Pharyngula: Cooking with agnatha

Search

Profile

PZ Myers is a biologist and associate professor at the University of Minnesota, Morris.
…and this is a pharyngula stage embryo.
• a longer profile of yours truly
• my calendar
• Nature Network
• RichardDawkins Network
• facebook
• MySpace
• Twitter
• Atheist Nexus
• the Pharyngula chat room
(#pharyngula on irc.synirc.net)

I reserve the right to publicly post, with full identifying information about the source, any email sent to me that contains threats of violence.

I support Americans United for Separation of Church and State.

Random Quote

(Complete listing)

Finding the occasional straw of truth awash in a great ocean of confusion and bamboozle requires intelligence, vigilance, dedication and courage. But if we don't practice these tough habits of thought, we cannot hope to solve the truly serious problems that face us — and we risk becoming a nation of suckers, up for grabs by the next charlatan who comes along.

[Carl Sagan, "The Fine Art of Baloney Detection,"]

A Taste of Pharyngula

(Complete listing)

Ancient rules for Bilaterian development

How to make a tadpole

Squid Hox genes

Spiral cleavage

A book list for evolutionists

Evolution of the jaw

Maternal effect genes

I'm beautiful—on the inside

Other Information

2005 Koufax Award
Best Expert

2006 Weblogs Award

Subscribe via Email

Stay abreast of your favorite bloggers' latest and greatest via e-mail, via a daily digest.

Sign me up!

« 9 out of 10 biologists agree! | Main | An easy quiz »

Cooking with agnatha

Category: Weirdness
Posted on: April 27, 2006 3:51 PM, by PZ Myers

One moment I'm posting about jawless fish, the next I'm sent a link to the bravest, craziest young people to infest a marine station.

Yes, the two stories are connected.

TrackBacks

(TrackBack URL for this entry: )

Comments

I can taste my lunch in the back of my throat.

Posted by: RPM | April 27, 2006 4:01 PM

How strange - I just saw the hagfish slime on the Animal Planet last night. It didn't look like anything I'd want to touch or cook with, blech.

Posted by: JenM | April 27, 2006 4:15 PM

gack, just gack.

Posted by: rrp | April 27, 2006 4:18 PM

I suppose I should be glad I didn't click the link. I've seen that stuff.

Posted by: Bronze Dog | April 27, 2006 4:23 PM

Umm. AHHHHH!!!! Ok.

Posted by: plucky punk | April 27, 2006 4:25 PM

It's great for your skin, too. "Hagfish slime?!!!"
"You're soaking in it."

Posted by: Carel | April 27, 2006 4:33 PM

And for a literary angle to agnatha, hagfish figure significantly in Martin Cruz Smith's second Arkady Renko mystery novel Polar Star, the sequel to Gorky Park:

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0345367650/qid=1146176019/sr=2-1/ref=pd_bbs_b_2_1/002-1402755-3812805?v=glance&s=books

I think I've also seen surviving roman recipes for lampreys.

Posted by: wswilso | April 27, 2006 5:26 PM

Only in Canada eh!

Posted by: CanuckRob | April 27, 2006 5:41 PM

There might be some people who are allergic to the proteins in hagfish slime but otherwise it could be a good substitute for those who are allergic to eggs. It's probably not a vegan foodstuff though, since the hagfish had to be scared first (which makes it even more unfriendly to produce than milk).

Posted by: SEF | April 27, 2006 8:00 PM

#10

Does anyone have any recipes for lamprey?

Posted by: Stanton | April 27, 2006 10:37 PM

#11

Stanton, that was just gross enough to google "lamprey recipe", which ended up taking me to What's Cooking America.

I quit reading after "Eels in a Torta", though.

Posted by: RavenT | April 27, 2006 10:51 PM

#12

This is hardly fair. Lampreys have long been considered a great delicacy (or cheap eats) in Europe, and have been wiped out in the fisheries there. Parts of our Great Lakes are swarming with the evil little buggers, and it might actually help reduce the numbers of this invasive species if Americans had an appetite for them.

Posted by: PZ Myers | April 27, 2006 11:04 PM

#13

"...since the hagfish had to be scared first ..."

This raises the obvious question: how do you scare a hagfish?

Bob

Posted by: Bob O'H | April 28, 2006 12:17 AM

#14

Interesting. Of course, eggs are ickier since they start off with bird excrement on them - I don't think any cage construction prohibits that. Maybe I should try hagnog this winter?

Posted by: Torbjörn Larsson | April 28, 2006 10:04 AM

#15

how do you scare a hagfish

Show it an episode of Buffy? A mirror? Or just a gung-ho marine biology student - they look scary enough (I think it's the woolly hat which does it).

Posted by: SEF | April 28, 2006 6:39 PM

#16

So, what's the RDA of hagfish slime? How many calories, etc.? Are there nutritional benefits vs. eggs? I see a grant in someone's future.

Hagnog. Awesome.

Posted by: DiscordianStooge | April 29, 2006 12:02 AM

#17

I've always been curious about what lamprey tastes like, ever since I read that King Henry I of England died after overindulging in them at a banquet...
I never considered hagfish to be edible, if only because their immense slime-producing abilities.
But, now that their slime has been proven edible, I'm thinking of reconsidering my previous preconception. Hmmm...
Hagfish stuffed in a fried pepper?

Posted by: Stanton | April 29, 2006 12:41 AM

#18

Then, I'm not sure if we should advertize recipes for lampreys, as, while the sea lamprey is a destructive vermin in the Great Lakes, the native brook lampreys, particularly those of California, happen to be endangered species.

Posted by: Stanton | April 29, 2006 12:43 AM