Conservation status of the world’s hagfish species and the loss of phylogenetic diversity and ecosystem function
Hagfishes represent an ancient and unique evolutionary lineage that plays an important role in the cycling of organic matter and other nutrients to maintain the overall health of the ecosystems they inhabit. Fisheries worldwide directly profit from the harvesting of hagfishes for leather and food, as well as from the positive habitat effects hagfishes provide for other target species. Overexploitation and destructive fishing practices are major threats to several hagfish species, especially those with restricted or small distributions.
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/aqc.1202/abstract