A slimy crash closed Highway 101 in Oregon. (Photo: Depoe Bay Fire District/Oregon State Police)
Police in Oregon were in a slimy situation on Thursday after a truck carrying 7,500 pounds of live hagfish failed to stop at a construction site and spilled its contents onto the highway and over surrounding cars.
Oregon State Police and the Depoe Bay Fire Department shared pictures on Twitter of the bizarre accident, which took place on Highway 101.
— Oregon State Police (@ORStatePolice) July 13, 2017
According to The Associated Press, the truck driver failed to stop at a construction site along the road, causing one of its containers of hagfish to topple and land in the opposite lane.
The container hit a vehicle and triggered a four-car pileup. Then the container’s wriggling contents sloshed onto some of the vehicles involved in the crash.
Although no humans sustained major injuries in the crash, there were a high number of hagfish casualties.
— Depoe Bay Fire Dist. (@DepoeBayFire) July 13, 2017
Pacific hagfish, also known as slime eel or snot snake, are considered one of the most disgusting animals in the ocean, per Smithsonian Magazine. Although they look similar to eels, they are actually a fish that has no jaws or bones. Hagfish still have two rows of tooth-like keratin which they use to burrow deep into carcasses to eat their meals from the inside out.
When distressed, the fish produces a white, sticky slime all over its body. This allows the hagfish to slip away when predators attempt to eat it, leaving behind a gulp of goo. Marine scientist Andrew David Thaler wrote on his blog that a single hagfish is capable of filling a five-gallon bucket with slime “seemingly instantly.”
All lanes of US101 now open at MP 131, S of #DepotBay after a truckload of #eels overturned, covering the roadway. Use caution in the area.
The hagfish, which is used in Korean cuisine, were on their way to South Korea, officials said.
First responders were apparently amused by the slimy spill and made light of the situation on social media. The Depoe Bay Fire District called the incident “operation eel cleanup,” and the state police tweeted ”#Cleanup on Aisle 101.”
Another tweet showed an officer standing in the middle of the spilled fish. The caption: “What to tell the #drycleaner?”
— Oregon State Police (@ORStatePolice) July 13, 2017
Officers also wondered about post-crash odor issues.
In this heat... what is this going to start smelling like in the next few days?😳 pic.twitter.com/3FqSwXeSMP
— Oregon State Police (@ORStatePolice) July 13, 2017
Thaler urged the crash victims to scoop the dense slime off their vehicles and throw away their clothes because “hagfish slime is so tough and dense that scientists are looking into using it to create a natural lycra.”
He also advised his readers to take a moment to appreciate the slime eel for what it is.
“People always find ways to be grossed out by strange marine creatures, but when you think about it, hagfish are magnificent. 300 million years ago, they figured out a good way to be a deep-sea scavenger and stuck with it,” he wrote.
“They’re efficient, tough and stubborn. They secrete a viscous slime that’s unlike anything else in this world. We know almost nothing about them, but what we do know is nothing short of incredible,” he added. “They are weird and they are wonderful.”
Also on HuffPost
Five-Legged Holy Cow!
This five-legged cow's owner, Laxman Bhosale, said the cow "holds the essence of Hindu religion" and touching its fifth leg will help "fulfill all your wishes," BBC reports. Now, the holy cow is on tour in India. Newly released photos show it decorated in beads and fancy fabric, hanging out in the back of a fancy trailer, according to the Daily Mail. Her fifth leg protrudes from her shoulder and neck area. READ MORE
Super Fat Cat
This Thursday, April 19, 2012 photo provided by the Santa Fe Animal Shelter veterinarian Dr. Jennifer Steketee holds Meow, a 2-year-old tabby at the shelter in Santa Fe, N.M. Meow, arrived at the shelter weighing in at over 39 pounds, after his elderly owner could no longer care for the feline. The shelter plans to put the cat on a special diet so he can lose weight gradually. Adult cats typically weigh between 7 and 12 pounds. (AP Photo/Santa Fe Animal Shelter, Ben Swan)
Two-headed Turtle Hatches At San Antonio Zoo
A two-headed turtle has hatched at the San Antonio Zoo and officials have named her Thelma and Louise.
Six Legged Calf
Six-legged calf "Lilli" stands on the pasture of its owner Andreas Knutti, in Weissenburg, Switzerland, Thursday, March 29, 2012. The calf was born seven weeks ago with two additional legs on its back. (Peter Schneider, Keystone / AP)
Two-Headed Tortoise
A man displays a two-headed turtle 'Testudo horsfieldi' at National Museum of natural history in Kiev, Ukraine, Monday, March 5, 2012. Besides the two heads the reptile has six legs.
Two-Headed Trout
These photos were included in a report that advocated for increasing the amount of selenium in Southern Idaho's creeks.
