The most predatory freshwater fish. Predatory fish

Freshwater predators

Pike

In the reservoirs of Russia and Belarus, pike is widespread. But not everyone knows what size it can reach. Pike are sometimes taller than human height and weigh up to 60 kg. The maximum size of pike is 1.5 m, weight is 30-35 kg. She reaches sexual maturity at the age of 2-4 years. The lifespan of this fish is interpreted in different ways. The age limit for pike is 33. It is so predatory that it attacks everything, even its relatives. Pike is very strong, agile and tireless. There are cases when a pike attacked another pike, almost the same size as itself. Sometimes you can observe how a female pike in an artificial pond (spawning pond), after the completion of the “marriage ceremony” (spawning) and the birth of offspring, immediately “deals” with her “beloved”, especially since the males planted for spawning can be significantly smaller in size than females. However, for all its greed, the pike shows a certain pickiness. She prefers carp fish, bleak, roach, rudd, and crucian carp. He is very wary of spiny fish; ruff and perch. If a pike catches such a fish, it does not swallow it immediately, but holds it in its teeth until it stops moving.

Pike grows very quickly. In pond farms, pike fry, planted in ponds for joint cultivation with carp, with a sufficient amount of food in the form of trash fish, reach a weight of 350-400 g and 30-40 cm in length in one summer. In terms of growth rate, it occupies one of the first places among lake fish species spawning in spring. However, pike is not limited to just fish. It eats frogs and attacks ducks and other waterfowl. Pike does not disdain water rats, mice, shrews, squirrels and other small animals that swim across the pond. No wonder it is called the “thunderstorm” of the reservoir. Sometimes there is an opinion that pike, as a predator, causes great harm to fish stocks. This view is based on an incorrect assessment of the importance of any predator in nature in general and pike in particular, on exaggerated concepts of the number of fish it destroys. Pike is a regulator of the fish population: by eating small things of little value, sick and weak fish, it thereby enables larger and healthier fish to grow faster and produce healthier offspring. Pike is not a schooling fish. Both in rivers and lakes it stays in places with a moderate current, not very deep, grassy, ​​snags near the banks. Pike is a completely sedentary fish and only in the spring, before spawning, does it rise up the river, and by winter it goes into the pools. She eats a lot, but digests food very slowly.

The body color of the pike camouflages it well among overgrown vegetation. The pike usually attacks its prey from an ambush with a swift but short throw. However, she very rarely misses. Having missed, it usually does not repeat the attack, but returns to ambush to wait for another victim. The pike most often grabs its prey crosswise, but always swallows it from the head, unfolding it in its mouth with the movement of its jaws. Moreover, he does this on the move, without stopping in place after the throw. Catching it with self-catching gear is based on this habit.

Zander

Pike perch is a large predatory fish, reaching a length of up to 1 m or more, weighing up to 10, and some specimens up to 20 kg. It is found mainly in large rivers and lakes connected to them. Pike perch lives up to 15 years. Sexual maturity occurs at 4-5 years. Pike-perch fish can be called both sea and freshwater fish, since it is seen in large quantities both in the Azov, Aral, Black and Caspian seas, as well as in large lakes and rivers. Closer to the northern regions of Russia, as well as in the west and southwest of Europe, pike perch is rarely found or not found at all. This fish is found in reservoirs with clean water. Every year a certain group of lakes is stocked with young pike perch. Pike perch is a warm water fish. Grows best at a temperature of 15-18°. Does not tolerate lack of oxygen well. Under favorable conditions, its young grow quickly.

Within 2 years, pike perch can reach a weight of 1 kg or more. By nature of nutrition, pike perch is a carnivorous fish. During the first period, its young feed mainly on zooplankton and partly on insect larvae and fish fry; later they switch to feeding on small fish, and in our conditions - bleak, verkhovka, small roach, etc. The pike perch is not able to capture large fish due to the small the size of the mouth and pharynx. Pike perch lives at different depths, depending on the location of its main food and temperature conditions during certain periods of the year. Unlike pike, it actively hunts for its prey and avoids areas with thickets, since here it itself can become food for the pike. It spawns at a temperature of about 15° in April - June, depending on the climatic conditions of the area. Pike perch is a schooling fish. It lives in deep snags, littered holes, quarries, ditches, old river beds, etc. However, the habitat of pike perch is not permanent. Where it was caught well the day before, it may not be there the next day. The catch of pike perch in reservoirs sometimes exceeds 400 c per year.

