Predators of the underwater world include fish, whose diet includes other inhabitants of water bodies, as well as birds and some animals. The world of predatory fish is diverse: from terrifying specimens to attractive aquarium specimens. What they have in common is the possession of a large mouth with sharp teeth for catching prey.
A feature of predators is unbridled greed, excessive gluttony. Ichthyologists note the special intelligence of these creatures of nature and ingenuity. The struggle for survival contributed to the development of abilities that predatory fish superior even to cats and dogs.
Marine predatory fish
The vast majority of marine fish of predatory families live in tropical and subtropical zones. This is explained by the presence in these climatic zones of a huge variety of herbivorous fish and warm-blooded mammals that make up the diet of predators.
Shark
Unconditional leadership takes white predatory fish shark, the most insidious for humans. The length of its carcass is 11 m. Its relatives of 250 species also pose a potential danger, although attacks by 29 representatives of their families have been officially recorded. The safest is the shark - a giant, up to 15 m long, feeding on plankton.
Other species, larger than 1.5-2 meters, are insidious and dangerous. Among them:
- Tiger shark;
- hammerhead shark (large outgrowths with eyes on the sides of the head);
- mako shark;
- katran (sea dog);
- gray shark;
- spotted shark scyllium.
In addition to sharp teeth, fish are equipped with prickly spines and hard skin. Cuts and blows are no less dangerous than bites. Wounds inflicted by large sharks are fatal in 80% of cases. The jaw strength of predators reaches 18 tf. With its bites it can dismember a person into pieces.
Pictured is a rockfish
Scorpena (Sea Ruff)
Predatory bottom fish. The body, compressed on the sides, is variegatedly colored and protected by spines and shoots for camouflage. A real monster with bulging eyes and thick lips. It lives in the thickets of the coastal zone, no deeper than 40 meters, and winters at great depths.
It is very difficult to notice it at the bottom. The food supply includes crustaceans, greenfinches, and silversides. Doesn't rush after prey. He waits for her to come closer, then he throws him into his mouth. It lives in the waters of the Black and Azov Seas, the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans.
Oshiben (galeya)
A medium-sized fish, 25-40 cm long, with an oblong body of a dirty color and very small scales. A bottom predator that spends time in the sand during the day and goes out hunting at night. The food contains mollusks, worms, crustaceans, small fish. Features include pelvic fins on the chin and a special swim bladder.
Atlantic cod
Large individuals up to 1-1.5 m long, weighing 50-70 kg. It lives in the temperate zone and forms a number of subspecies. The color is green with an olive tint, with brown inclusions. The basis of nutrition is herring, capelin, cod, and mollusks.
They feed their own young and small relatives. Atlantic cod are characterized by seasonal migrations over long distances of up to 1.5 thousand km. A number of subspecies have adapted to live in desalinated seas.
Pacific cod
It is distinguished by a massive head shape. The average length does not exceed 90 cm, weight 25 kg. Lives in the northern zones of the Pacific Ocean. The diet includes pollock, shrimp, and octopus. A sedentary stay in a body of water is typical.
Catfish
Marine representative of the genus Perciformes. The name was received for the front teeth, similar to those of a dog, fangs protruding from the mouth. The body is eel-shaped, up to 125 cm long, weighing on average 18-20 kg.
It lives in moderately cold waters, near rocky soils, where its food supply is located. In behavior, the fish is aggressive even towards its relatives. The diet includes jellyfish, crustaceans, small fish, and shellfish.
Pink salmon
A representative of small salmon, with an average length of 70 cm. The habitat of pink salmon is extensive: the northern regions of the Pacific Ocean, entering the Arctic Ocean. Pink salmon are a representative of anadromous fish that migrate to fresh waters to spawn. Therefore, small salmon are known in all the rivers of the Northern, on the Asian mainland, Sakhalin and other places.
The fish got its name from its dorsal hump. Characteristic dark stripes appear on the body before spawning. The diet is based on crustaceans, small fish, and fry.
Eel-pout
An unusual inhabitant of the coasts of the Baltic, White and Barents seas. A bottom-dwelling fish whose preferences are sand overgrown with algae. Very tenacious. It can wait among the wet stones for the tide or hide in a hole.
