount of mucus as a defensive measure. While they are virtually blind, they have four pairs of tentacles around their mouths that are used to detect food.

These fish have no jaws, so instead have a tongue-like structure that has barbs on it to tear apart dead organisms and to capture their prey. Hag fish is generally parasitic, known to bore inside large bodied mammals (when injured/dying) or fishes and devour them from inside.

The primary and favorite dish of hagfish and lamprey is polycheate worms.

A lamprey looks like this:

William Albracht · Answer

undefined Lampreys and hagfish are both jawless fish that feed by suction. Lampreys attach to their prey using their suction cup-like mouth and then rasp away flesh and fluids using their toothed tongue. Hagfish, on the other hand, feed primarily on dead or dying fish, burrowing into their prey and consuming the soft tissues from the inside out.

Eli Ayoub · Answer

undefined Lampreys and hagfish are jawless fish that feed by attaching themselves to other fish or scavenging dead or dying organisms. They use their specialized mouthparts to rasp away flesh and tissue, feeding on bodily fluids and tissues of their prey. Hagfish are known for their ability to produce copious amounts of slime as a defense mechanism and to aid in feeding.