Burbot

Burbot is the only representative of the cod family that lives in fresh water. Burbot has a peculiar body shape, sharply different from other fish. It has a flattened head, the body towards the tail part on the sides is strongly compressed and elongated. The skin is dense, protected by delicate, small scales. It has two dorsal fins: the first is short, the second is long, the anal fin is of the same length. Burbot has a grayish-green back color with dark spots and stripes. The belly is sharply defined and has a whitish tint. The body is slippery; the burbot has one barbel on its chin. The way of life of burbot is also peculiar. He does not like sunlight, dozes during the day, and goes hunting at night. Burbot is an extremely greedy and insatiable predator. It eats other fish more than pike. Has a circumpolar distribution. Typically found in rivers flowing into the Arctic Ocean. On the territory of Russia, burbot is distributed everywhere in reservoirs of the Arctic and temperate zones, in the basins of the Baltic, White, Black and Caspian seas and in the basins of all Siberian rivers from the Ob to Anadyr along their entire length. Burbot reaches a length of 1 m and a weight of up to 5 kg, although there are individual individuals weighing up to 24 kg. In our reservoirs, the weight of burbot reaches from 1 to 2 kg. Reaches sexual maturity at the age of 3-4 years. Very prolific. There are females that lay up to 3 million eggs. Spawns in January, when reservoirs are covered with a thick layer of ice. Burbot lives up to 22 years. Loves cold, clean water and is extremely susceptible to its pollution. In the summer months, when the water gets very hot, it goes into deep pools, dark places, and hides in holes, under snags, and stones. Becomes inactive. In hot weather, burbot does not feed. If a parking spot is discovered at this time, it can easily be caught with your hands. Burbot is a bottom-dwelling fish and, despite its lazy and sluggish appearance, swims very quickly and deftly. Adult burbot feeds on fish: most of all minnows, ruffes and small perches, and does not neglect its own young. Sometimes, during autopsy, over 40 perch weighing 3-5 g were found in the stomach of a burbot weighing up to 1.2 kg. Burbot produces especially severe devastation in winter, when its appetite increases, and other fish are more sleepy and lethargic than in summer, in recent years. years is less common in catches.

Perch

Perch is a typical representative of lakes and rivers. Like pike, it is most widely distributed in the waters of Russia and Belarus. The average lifespan of a perch is 17 years. Sexual maturity occurs at 4-5 years. There is evidence that perch reaches a size of up to half a meter and a weight of 2 to 5 kg. In its predatory greed, perch is not inferior to pike. Unusually gluttonous. If there is a rich prey in front of him, he, having barely swallowed one fish, immediately after it swallows the second, etc., so that often the caught fry, not fitting in his stomach, stick out of his mouth. The perch sits in ambush for a long time, from where it rushes at prey or chases small fish. Perch will eat any fish, as long as it is the right size. Perches do not give mercy to their own offspring. They do not stop feeding either in autumn or winter. The favorite food of perch is the caviar of valuable fish species. In winter, when reservoirs are covered with a thick layer of ice, perch does not stop its predatory lifestyle, destroying baby fish. It is especially voracious after spawning. Spawns shortly after pike. At this time, a good time begins for fishing enthusiasts. Perch prefers cool water and does not like to swim near the surface of the water, but when schools of small fish appear there, which it hunts, it immediately rises from the depths. However, he does not live at the very bottom, but stays not far from it. The perch swims actively during the day, and after sunset it stops moving and seems to doze off. Doesn't handle heat very well. At this time, he hides in shady places or plants, and then continues hunting.

Som

Catfish is one of the largest freshwater predatory fish. Reaches sizes up to 5 m in length, and sometimes weighs over 300 kg. Such giants, scientists believe, are usually 80-100 years old. Catfish does not disdain anything when it comes to nutrition. Eats mollusks, frogs, even large fish. Ducks, geese, water rats and other birds and animals that swim in the catfish’s habitat often end up in the catfish’s mouth. Catfish spawn in spring or early summer, in clean and quiet water on “nests”. The female uses her pectoral fins to dig a nest in the ground in the form of a hole, into which she lays eggs. The number of eggs reaches 130 thousand. Females lay eggs at the age of 4-5 years at a water temperature of 18-20°. Catfish are among the caring parents. After spawning, the fertilized eggs are protected in “nests”. In the fall, catfish go to winter, often lying down in pits in quite large groups, burying their heads in the silt. Catfish are caught with hooks, cast nets, and fishing traps. Catfish is a strong fish. Experienced fishermen say: if you catch a catfish on a fishing rod, it’s not so easy to pull it out. Fighting him at the very beginning promises many surprises. It happens that it is not the fisherman who catches the catfish, but the catfish that leads the fisherman along with the boat. Feeling the resistance of the tackle, he tries to overcome it with a rapid movement in a straight line. There is no point in holding him back at this moment. You should release 20-30 cm of line, sometimes more, avoiding fighting at a short distance. The further the predator goes from the shore, the more tired it becomes and the more realistic the angler’s chances of winning. In the process of fishing, the catfish gets tired and lies on the bottom. Then it's easy to take.

Catfish meat is tasty, contains a lot of fat and few bones. Catfish can be bred in special ponds where there is a lot of low-value fish. By eating it, it grows relatively quickly. Catfish live in deep-sea reservoirs, whirlpools, near dams near old mills, and in snags.

Chub

Chub, one of the most beautiful fish in our reservoirs. When we say “ours,” we mean the reservoirs of the Lipetsk region, although this is probably true for the entire central zone of Russia. Here is what, for example, Leonid Pavlovich Sabaneev writes about him - a description of the chub: “...The chub is very beautiful. Its back is dark green, almost black, its sides are silver with a yellowish tint, the edges of individual scales are shaded by a shiny dark border consisting of black dots; the pectoral fins are orange, the pelvic and anal fins have a reddish tint, and the dorsal and especially tail feathers are dark blue, sometimes somewhat sparkling; the eyes are comparatively very large, shiny, with a brownish-green spot on top. In general, a large chub comes closest to an ide, but is much longer, thicker and broad-browed than the latter...”