The appearance resembles a small animal, up to 35 cm in size. Large head, body tapers to a sharp tail. The eyes are large and protruding. The pectoral fins look like two fans. Scales like those of a lizard, but do not overlap the next one. The eelpout feeds on small fish, gastropods, worms, and larvae.
Brown (eight-lined) greenling
Found near rocky headlands on the Pacific coast. The name refers to the color with green and brown shades. Another option was obtained for a complex drawing. The meat is green. The diet, like many predators, includes crustaceans. There are many relatives in the greenling family:
- Japanese;
- Steller's greenling (spotted);
- red;
- single-line;
- single-feathered;
- long-browed and others.
Names of predatory fish often convey their external features.
Gloss
Found in warm coastal waters. The length of the flat fish is 15-20 cm. In appearance, the glossa is compared to river flounder; it is adapted to live in water of varying salinity. It feeds on bottom food - mollusks, worms, crustaceans.
Glossa fish
Beluga
Among predators, this fish is one of the largest relatives. The species is listed in Krasnaya. The peculiarity of the structure of the skeleton is the elastic cartilaginous chord and the absence of vertebrae. The size reaches 4 meters and weight – from 70 kg to 1 ton.
It is found in the Caspian and Black Seas, and during spawning in large rivers. The characteristic wide mouth, overhanging thick lip, and 4 large antennae are characteristic of the beluga. The uniqueness of the fish lies in its longevity; its age can reach a century.
Eats fish. Under natural conditions, it forms hybrid varieties with sturgeon, stellate sturgeon, and sterlet.
Sturgeon
Large predator, up to 6 meters long. The average weight of commercial fish is 13-16 kg, although giants reach 700-800 kg. The body is highly elongated, without scales, covered with rows of bony scutes.
The head is small, the mouth is located below. It feeds on bottom organisms and fish, providing itself with 85% protein food. Tolerates low temperatures and periods of lack of food well. Lives in salt and freshwater bodies of water.
Stellate sturgeon
The characteristic appearance is due to the elongated shape of the nose, the length of which reaches 60% of the length of the head. Stellar sturgeon is inferior in size to other sturgeons - the average weight of the fish is only 7-10 kg, length 130-150 cm. Like its relatives, it is a long-liver among fish, living 35-40 years.
Lives in the Caspian and Azov seas with migration to large rivers. The basis of nutrition is crustaceans and worms.
Flounder
The sea predator is easy to distinguish by its flat body, eyes located on one side, and a circular fin. She has almost forty varieties:
- star-shaped;
- yellowfin;
- halibut-shaped;
- proboscis;
- linear;
- long-snouted, etc.
Distributed from the Arctic Circle to Japan. Adapted to live on muddy bottoms. Hunts from ambush for crustaceans, shrimp, and small fish. The sighted side is characterized by mimicry. But if you startle it, it abruptly breaks away from the bottom, swims to a safe place and lies on the blind side.
Lichia
A large sea predator from the horse mackerel family. Found in the Black and Mediterranean Seas, the eastern Atlantic, and the southwestern Indian Ocean. Grows up to 2 meters with a weight gain of up to 50 kg. Lihi's prey includes herring, sardines in the water column and crustaceans in the bottom layers.
Whiting
A predatory schooling fish with a stagnate body. The color is gray, with a purple tint on the back. Found in the Kerch Strait, the Black Sea. Loves cold waters. By the movement of anchovy, you can monitor the appearance of whiting.
Whip
Inhabits the coastal waters of the Azov and Black Seas. Up to 40 cm long and weighing up to 600 g. The body is flattened, often covered with spots. Open gills increase the size of the deprived head and frighten predators. Among rocky and sandy soils it hunts with shrimps, mussels, and small fish.
River predatory fish
Freshwater predators are well known to fishermen. This is not only a commercial river catch, known to cooks and housewives. The role of insatiable inhabitants of reservoirs is to eat low-value weeds and diseased individuals. Predatory freshwater fish carry out a kind of sanitary cleaning of reservoirs.
Chub
A picturesque inhabitant of Central Russian reservoirs. Dark green back, golden sides, dark border along the scales, orange fins. Loves to eat fish fry, larvae, and crustaceans.
Asp
The fish is called a horse for its quick jumping out of the water and deafening falls on its prey. The blows with the tail and body are so strong that small fish become stiff. The fishermen nicknamed the predator the river corsair. Keeps to himself. The main prey is bleak floating on the surface of reservoirs. Lives in large reservoirs, rivers, and southern seas.
