What is the superclass that hagfish belong to?
Q: What is the superclass that hagfish belong to?
A: Hagfish belong to the superclass Cyclostomata.
Q: Do hagfish have a skeleton?
A: Hagfish do not have a skeleton, except for a skull made of cartilage.
Q: Why do some researchers think that Myxini should not be in the subphylum Vertebrata?
A: Some researchers think that Myxini should not be in the subphylum Vertebrata due to the absence of a true skeleton.
Q: Why are hagfish considered to be fish?
A: Despite not having a true skeleton, hagfish are considered to be fish due to having fins and gills, and living in the sea.
Q: How were hagfish and lampreys grouped in the original 19th century classification?
A: Hagfish and lampreys were grouped together as cyclostomes (or historically, Agnatha), as the oldest surviving class of vertebrates alongside gnathostomes in the original 19th century classification.
Q: Was an alternative scheme proposed that excluded hagfish from the vertebrates group?
A: Yes, an alternative scheme proposed that jawed vertebrates are more closely related to lampreys than to hagfish, so vertebrates include lampreys but exclude hagfish.
Q: What does recent DNA evidence support regarding the grouping of hagfish and lampreys?
A: Recent DNA evidence supports the original scheme that groups hagfish and lampreys together as cyclostomes.