Chubs have dark dorsal and caudal fins with black edging along the edges. Most likely this is due to the characteristics of the habitat, so in some other rivers the colors and appearance may differ slightly from the above. “In rivers”, because it is in small rivers and in the upper reaches of large rivers, where there is an abundance of rifts and springs with cold water, that it is most numerous: here it is easier for it to withstand food competition with other predators, there is an abundance of food both from the sky and from bottom in the form of all kinds of larvae, crustaceans and grass, and in addition there is also a huge amount of juvenile fish, which he eats with pleasure.

Ocean and sea predators

Shark

Among large predatory fish, the most famous are sharks, 20 families of which include about 250 species. About 50 of their species are clearly and potentially dangerous to humans; attacks from 29 species have been documented. It is practically difficult to distinguish predatory species from non-predatory ones. Therefore, you should be wary of any shark 1-2 m long or more, with the exception of the largest (up to 10-15 m long) whale shark that feeds on plankton.

The most dangerous to humans are the great white shark, or “man-eating shark,” which has a length of up to 11 m, the tiger shark, the mako shark and the Australian shark. Hammerhead sharks, whose heads have two large outgrowths on the sides, with eyes on the outer edges, also attack humans. There are no life-threatening sharks in Russian territorial waters, with the exception of the Sea of ​​Japan, where they can be found in the summer. In the Black Sea there are 2 species of small sharks: the katran ("sea dog", "spiny shark") up to 1-1.5 m long and the small (up to 1 m) spotted scyllium shark. These sharks can bite only accidentally due to careless behavior of the diver. The katran, bending its body in an arc, can quickly inflict a cut and a prick with a thorny thorn. These wounds are very painful and take a long time to heal.

Large sharks inflict the most severe wounds, which in 50-80% of cases lead to the death of the victim from bleeding and shock. The compression force of a shark's jaws reaches 18 tf. With a few bites, a shark can dismember a person's body into pieces. The tough skin of a shark can damage soft wetsuits or wetsuits and cause severe skin abrasions. A shark can detect the vibrations in the water of a noisily swimming person up to 200 m away, long before it smells blood. Shark attacks are most common in tropical and subtropical waters between 3 and 4 p.m.

Moray

Moray eels are also dangerous, reaching a length of 3 m with a body thickness of 30 cm. They hide in underwater caves, crevices, thickets of vegetation and corals. If a person suddenly appears near the shelter of a moray eel or injures it, then it can inflict deep painful wounds with its teeth. Cases of death of divers who were unable to free their hand from the death grip of a moray eel are described. It is widely believed that when a moray eel bites, it introduces poison into the wound. However, the toxicity of moray eels has not been reliably established, and most researchers consider them non-poisonous.

Electric fish

Some fish can give an electric shock to humans. These include the electric catfish, electric eel and several species of electric fox rays, which are widespread in tropical and temperate oceans. Found in the Black, Japanese and Barents Seas. They live in shallow waters and spend most of their time at the bottom, burrowing into the sand. Electric eels and stingrays are capable of producing electrical discharges with voltages ranging from 8 to 350 V or more. When touching a large electric stingray, the current discharge can be so strong that it knocks a person off his feet and causes severe weakness, dizziness, and disturbances in cardiac activity and breathing. The current of an electric eel is quite weak (usually fractions of an ampere), but sometimes short current discharges with a frequency of up to 300 pulses per second and a power of 1 kW (500V2 A) are possible. Providing first aid and treating lesions by predatory fish is carried out according to the general rules of surgical treatment of wounds. Measures are taken to stop the bleeding, anti-shock therapy is carried out, tetanus toxoid is administered, and antibiotics are prescribed. The victim must be hospitalized as soon as possible.

In case of electric shock, the patient needs rest; anti-shock treatment is carried out according to indications. Recovery is usually uneventful. Preventing injuries from predatory and dangerous fish involves taking precautions when diving in areas where dangerous marine animals live. Divers must be instructed about the possibility of the appearance of these animals, safety measures and the protective equipment used (repellents, emitters of various designs, shelter pavilions, available protective equipment, etc.). Descents must be carried out by a group of divers of at least two people, one of whom is a belayer and watches for the appearance of predators. Divers should wear waterproof clothing, as it has been observed that a shark is much less likely to attack a clothed person than a naked one. Diving equipment must be painted in a single dark color. There should be a shelter-gazebo with the door pre-opened and locked in place near the divers. At the launch site there should be a boat with a safety diver and a crew for all-round observation of the water surface and scaring off sea predators. During diving operations in areas where dangerous marine animals live, it is strictly prohibited to throw food waste overboard.

Other marine predators

No less dangerous than a shark is the swordfish, which has a length of up to 4.5 m and is armed with a hard bone sword. Large barracudas, the length of which reaches 2-3 m, swim quickly and can suddenly and rapidly attack, inflicting serious, intractable wounds on a person with their sharp large teeth. Barracudas are sensitive to brightly colored objects and movement of water. The sailfish can seriously injure a person with a blow from a sword that secretes mucus. An ulcer forms at the site of the lesion, prone to suppuration.