Som
The largest predator without scales, reaching a length of 5 meters and a weight of 400 kg. Favorite habitats are the waters of the European part of Russia. The main food of catfish is shellfish, fish, small freshwater inhabitants and birds. It hunts at night and spends the day in holes and under snags. Catching a catfish is a difficult task, as the predator is strong and smart
Pike
A real predator in habits. It attacks everything, even its relatives. But it gives preference to roach, crucian carp, and rudd. Does not like prickly ruff and perch. It catches and waits until the prey calms down before swallowing.
Hunts frogs, birds, mice. It is distinguished by fast growth and good camouflage. It grows on average up to 1.5 meters and weighs up to 35 kg. Sometimes there are giants as tall as human beings.
Zander
Large predator of large and clean rivers. The weight of a meter-long fish reaches 10-15 kg, sometimes more. Found in sea waters. Unlike other predators, the mouth and throat are small, so small fish serve as food. Avoids thickets so as not to become prey for pike. Active in hunting.
Predatory fish pike perch
Burbot
Belonesox
Small predators are not afraid to attack even comparable fish, which is why they are called miniature pikes. Gray-brown color with black spots like a line. The diet includes live food from small fish. If the whitefish is well-fed, then the prey will be alive until the next lunch.
Tiger perch
A large fish with a contrasting color, up to 50 cm long. The body shape resembles an arrowhead. The fin on the back extends to the tail, with which it provides acceleration in pursuit of prey. The color is yellow with black stripes along the diagonal. The diet should include bloodworms, shrimp, and earthworms.
Livingston cichlid
Video of predatory fish reflect the unique mechanism of ambush hunting. They occupy the position of a dead fish and withstand a sudden attack of emerging prey for a long time.
The length of the cichlid is up to 25 cm, the spotted color varies in yellow-blue-silver tones. A red-orange border runs along the edge of the fins. The food in the aquarium is pieces of shrimp, fish, etc. Don't overfeed.
Toadfish
The appearance is unusual; the huge head and growths on the body are surprising. Thanks to camouflage, the bottom inhabitant hides among snags and roots and waits for the prey to approach to attack. In the aquarium it feeds on bloodworms, shrimp, pollock or other fish. Loves solo content.
Leaf fish
A unique adaptation to a fallen leaf. Camouflage helps to guard prey. The size of the individual does not exceed 10 cm. The yellowish-brown color helps to imitate the drifting of a fallen tree leaf. The daily diet includes 1-2 fish.
Biara
Suitable for keeping in large aquariums only. The length of individuals is up to 80 cm. The species is a real predator with a large head and a mouth full of sharp teeth. Large fins on the abdomen look like wings. It feeds only on live fish.
Tetra vampire
In an aquarium environment it grows up to 30 cm, in nature – up to 45 cm. The ventral fins look like wings. They help make quick dashes for prey. When swimming, the head is down. Live fish may be abandoned in the diet in favor of pieces of meat and mussels.
Aravana
A representative of the oldest fish up to 80 cm in size. An elongated body with fins forming a fan. This structure gives acceleration in hunting and the ability to jump. The structure of the mouth allows it to grab prey from the surface of the water. You can feed shrimp, fish, and worms in the aquarium.
Trahira (Tertha-wolf)
Amazon Legend. Aquarium maintenance is available to experienced specialists. Grows up to half a meter. Gray powerful body with a large head and sharp teeth. Fish feed not only on live food, but also serve as a kind of orderly. In an artificial reservoir it feeds on shrimp, mussels, and pieces of fish.
frog catfish
A large predator with a massive head and a huge mouth. The short antennae are notable. Dark body color and whitish belly. Grows up to 25 cm. Accepts food from fish with white meat, shrimp, mussels.
Dimidochromis
A beautiful blue-orange predator. Develops speed and attacks with powerful jaws. Grows up to 25 cm. The body is flattened on the sides, the back has a round contour, the belly is flat. Fish smaller than a predator will certainly become its food. Shrimp, mussels, and clams are added to the diet.
All predatory fish in the wild and artificially kept are carnivorous. The diversity of species and habitats is shaped by many years of history and the struggle for survival in the aquatic environment. The natural balance assigns them the role of orderlies, leaders with the inclinations of cunning and ingenuity, who do not allow the dominance of trash fish in any body of water.