Harvey Dent
Harvey Dent, the two-faced kitten born in Florida. Unfortunately Harvey Dent passed away from complications at just two days old.
Two-headed animals and other bizarre creatures
The two heads of this razorback musk turtle have been named Teeny and Tiny by Todd Ray of the Venice Beach Freakshow. He believes it is the smallest two-headed turtle he's ever seen.
Three-eyed Fish
Three-eyed Fish found near Argentina. Source: GIzmodo
Two-headed Turtle May Be Surgically Separated
Todd Ray, who has what is believed to be the world's largest collection of two-headed animals, is considering whether or not he should surgically separate this two-headed turtle.
Pig with Two Snouts
This tiny porker has an excuse for making a pig of himself at mealtimes - he really does have two mouths to feed. The bizarre two-month-old youngster - part of a litter born on a farm in Deshengtang, Jilin province, northern China - can use both his mouths to eat and appears otherwise normal, say his owners. Farmer Li Zhenjun and his wife Yu Wanfen named the piglet Xiaobao - or 'Babe' in English - after the movie about an extraordinary talking pig. Li explained: "The mouths aren't much of an advantage because his head is very heavy and he gets pushed around by the others." "I'm feeding her with a bottle now and she's doing very well," he added.
Two Headed Snake 2011
"Us" is a 2 1/2-year-old, 4-foot long, two-headed carpet python residing at the World Aquarium in St. Louis. According to aquarium President Leonard Sonnenschein, it may be the only one in the world.
Two Headed Turtle 2010
Sonnenschein likened this unique musk turtle to the Pushmi-pullyu from the "Dr. Dolittle" story.
Unicorn Cow 2010
A dairy farm in China has an unusual cow that has three horns -- two on either side of its head and one in the middle like a rhino horn. Farmer Jia Kebing, from Baoding in northern China's Hebei province, said the 2-year-old cow was born with a small bump on its forehead. "With time the bump grew bigger and longer and become a sharp horn," said Jia. The middle horn now measures nearly 8 inches long.
Two Head Cows 2010
Egyptian farmers feed a two-headed calf, which can't stand on its own legs because it is top heavy, at a village near Alexandria, Egypt.
2 headed calf 2009
A vet feeds five month two-headed calf "Milagritos" (Little Miracle) in Cajamarca, Peru, on Aug. 19, 2009.
We 2007
We, a two-headed hermaphroditic rat snake, lived at the World Aquarium in St. Louis for 8 1/2 years before dying in June of 2007. In 2006, the aquarium unsuccessfully attempted to mate it with another two-headed snake.
Two Headed Pig 2007
A newly born piglet with one head, two mouths, two noses and three eyes is reflected by mirrors on March 6, 2007, in China.
Two Headed Turtle 2007
Store manager Jay Jacoby displays a two-headed red slider turtle at Big Al's Aquarium Supercenter in East Norriton, Pa.
Birds 2006
Two baby conjoined barn swallows rest after a fall from their nest in Searcy, Ark. The rare bird discovery was made by a White County resident in her front yard.
Turtle 2007
Janus, the Geneva Museum of Natural History's two-headed Greek tortoise, is presented to the press and the public during the official celebration of its 10th birthday on Sept. 5, 2007. Janus, named after the two-headed Roman god was born Sept. 3, 1997.
Cow 2007
Kirk Heldreth pets his two-faced Holstein calf in 2007, in Rural Retreat, Va. Despite her malformed mouth, the calf named Star fed from a bottle and is won over Heldreth, who didn't expect her to live long after her birth. He had considered donating the calf to Virginia Tech for scientific purposes, or even selling her for show. Star has been drawing the curious to Heldreth's southwest Virginia farm, which sees about 40 to 50 visitors daily.
Six Legged Lamb 2006
Belgian grower Maurice Peeters holds a six-legged lamb a day after its birth March 18, 2006, in Meeuwen-Gruitrode.
Gemini The Two-Headed Cat
Gemini, a kitten from Rhode Island, had an unfortunately short life.
Our final 2024 mock draft projects four quarterbacks in the first five picks, but the Cardinals at No. 4 might represent the key pivot point of the entire board.
Dan Wetzel, Ross Dellenger & SI’s Pat Forde react to the huge performance this weekend by Texas QB Arch Manning, Michigan and Notre Dame's spring games, Jaden Rashada entering the transfer portal, and more
Trump is entitled to an additional 36 million shares if the company's share price trades above $17.50 "for twenty out of any thirty trading days" over the next three years.
Ford offers the new Mustang's updated 5.0-liter Coyote V8 as a crate engine, and it also sells a supercharger kit that unlocks a total of 810 horsepower.
Vincent Goodwill and Amin Elhassan react to (just about) every Round 1 game of the NBA Playoffs after the first games have been played over the weekend.