Human behavior when encountering a marine predator

Divers must move underwater calmly and smoothly, exercise attention and caution, avoid contact with unfamiliar representatives of marine fauna, and inspect narrow areas only with a pole or probe. If predators appear, the diver must immediately report to the director of the descent, cut the bag of repellent and go into the refuge shelter or go upstairs, using a diving knife, if necessary, to protect against the predator. In the absence of a refuge shelter, divers must rise simultaneously “back to back”, repelling predators with improvised means. In some cases, the shark was driven away by hitting it on the nose, eyes or gills. When in an area where sharks may appear, a diver should get out of the water if he receives even a minor scratch. Diving work in areas inhabited by dangerous marine animals is prohibited:

• at night without the use of special shelters or underwater houses;
• in places where networks are installed and sampled, wastewater outlets, wastewater from meat and fish processing plants and other food enterprises;
• in the presence of bleeding wounds and abrasions on the diver’s body;
• when large marine predators appear;
• immediately after underwater blasting in the area.

Man still knows very little who lives in the depths of the ocean, but even our knowledge is enough to understand that, in addition to cute fish, the most terrible creatures swim there. At least we can make the TOP 10 most terrible fish in the world, keeping in mind their appearance or habits.

1. White shark

As far as we now know, the most terrible fish in the world's oceans is the white shark. This very ancient species is huge and bloodthirsty. The size of the white shark is such that its prey is any marine life, except killer whales and large whales. Human meat is also included in her menu, but not often - as a delicacy. The white shark's huge mouth contains several rows of very sharp teeth, which are constantly renewed throughout its life. The length of a white shark can reach up to 10 meters, and it can easily bite a large prey - a seal or a person - in half.

2. Long-horned sabertooth

If we take into account solely the appearance, the most terrifying looking fish is the long-horned sabertooth, also known as the common sabertooth and the common needletooth. She actually looks quite scary and not very nice. This fish has a disproportionately large head. The body of adults is black. Long thin teeth protrude from both jaws of the fish. It is interesting that in appearance young saber-tooths are very different from adult individuals, so scientists for a long time even classified them as a different species. They have a different body structure, pointed spines on the head and a lighter color, and they live at shallower depths.
These gargoyle-like fish live in the great depths of the Pacific, Indian and Atlantic oceans in tropical and subtropical latitudes. These horror stories feed on crustaceans, small fish and squid. The young growth of the long-horned sabertooth itself is food for larger predators: tuna and no less terrible alepisaurs.

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3. Drop fish

Off the coast of Australia and Tasmania, at very great depths (presumably 600-1200 meters), there is a drop fish, which is also included in the list of the most terrible fish. More precisely, she is not so much scary as unattractive and to some extent disgusting-looking. Local fishermen call it the “Australian goby.”
The fish resembles at the same time the dissatisfied senile face of a person and some semblance of an embryo due to its watery, slippery body. However, it does not pose a danger to humans, if only because a person never appears at a depth of a kilometer, and fish do not swim near the surface. The blobfish does not have a swim bladder. The expression on the “face” of this fish is sad, even sad. This fish is inedible, but recently it has been increasingly caught by fishermen, which is why scientists have begun to fear for the safety of this species - maybe that’s why the drop fish is grieving so much? It will take at least a decade to restore its population.

4. Brownie shark

The goblin shark (Mitsekurina, Scapanorhynchus) also lives at great depths, but its population is probably small. At least to date, only a few similar specimens have been caught (less than 50 fish). Scientists have no idea about the habits of this mysterious deep-sea monster. So far they have only been able to establish that this species lives in the warm waters of all oceans at a depth of more than 200 meters. This shark is sometimes called the “goblin” for its terrifying appearance with a huge growth on its head and protruding, almost Alien-like jaws. Collectors of natural wonders greatly value such jaws.

5. Coelacanth

The coelacanth fish is an incredibly ancient species, considered a living fossil. Over hundreds of millions of years, it has changed little in its structure. The coelacanth has an eerie appearance, but it is not a very active fish and spends a lot of time in underwater caves.
At the moment, two species of coelacanth have been found, one lives in the southwestern Indian Ocean, off the coast of South Africa, and the second was discovered at the very end of the last century near the island of Sulawesi. Coelacanths are covered, like armor, with powerful scales, which are good protection for them. The scales of coelacanths are unique, like no other modern fish; on its outer surface there are many protrusions that make the scales look like a file. Coelacanths feed on coelacanths, anchovies, cardinal fish, cephalopods, cuttlefish and even big-headed sharks.

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6. Monkfish

Monkfish or European anglerfish are not uncommon; they live along almost the entire European coast, from the Black Sea to the Barents Sea. The fish was named so because of its ugly appearance - a naked, scaleless body, a huge head with a large mouth.
This monster is capable of glowing in the darkness of the deep sea - a luminous rod-like outgrowth looms in front of the fish’s mouth, which lures prey to itself. This fish belongs to the order of anglerfish, and if you consider that it reaches an impressive two-meter length and a human weight of 60 kg, it is easy to imagine how such a monster can scare.