Quote:“He who wants to live must fight. And whoever does not want to resist in this world of eternal struggle has no right to life.”
Dear reader, this article is about predators in a freshwater aquarium. There are a lot of fables floating around on the Internet regarding this issue, even to the point that angelfish are fierce predators of the aquarium.
Therefore, before we post our selection of predatory fish, let’s define some concepts.
All animals can be divided into predators and herbivores:
PREDATORY- these are those who eat exclusively meat.
HERBIVORES- these are those who feed exclusively on plants.
Now it is worth noting the fact that in nature it is very rare to find a predatory animal that feeds exclusively on meat. For example, cats! Cats are predators, but all happy owners of Barsiks and Murzikovs know that their pets love to chew grass and house plants. And some even enjoy eating bread and boiled vegetables.
The same situation is with fish. In the huge aquarium kingdom it is very difficult to find a “meat-eating fish”. Perhaps there is no such thing. We don’t promise, but the diet of all aquarium fish includes both plant and animal food.
From the above we can conclude - predatory aquarium fish in the true sense of the word does not exist. When talking about fish predation, the word aggression is most likely appropriate. But there is also a problem with aggression - after all, even guppies show intraspecific aggression, although they are not at all like predators.
Thus, we can derive a certain vector of understanding of the phrase: “PREDATORY AQUARIUM FISH” - these are overly aggressive, large, territorial aquarium fish, whose diet mainly includes meat food.
SELECTION OF PREDATORY AQUARIUM FISH
Many people know that the cichlid family of fish are mostly aggressive, territorial fish, this statement especially applies to African cichlids. In some species of cichlids, there is even the most severe intraspecific aggression, which manifests itself not only in males towards each other, but even between male and female, for example, as in l abeotropheus trevavas. Sometimes it comes to the point that keeping a female and a male together becomes simply impossible, since the latter kills an individual of the opposite sex to death.
Astronotus is the most popular and widespread cichlid with a predatory disposition. A large, aggressive fish, which is best kept in a species aquarium and in pairs. Astronotuses perceive all small neighbors as food. And with large species, clashes constantly occur. It’s almost impossible to hook someone up with an adult couple.
Fish can reach 35 cm. Astorontus is native to the Amazon basin, the Parana, Paraguay, Rio Negro river system. The volume of the aquarium for such cichlins is from 300 to 500 liters.
Water parameters: pH 6.0-8.0, temperature 22-28°C. Of course, aeration, filtration, and regular water changes (weekly 30%) are necessary. Particular attention should be paid to filtration - it must be powerful (a second filter will not be superfluous). The aquarium can be decorated with large stones and driftwood; the decor should not be sharp.
She has a territorial character and is jealous of those who “enter” her territory. Longsnout cichla rushes at various shiny objects. In skirmishes with other fish it catches the eye, for which it has received the nickname “eye eater” . These fish are fierce killers in nature.
Comfortable water parameters: temperature 25-27°C, dH 8-20°, pH 7.5-8.5. aeration, filtration, weekly replacement? parts of fresh water with the same parameters.
Piranha predators are literally armed to the teeth. The teeth are plate-like and razor-sharp. Piranhas have powerful jaws; an adult can bite through a wooden stick as thick as a human finger.
It is worth noting that aquarium piranhas lose their natural aggressiveness, while maintaining their menacing appearance. But for some reason people’s fear does not disappear because of this.
Piranhas are a schooling aquarium fish, so it is best to keep them in a school of 5-8 fish of the same size and age.
These catfish are not just predators, but “fierce killers.” In their homeland, in Asia, they destroy all the fish that are in their reservoir, and when there is no one left, they crawl onto land and crawl to the nearest new reservoir for a “new victim”, while simultaneously, on land, eating those that come to hand » insects and small frogs. We must pay tribute - in the aquarium these catfish behave much calmer.
The fish has an uncooperative, grumpy character and shows aggression. Tetradon can be kept with large, active fish. Some authors recommend keeping this fish only in a species aquarium.
For a flock of tetradons, you need a large aquarium volume of 150 liters. The fish leads a twilight lifestyle and is afraid of bright light. Therefore, the aquarium is equipped with many stones, caves, driftwood and floating plants.
