#cyclostomes

[antiqueanimals]

Atlantic hagfish (Myxine glutinosa)

Fishes of the World. Written by Hans Hvass. Illustrated by Wilhelm Eigener. Originally published in 1964.

Internet Archive

[antiqueanimals]

European river lamprey (Lampetra fluviatilis), Brook lamprey (Lampetra planeri), Sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus)

Fishes of the World. Written by Hans Hvass. Illustrated by Wilhelm Eigener. Originally published in 1964.

Internet Archive

[dryococelas01]

Lamprey and hagfish are so cool man

Last living cyclostomes

They're pre the evolution of jaws!

They're agnatha (jawless fish). All other vertebrates are post jaw, we are all gnathostomata except for these bastards

They don't even have proper vertebrae, they have these things called arcualia instead. Little cartilaginous structures around the notochord.

It's fascinating to see these remnants of a time before so many features key to our image of vertebrates evolved.

You gotta wonder what a world where jaws hadn't evolved would be like. Where we were all agnatha.

Would intelligent life have evolved in such a world?

Or would it just be a lot of hagfish and lampreys and their relatives in the big pool that is the ocean. With a few perhaps plopping onto land. Could be a fun spec evo scenario.

Plus lamprey mouths are so cool, and the videos of hagfish around whalefalls are just... beautiful

how the fuck do I delete a poll from a post I accidentally added it and cannot be bothered copynlasting all this text. annoying app. ugh. I guess. whats cooler?

vertebrates

invertebrates

Voting ended onAug 17, 2025