7. Viper fish

The frightening appearance has become the main reason for the popularity of the viper fish: a long thin body with luminous points, a disproportionately large mouth dotted with needle-sharp teeth, a luminous fin - a fishing rod that lures simple-minded victims into this mouth. The habitat of this fish is extensive - the Pacific and Atlantic oceans. But in this case, this fish is quite small - only 25 centimeters long.
This small predator is also deep-sea - it lives at about a kilometer depth, and if necessary, it can even descend into a 4-kilometer abyss. But this nocturnal predator hunts near the surface for small fish and other living creatures, after which it again plunges into the less populated depths of the ocean, where it can feel relatively safe.

8. Wart (stone fish)

Divers see a wide variety of rocks on the seabed, varying in color and shape. However, some stones may move unexpectedly. This is how the wart, the most poisonous fish in the world, mimics a reef stone. The body of the fish is covered with soft skin with bumps, like warts, which helps it skillfully camouflage itself on the bottom, pretending to be an inconspicuous stone. But the sharp, poisonous dorsal fins of this fish are especially dangerous, for which it was also nicknamed the wasp fish, and the Australian aborigines called it the warty vampire.
The length of an adult wart can reach 40 cm, although some divers claim to have met half-meter warts. The color of the stonefish can vary from brown to green, with reddish-orange spots. Despite its danger and repulsive appearance, the wart is an edible fish from which sashimi is prepared. But the spines on the dorsal fin can easily pierce shoes and injure the leg, which often ends in the death of a person.

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9. Big tiger fish

This predatory freshwater fish is also called giant hydrocin or goliath, and local residents call it mbenga. The predator's mouth is armed with a rare but impressive 32 fangs, reminiscent of crocodiles. It can easily not only bite the fishing line, but also the rod or the hand of a careless fisherman. Goliath is named so for a reason - it is one of the largest freshwater fish in the world, which can weigh up to 100 kilograms. This monster lives in Central Africa, in the Congo River basin and Lake Tanganyika. In the Congo, there have been cases of river giant attacks on people. Local residents claim that the mbenga is the only fish that is not afraid of the crocodile.

10. Characin Vampire

The payara or characin fish lives in the Amazon River basin. But it also has another sonorous name - “vampire” for its two incredibly long lower fangs, with the help of which it holds its prey (usually smaller fish). This fish is a coveted trophy for professional fishermen. Adult fish grow in the Amazon up to one and a half meters in length, but weigh relatively little - 14 kilograms. The lower fangs, which gave the characin the name “vampire,” can grow up to 16 centimeters. With the help of such a formidable weapon, the fish is able to reach the deeply hidden internal organs of the attacked victim, since it accurately determines their location.

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 effect 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 speeds 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. Its main distinguishing feature is the presence of a high and long fin on its 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.

Predatory fish - There is danger lurking in almost every large body of water. The biggest fears in the seas are sharks and barracudas, and in fresh waters - piranhas. Since the release of Steven Spielberg's Jaws, the great white shark has become a terror to American swimmers, who are convinced that the shark thinks of nothing more than feasting on them. In reality this is not the case.

The man-eating shark disdains to eat human flesh, and if by chance some unlucky person falls into its mouth, he will most likely be spat out. Of course, severely disfigured.

Predatory fish - description of species, photos and videos

There have been 78 attacks by this shark on people in California, but only 8 resulted in death. Predatory fish are true masters of finding, grabbing and killing their prey. They, in turn, try to avoid a sad end for themselves; Therefore, amazing hunters must have very sensitive organs, capable of constantly monitoring both the immediate and more distant surroundings. However, finding the victim is only the beginning of success, because you still need to catch up with it. In water, where the resistance of the environment is 800 times greater than on land, body structure is as important as muscle strength. And the movement of spindle-shaped fish can be extremely fast.

From these positions, pelagic sharks and barracudas have the best shape - their elongated, egg-shaped bodies are thickest at about a third of the length, if measured from the muzzle, and then the body of the fish becomes thinner towards the tail, as well as tapers a little less in the opposite direction, ending with a blunt snout , with which the fish cuts through the water while moving.

The friction between water and scales is significantly reduced by the secretions of the skin glands. Sharks have inhabited the seas for 350 million years, and during all this time they have hardly changed.

This is an exceptionally successful product of evolution. They are found in all ecological niches of the ocean - from coasts and coral reefs to open sea spaces and great depths. Typically, sharks chase prey that they can swallow whole. The unbridled hunting instinct sets in the moment the predator tastes blood.

The first shark, looking closely at the victim, carefully circles around it, not starting an attack until at least one more shark appears. Then the circles narrow - and, finally, one of the predators sinks its teeth into the prey and, with strong jerks of its head, tears off the first piece from it. This is a signal for others.

Falling into a trance for a while, the shark loses its instinct of self-preservation. When nothing remains of the torn prey, the killers disappear as imperceptibly as they appeared. They smell blood from afar, possessing a very subtle sense of smell, but in pursuing prey, hearing and the superbly developed sensory organs of the lateral line also play a significant role.

Thanks to these organs, sharks are extremely sensitive to vibration caused by the sudden movements of sick or weak fish, which become the first victims of sharks.

The vision of these predators is weak - the eyes have low resolution, and in addition, they do not distinguish colors; When attacking prey, sharks even close their eyes with a hard nictitating membrane.