To close the article, I will give an example that clearly shows the rapacity of any living creature, even the most harmless.
Acantophthalmus is a small loach-like worm-like fish. A peaceful, harmless inhabitant of the aquarium bottom. But…. in nature, if acanthophthalmus is grabbed by a medium-sized predator, then a sharp thorn will force it to immediately spit out and remember this striped fish. Large birds or catfish often swallow acanthophthalmus whole. What they really regret later!!! A small fish breaks through the walls of the animal’s stomach, and sometimes comes out. The gluttonous predator dies.
The struggle for life, alas, forces many to become predators and cold-blooded killers. And the world of aquarium fish is only a small springboard for fighting for life and procreation.
"Popular types of aquarium fish"
This brochure contains all the popular species of fish, with a description of their keeping conditions, compatibility, feeding + photos.
Video about predatory aquarium fish
List of fish that live in freshwater bodies. These are predatory fish and peaceful fish species, primarily river fish and lake fish. The list contains names, descriptions, and photos of fish in their habitat. The fish in the list is characterized from several points of view:
- Ichthyological: features of fish as a species, habitat, fish nutrition, spawning;
- Culinary: the nutritional value fish, taste, meat properties, fat content, bone content;
- Fishing: fish as an object of amateur and sport fishing.
The habits of fish, fishing methods, tackle and bait are described. Examples of culinary uses and dishes for which fish is most suitable are given.
Freshwater river fish and migratory fish
River fishRiver fish cannot exist in salt water sea water, and sea fish in fresh fish. With some exceptions: migratory fish can live in both fresh and salt water.
Some marine fish migrate to rivers for spawning - salmon, brown trout, and herring. These types of fish are called anadromous. Salmon go upstream in rivers hundreds of kilometers from where they flow into the sea, spawn there, roll back, and die. Migratory fish have great commercial value.
Freshwater river fish are also not always sedentary, and can migrate to salty waters. Some species of freshwater fish (catadromes) swim into the sea to spawn (freshwater eels).
The typical river fish is underrated. No sea fish can compare in taste to properly cooked pike perch, fried carp or crucian carp. Real fish soup is made only from river fish, and the most delicious fish cutlets are made from pike meat. Pike caviar is also prized. And in general, among the river fish, there are really valuable fish!
Names and photos of river fish
Considering that the freshwater bodies of our country are home to more than 400 different types fish, not including migratory fish, the list includes only their most valuable, famous and popular representatives. We tried to select photos of river fish that most accurately convey the idea of them and their appearance.
Let's move on to our list of fish (the order of fish names is derived by weighted average popularity - the number of mentions in fishing, cooking, literature). Each page displays 5 fish. Use the arrows at the bottom of the list to navigate.
#1 Perch
River perch is a small predator, a typical inhabitant of most freshwater bodies of water - rivers, reservoirs, ponds and lakes. Sea bass and yellow perch are representatives of other fish species. In reservoirs with representatives of valuable fish, perch is considered a trash fish, in the rest - a cleaner. A perch weighing more than 300 grams is considered large. During its life, a perch can grow up to half a meter in size and weigh 2 kg.
Perch feeds on young fish, insects and larvae; during the spawning of other fish, it eats their eggs. The striped robber is what characterizes the bass best.
How to catch perch
Perch can be caught using various tackles throughout the year. The largest numbers of perch are caught after high water, in early autumn and on the first ice in winter. They catch perch using spinning rods in the open water season, and using spoons and jigs in winter.
How to cook
Despite the fact that perch is not of particular commercial value, it is widely used in home cooking. This is not to say that this is a fish without bones, but there are very few of them. Large perch is smoked and fried, sometimes salted and dried, and perch fish soup is made from various varieties. Perch meat is tasty and lean. Those who do not like to deal with perch because of its scales are missing out on a lot.
#2 Pike
Pike is a freshwater predatory fish, inhabitant of rivers and lakes. The sea pike is called a barracuda. Depending on the body of water in which it lives, pike can have different colors - lake pikes are brighter and darker than river fish. Being a predator, the spotted predator acts as a “orderly” of reservoirs - it hunts and eats, first of all, weakened and sick fish.
How to cook
Roach is a small fish and quite bony. Its best use is salting and drying, cooking fish soup along with other types of fish. By frying the roach, cut on the sides, you can get rid of small bones. Fishermen have learned to prepare various and very tasty fish dishes from roach.
