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Life

Hagfish tie their bodies into complicated knots to escape tight spots

By Colin Barras

6 January 2020

A pacific hagdish

Hagfish have several hearts

TOM MCHUGH/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY

Hagfish literally tie themselves in knots to escape a tricky situation – and that includes tying their bodies into complicated three-twist knots.

In many ways, hagfish are extraordinary. They are long, eel-like marine animals that carry far more blood relative to their body volume , have – and .

It is partly because of this last feature that it is so useful for hagfish to tie knots in their long bodies. When the animal ties a knot at its tail end and slips it along…

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