At critical moments, the accuracy of the attack is controlled by receivers of weak electrical impulses scattered across the shark’s face, generated by convulsive contractions of the muscles of the fleeing victim. One of the most common sharks is the long-winged one, which rarely swims to the shores.

Most often there are individuals about 2 meters long and weighing several tens of kilograms. This species lives mainly in tropical seas, while blue sharks are common in the subtropical and temperate zones - graceful fish with a long snout and long pectoral fins, the same size as the previous species.

Tiger sharks, so named because of the stripes clearly visible on the body of young individuals, are considered one of the most dangerous to humans. Adults reach 5 meters in length and weigh almost 0.5 tons.

When examining the contents of their stomachs, in addition to crabs, lobsters, squid and all kinds of fish, the remains of birds, sea snakes, crocodiles, dogs, cats, canned food and even bags of coal were found, which indicates close contact with human habitation and penetration into river mouths.

Tiger sharks are found throughout the sea, and not just in the shelf zone - but exclusively in the tropics. Close relatives of this family of sawtooth sharks are hammerhead sharks. They have a similar silhouette and fin arrangement, including a fairly large caudal fin with an elongated upper blade that has a protrusion at the end. They owe their name to the shape of their head.

Smaller specimens of hammerhead sharks feed not only on fish, but also on invertebrates, which are found off the coast and in the murky, brackish waters of estuaries. When searching for food, they primarily rely on their sense of smell, as evidenced by the way they approach prey. Since the nostrils are located at the edges of the lateral processes of the head, the large distance between them - at least in several species - forces the shark to turn towards the victim with one or the other nostril, and the fish approaches the target in zigzags.

If you close one nostril, the behavior changes - then the shark circles around the source of the smell and swims up in a spiral. Large hammerheads feed on cephalopods and fish; Moreover, among the victims there are other sharks, and of impressive size. The tail spines of stingrays are often found in the stomachs of fish of this species, which indicates that hammerhead sharks also hunt at the bottom.

All types of hammers, and there are several dozen of them, differ in the shape of the head and the level of development of the lateral processes. Large hammerhead sharks are dangerous, and their attacks on people swimming have a fatal outcome.

Their jaws are as strong as those of sawtooth sharks, and their teeth, although sharp, are without jagged edges. The white shark has the worst reputation. The name can be misleading because the coloration is not much different from that typical of other pelagic sharks. The distinctive feature is rather the teeth - smooth and triangular on both the upper and lower jaws - they are also sharp, which makes it easy to bite through both soft and hard materials.

The length of the teeth in large specimens reaches 5 cm, so it is not difficult for them to bite off a human limb. These species grow up to 6 - 8 meters in length and weigh more than 3 tons. White sharks, also called man-eaters, live in the waters of all oceans, but still more often in the subtropics and in warm regions of the temperate zone than in warmer tropical waters.

Despite the fact that they can easily cover vast spaces, white sharks prefer to live off the coast. Most often they appear where the shore borders the depths, especially if there are colonies of seals or sea lions on the shore.

Small species are content with fish, among which there are many representatives of the class of bony fish, as well as other sharks and rays. White sharks hunt alone or in pairs, and several sharks in a row can only be found in places where there is a large concentration of food. In some regions there are fish that are even more feared than sharks.

Such predators include barracudas in particular, the great barracuda and the Pacific barracuda. Their body length approaches 3 meters, and their weight approaches several tens of kilograms. The body is very elongated, and there are powerful fangs in the mouth.

The lower jaw protrudes forward, the fangs in the first species are normal, in the second they are curved inside the body. Off the coast of Central California over 32 years, there were 41 attacks on swimmers, which were blamed on man-eating sharks. But defenders of these fish argue that they had no evil intentions and that the aggression is the result of a mistake when hunting other prey. Most tragedies involving sharks are attributed to man-eaters, hence their name. However, it must be taken into account that cases of attacks most often occur in the tropics, where there are many more predators that are difficult to distinguish from each other.

Large predatory sharks - such as tiger or white sharks - have razor-sharp teeth designed to tear apart prey. But most sharks, including the common catshark, feed in bottom waters: their strong teeth crush crustacean shells and mollusk shells. Sharks that hunt fish have long, thin teeth designed to capture slippery prey. Barracudas attack people extremely rarely, and most often scuba divers. These attacks are caused either by a desire to profit from fish caught by a scuba diver, or when a predator mistakes shiny objects, such as a knife, for fish.

The throw is lightning fast and consists of one blow, but even this is enough to inflict terrible wounds. Several deaths have also been documented, mostly in the southeast coast of North America. Barracudas are suspected of attacking people on beaches, but there is not enough evidence to support this.

It is believed that barracudas have their own hunting territories: they live near rocks or coral reefs, where they wait motionless for prey, just as pike, which are similar in appearance to sea predators, do in fresh waters. However, this applies to large species, and representatives of smaller ones hunt on the move.

It happens that in small groups they chase small fish on the surface of the water or near the shores. Large species of barracuda mainly feed on fish, and they grab everything they can and even attack prey larger than themselves.

There are 18 known species of barracuda. The smallest ones do not exceed 30 cm, but thanks to their long mouth they are also predators. The color of barracudas, dark on top and silver on the sides, is characterized by transverse stripes and spots on the lower part of the body.