How diverse is the world of aquatic animals, among which the superclass Pisces stands out! Its representatives are characterized by gill breathing throughout life in postembryonic development. They are studied by a special branch of zoology - ichthyology. Fish live both in the salty waters of oceans and seas, and in freshwater areas. Among them one can distinguish peaceful species and predators. The first ones feed on plant food. And predatory fish are usually omnivores. Their diet includes other animals. Among them are fish, mammals, and birds. Among the freshwater predators of this class we can distinguish the following: catfish, burbot, pike, pike perch, perch, grayling, asp, eel, etc. Among the inhabitants of the sea there are: shark, catfish, moray eel, stingray, barracuda, cod, pollock, pink salmon and many other.
How are predatory fish different?
What is the difference between peaceful fish species and predatory ones? First of all, in the diet. This was discussed above. It is also known that predatory fish are characterized by extraordinary greed and gluttony. Often they take so much food that they are not even able to digest it. Most predatory fish live in subtropical and tropical areas. This is due to the fact that in warm waters there live many more mammals and herbivorous fish, which form the main diet of carnivorous inhabitants of the deep sea. It is also worth noting the fact that predators are more intelligent than their prey. They are very inventive. Here you can recall the white shark - the most dangerous among sharks to humans. Scientists are confident that she is much smarter than a domestic cat. This was proven by experiments in the Bahamas, where these predators were fed using machine guns. They quickly figured out which keys needed to be pressed to make food appear.
Catfish is the largest freshwater predator among fish
Our reservoirs are home to many smart and fast carnivorous representatives of the class we are considering. This includes pike, burbot, asp, perch and many others. The common catfish is a scaleless, predatory freshwater fish. The length of its body often reaches 5 meters, and its weight is 400 kg. It lives, as a rule, in rivers and lakes of the European part of our country. Some people incorrectly believe that this large predatory fish feeds only on spoiled food and carrion. However, catfish happily feast on shellfish, freshwater animals and even birds. But its main prey is fish. The predator hunts at night. During the day it rests in deep holes and snags. There are cases described when a catfish attacked a person.
Evolution of underwater predators
The world's oceans are inhabited by a wide variety of creatures. Here, as on land, there is a constant struggle for survival. You need to get food, protect yourself and your cubs, and kill the enemy. Over the course of evolution, predators have acquired powerful tools to hunt their prey. Thus, an animal called monkfish from the order Anglerfishes has a kind of “antenna” with a growth simulating a worm in front of its huge mouth. During the hunt, this predatory sea fish shakes it, luring potential prey. As soon as the unsuspecting fish is nearby, the monkfish quickly swallows it whole. Its usual diet consists of red mullet, small sharks and even birds.
Moray eels, barracudas, stingrays. Dangerous inhabitants of the deep sea
The primacy in potential danger to humans in the ocean remains, of course, with sharks. They are capable of inflicting fatal wounds on swimmers with their powerful jaws. Bites from barracudas and moray eels can be no less dangerous to humans. These are large predatory fish found in many seas of the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. The largest species among moray eels can reach 3 meters. The powerful jaws of these fish are equipped with sharp awl-shaped teeth. When attacked, this animal hangs on its victim like a bulldog. Moray eel bites are not poisonous. There are bacteria on her teeth that can cause infection. In many species of these fish, the body is covered with poisonous mucus, which negatively affects human skin.
Barracudas live in warm seas. Outwardly, they resemble large pikes. Rarely do they reach 2 meters in length. Their jaws are equipped with large fangs. In the event of an attack, the victim receives lacerations, which then become inflamed. These predators are dangerous to people. There are known cases of barracuda attacking humans. A school of these large hunting predatory fish is especially dangerous.
Stingrays are extremely dangerous to humans. These are bottom animals. They never attack for nothing, only in case of defense. If a diver carelessly steps on such a stingray, he will immediately receive a blow from the tail, at the base of which there is a sharp spike. This can seriously injure a person and even kill.
The white shark is the most dangerous aquatic predator for humans
Carcharodon is the second name of this dangerous inhabitant of the deep sea. The white shark is the largest predatory fish. Its length is often more than 6 meters, and its weight is 1900 kg. Its usual diet is other fish, including squid and dolphins, as well as marine mammals and birds. Very dangerous for humans. Most of the cases are attributed to her. These predatory fish are on the verge of extinction.