They reproduce according to a pattern common in shelf waters, especially among perch fish: small eggs float in the water, and the fry immediately after birth begin to feed on plankton. According to popular belief, piranhas are among the most formidable predators of fresh waters.

These are gregarious fish, whose representatives mainly feed on other fish. Piranhas also hunt prey that is many times larger - for example, mammals such as oxen and pigs. When searching for food, piranhas primarily use their sense of smell. During the hunt, they swim in a large flock, try to get as close as possible to the potential victim and attack unexpectedly.

First of all, predators chew off the fins so that the prey cannot hide - piranhas themselves swim slowly. A moment later, the prey dies, torn to pieces by the sharp teeth of predators. Piranhas have a tall, laterally compressed body.

On both jaws there are knife-sharp triangular teeth, growing in such a way that each one fits between the two on the opposite jaw. The cheeks have strong muscles that serve to operate the massive jaws, which cut through anything that gets caught in them with razor sharpness.

Among the 16 species, only two can be dangerous to humans, and then in crowded places, and near slaughterhouses, where bloody waste is dumped into the river: the smell of blood excites piranhas, and they always attack a wounded animal or person. In waters free of slaughterhouse waste, it is safe to swim among piranhas.

Piranhas are most aggressive during periods of drought, when food spaces are narrowed to small bodies of water. Despite their supposedly extreme bloodthirstiness, piranhas are often bred as aquarium fish.

Predatory fish video

Fish-predators video from Discovery and National Geographic:

Some people, when asked: “What is the largest fish?” will answer: “Whale.” But this is a misconception, because a whale is a mammal, not a fish. Of all living creatures on the planet, the whale is undoubtedly the largest.

But still, what is the biggest fish in the world? It is difficult to answer this question unequivocally. Some data vary widely, and reported rates differ from unofficial ones. But if you focus on general statistics, then there is some consistency. Let's see which fish species are the largest by tracing the chain of 10 representatives in reverse order.

10. Som

This fish can reach 5 meters in length and 400 kg in weight. But due to poaching, it has become rare to see catfish of such dimensions. Their weight and size depend entirely on age. So, for example, a four-year-old individual weighs 8 kg, a fish whose age has reached 8 years old weighs 16 kg, at 15 years old the weight of a catfish ranges from 40 to 60 kg, at 20 years old it weighs up to 120 kg. Catfish live up to 30 years.

is a heat-loving fish and lives in the basins of the Black, Aral, Caspian and Azov seas. In Russian reservoirs, catfish is the largest predator. He prefers to huddle in deep holes, away from the riverbed. Catfish do not like currents and muddy bottoms, so the holes in which they stop can become their home forever, and they only leave there to hunt.

9. Antarctic blue marlin

This species of ray-finned fish from the billfish family reaches five meters and 818 kg. At least this is the highest recorded figure. Blue marlins are heat-loving fish and live in waters with temperatures ranging from 22 to 30 C. Marlins are found only in the Atlantic Ocean, in its tropical and temperate parts.

This breed of fish is migratory. They travel long distances and it is unknown whether they return. Of the marked individuals, some returned to their original place, but this still does not prove anything.

Female blue marlin are much larger than males. They reach sexual maturity at the age of three to four years. The weight of the individual at this moment is 45 – 65 kg. The weight of males at this age reaches 35–45 kg.

Adult fish feed on other swimming creatures such as squid and other fish species, mainly mackerel. Blue marlin larvae receive food from the larvae of other fish, plankton larvae, including zooplankton.

8. Fish Moon

The moon-shaped fish reaches 3 meters in size and weighs 1.4 tons. This fish is shaped like a plate - round and flat. The tail stalk of fish of this breed is absent, as well as the caudal fin. The anal fin and dorsal fin do not have spines. In place of the caudal fin there is a fold of skin that creates an imitation of a fin. The skin of adult representatives is elastic and thick. It is covered with small bumps.

Sunfish are found in the tropical waters of the Antarctic, Pacific and Indian oceans. In some, more rare cases, this fish can be observed in the Baltic Sea, off the coast of the Kola Peninsula and the Mediterranean Sea.

At first, these fish were considered not the best swimmers, unable to cope with the current, but during the research, the maximum speed of movement of the moon fish was measured - 3.28 km per hour.

7. Mako shark

The maximum length of the mako shark that is recorded is 4 meters, 45 cm. This species is also called the blacktip and mackerel shark, but the mako shark is more common.

This fish belongs to the herring family. Perhaps they are the fastest of all species of sharks living in the waters of the seas and oceans. You can see the mako shark in warm waters with a tropical climate in all existing oceans.

The black-nosed herring shark poses a threat to people and many cases of its attacks on humans have been recorded.

The general appearance of the mackerel shark corresponds to the typical build of fish of this breed. She has an elongated body with a pointed nose, a gray back and a whitish abdomen. The mako shark, like other species of herring sharks, is able to maintain its body temperature higher than the temperature of the environment around it. This is facilitated by endothermy.

The black-nosed shark feeds mainly on bony fish, but it is not averse to feasting on other ocean inhabitants. Mako sharks reproduce by ovoviviparity with oophagy.

6. Tiger shark

Tiger shark, or, as they are also called, leopard sharks from the family of gray sharks. The maximum weight of representatives of this species is 1.5 tons and a length of 6.32 meters.