- The compression force of a shark's jaws is 500 kg/cm2. It only takes a few bites to dismember a person's body. She can easily bite through steel bars.
- These predators do not feel pain. The shark's body produces a substance similar in its action to opium.
- The pregnancy of this fish lasts longer than that of humans or other animals, such as elephants. So, she carries her cub for 3.5 years.
- The predator can reach speeds of up to 50 km/h. Even bottom-dwelling sharks are capable of moving at accelerations of up to 8 km/h. However, this fish does not know how to brake.
- reaches 12 meters, the smallest species is 15 cm.
- The problem of desalination of the world's oceans is not scary for these aquatic predators. The shark's body produces a special substance that regulates the salinity of the water.
- These fish stay on the water thanks to their large liver.
- Sharks must constantly move to help their heart system pump blood throughout the body. She cannot even sleep, otherwise she will suffocate or drown.
- A shark's sense of smell is one of the best on our planet.
Sailfish - the fastest fish in the world
Which sea predator moves the fastest? Of course, sailfish. It belongs to the order Perciformes. As a rule, it lives in warm seas. But some species can live in temperate latitudes. Her main distinctive feature- the presence of a high and long fin on the back, reminiscent of a sail. This is a very active predator. In pursuit of prey, it is capable of reaching speeds of up to 100 km/h. These fish feed mainly on sardines, mackerel, mackerel, anchovies and so on. Catching predatory fish is a very interesting activity for anglers. Often bait is used for this. Many anglers prefer to catch sailfish using spinning rods.
Piranha is one of the most dangerous predatory fish
An omnivore, ready to tear to shreds in a matter of minutes everything that comes into its habitat. This is how we imagine a piranha.
And what is she really like, this predatory one? Piranhas live in the stormy waters of the Amazon River. This is a small fish, only 20 cm long. Piranha has a keen sense of smell, as well as a large mouth dotted with a row of scary flat teeth. Individuals keep in a flock and are very voracious. They prefer to hunt in large groups. They often hide in cover, waiting for an unsuspecting victim. They attack quickly, with lightning speed. The prey is eaten in a matter of seconds. The predator's usual diet is fish, birds and mammals that come close to the water. This extremely aggressive river resident has long attracted people's attention. Several species of aquarium piranhas have now been bred. The most popular of them are: slender piranha, red pacu, common and lunar metinnis and others.
Deep sea predatory fish
It is difficult to imagine that there is also life at the vast depths of the world's oceans. Here, in pitch darkness and under high water pressure, there are predators. As a rule, they are small in size. Their body is devoid of scales and covered only with thin skin. Deep-sea fish have a very bizarre body shape. Moreover, almost all of them are predators. This is evidenced by their terrible toothy mouths. Some species look like a huge head with a large mouth lined with rows of scary, sharp teeth. Even the names of these strange inhabitants are very bizarre. Names of predatory fish that live at great depths: sacfish, grammatostomia, galateatauma, largemouth, hatchet, linophryna and others. These predators have adapted to live in conditions unbearable for other animals. With their huge mouths they grab prey, even if it is larger than themselves, and swallow it whole.
Predators in the aquarium
Carnivorous representatives of the deep waters have always attracted human attention. Many species of predatory fish have been domesticated. Now their dwarf types are bred in aquariums. The most popular among them are piranhas, girinocheilus, cichlids and others. And in captivity they manifest their natural instincts. This must be taken into account when breeding peaceful fish and predators together in the same aquarium.
Species that are similar in habits and living conditions cannot be housed together. They must not be allowed to starve. Due to lack of food, predatory aquarium fish can eat each other. It is very interesting to observe the behavior of cichlids. They have quite a lot of intelligence. These little fish love to watch everything that happens outside the aquarium. They are even able to recognize their owner and react to some of his movements. The snakehead is another domesticated predator. His appearance is very colorful. He is able to go without water for a long time. Piranhas in captivity are more timid than aggressive. With every loud knock or hit on the glass of the aquarium, they sink to the bottom and convulse. In order for these fish to coexist with peaceful species, they must be provided with adequate food.
We have seen how diverse the world of predatory fish is both in freshwater reservoirs and in the depths of the sea.