Tiger sharks live in tropical and subtropical waters of seas and oceans around the globe. Their peculiarity can be considered a complete lack of disgust, because they eat everything. What have they not found in the stomach of a leopard shark? During the butchering, we found the remains of dogs, cats, hooves of cows and deer, parts of a dolphin, tin cans, cigarette packs, bags of coal and much, much other garbage.

The tiger shark is a scavenger and cases of cannibalism have been observed. So, for example, once when catching one leopard shark, the second one got close and ate it. Considering that there was not enough food, she gobbled up the bait, thereby getting hooked.

The leopard shark is very dangerous for people, as it constantly swims in shallow water. And her dimensions are not a hindrance to her.

5. White shark

The great white shark can be up to 5.3 m long and weigh up to 1.9 tons. Despite the fact that leopard sharks are frequent visitors to shallow waters, more attacks on humans have been recorded involving white sharks. At the beginning of 2000, 140 acts of white shark attacks on humans were recorded, 30 of which were fatal.

Considering the statistics, we can say that the great white shark poses the highest threat to humans among all breeds of this species. Attempts to attack boats and large vessels by white sharks are not uncommon. They hit the bow against the stern of the ship. The impact was so strong that people fell overboard or the boat capsized.

Although the white shark is not omnivorous, like its fellow tiger shark, it still prefers to taste everything. This is what causes her to attack people so frequently. She most likely just wants to try what it is like by biting it.

If a white shark is asked to choose between food, it will prefer what it already knows and is familiar with. If there is no choice, then the white shark will not refuse anything. It is believed that these sharks confuse divers with pinnipeds, which, in turn, are a common dish in their diet.

Steven Spielberg's thriller about a shark, called Jaws, portrays these fish as human-killing machines. But in reality, these individuals prefer food that is familiar to their environment and do not purposefully hunt for humans.

4. Greenland shark

The Greenland shark is also called the Atlantic polar shark or smallhead shark. The length of this breed reaches 7.5 m and weighs 1.5 tons. The Greenland polar shark is very slow and feeds on fish and carrion. Not averse to snacking on similar small-sized individuals.

Of all the representatives of the shark genus, the Greenland polar shark prefers cold waters and lives in the north of the Atlantic Ocean: Denmark, Russia, USA, Norway, Germany, Greenland and Canada.

Attacks on people by this type of shark are practically never encountered due to their cold habitat. They are rather pests, breaking through the nets and releasing the prey of fishermen, so when they catch a Greenland polar shark, they cut off its tail fin and release it back.

3. Beluga

Beluga is a fish from the sturgeon family. Its unofficial maximum body length reaches 8.9 meters and weighs 2 tons. The maximum weight of a beluga was 1.5 tons and a length of 4.2 meters. The lifespan of fish is about 100 years.

This sturgeon lives in the Azov, Caspian and Black Seas. The fish go into the rivers to spawn. These are mainly the Volga, Ural, Terek and Kura. After spawning, the female returns to the waters of the seas.

Beluga caviar is gray with a black tint. This is an expensive and very tasty gourmet food. Previously, it was freely supplied from Russia to other countries, but later a ban appeared due to the large increase in poachers. But, despite the law, for poachers, beluga caviar is a valuable and difficult catch, which they are trying to sell illegally. Repeatedly such attempts were suppressed by law, and the violators received a well-deserved punishment.

2. Giant shark

The giant shark can be up to 16 meters in length (according to unofficial data) and can reach up to 4 tons. Despite its impressive size, this type of shark does not pose a threat to humans. The fish allows divers to swim up to it and feels calm in their surroundings. When a ship approaches, the shark is in no hurry to hide from it.

Basking sharks are the only filter feeders in the shark genus. They do not suck in water when eating plankton, but pass it through their gills. Up to 2 thousand tons of water are filtered in an hour. To do this, the shark simply swims with its mouth wide open. At one time, a giant shark can have up to 500 kg of food in its stomach.

This species of shark is declining in numbers due to poaching, entanglement in nets, low birth rates and long gestation periods. Basking sharks have been classified as Vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

1. Whale shark

So we got to the largest slave on the planet. The whale shark reaches 20 meters in length and weighs 5 tons. Just like the giant shark, the whale shark is not dangerous. Some divers dared to touch it and even tried to ride it. The friendly giant fish, unlike its bloodthirsty relatives, is content with eating plankton, like the giant shark. Only it does not filter plankton, but swallows it along with water.

The whale shark prefers swimming on the surface of the water. Its speed does not exceed 5 km per hour. The largest fish lives in tropical climates throughout the world's oceans. In some habitats, the population of whale sharks greatly exceeds other places. These individuals prefer to be found in small flocks, but you can often find a solitary representative of this species. In more rare cases, mass associations (up to one hundred heads) are observed; this happens with accumulations of plankton. This large flock simply eats together.

Unlike its predecessor in size, the whale shark is difficult to confuse with another species of shark. She has a massive body with a flattened head. And the closer to the snout, the more flattened it is. The mouth of the largest fish is at the end of the snout, and not under it, unlike other representatives of the shark genus.

This is how the largest fish on the planet turned out to be one of the most harmless huge creatures on planet Earth.