Predatory fish include individuals that feed on other inhabitants of water bodies. Their diet may also include birds and individual animals. The world of predators is diverse. There are both truly scary specimens and quite attractive aquarium fish. Moreover, all predators are characterized by a large mouth with sharp teeth, which is used to catch prey.
Catfish
These eel-like predators are found only in the seas. Catfish are perciformes. This is a deep representative of the aquatic world, which is capable of diving to 400-1200 meters.This is due to the fact that these individuals prefer cold water. Its temperature should be less than +5 degrees.
Catfish move into surface waters only in pursuit of prey. Moreover, the predator, as a rule, is able to find it at depth. It feeds on jellyfish, crabs and other fish. The catfish bites into the victim with sharp teeth. This individual is characterized by pronounced fangs, which is why it is often called a sea wolf.
Barracuda
This family includes 27 species of individuals. They reach 100 centimeters in size and 10 kilograms in weight. At first glance, such individuals look harmless, but fishermen don’t call them “tigers of the seas” for nothing.
The barracuda got its name for its bloodthirstiness. These individuals form flocks and attack together. This allows them to inflict fatal damage on their prey. Barracudas often attack people. However, many of them fail to survive. This fish lives in the seas; there are no river varieties.
Salmon
This family includes salmon, whitefish, coho salmon, and whitefish. In appearance, salmon are similar to grayling fish, but differ in a shortened fin on the back. It includes 10-16 sharp rays. Salmon also resemble whitefish, but have a brighter color.
Representatives of this family are widespread. Moreover, they differ from each other in visual characteristics. This is associated with discrepancies in classification. One name can be given to 2-3 representatives of the family. The opposite situation also occurs, when one species has up to 10 names.
Perches
It is a common inhabitant of rivers and lakes. Today there are approximately one hundred varieties of perch. In size, an adult can reach half a meter. Moreover, its weight does not exceed 5 kilograms.The perch is distinguished by bristle-like teeth, which are located in rows on the jaws, vomer and palatine bones. However, this individual has no fangs.
Perch can hardly withstand the heat, so it lives in cool depths. Its distinctive feature is the green lines that cross the sides. The contrast is clearly visible on the dark bottom of the reservoir.
An important feature of this predator is considered to be extraordinary gluttony. Perch fills its stomach with the eggs of its relatives, chasing them throughout the year.
Pike
This predator waits for prey in ambush. It chooses to live in areas with minimal current. Pike are characterized by a special coloring that helps them camouflage in reeds and grassy vegetation. This cold-blooded fish is distinguished by its elongated body shape. It can reach 50 centimeters in length and 30 kilograms in weight.
Pike feed not only on aquatic inhabitants, but also on small animals. They have incisors of different sizes, which are located on the slightly forward lower jaw. It is the teeth that are considered the main weapon for catching prey.
Needlefish
This fish also has a freshwater variety, which is found in the waters of Burma and India. This fish is small in size. Its maximum length is 38 centimeters. With such dimensions, the needle should weigh several hundred grams, but it has such a thin body that the actual weight is much less. Therefore, this individual is rarely eaten.
The closest relative of the pipefish is the seahorse. However, he has a normal-colored spine. The needles are distinguished by greenish bones. But this is in no way related to toxic properties. The green color is due to a completely safe pigment called biliverdin.
bluefish
This marine predator is medium in size. The average length of the fish is 110 centimeters. Moreover, it can weigh up to 15 kilograms. Bluefish are distinguished by their green-blue back and light belly. It is also characterized by a forward jaw, on which there are many large teeth.
This fish leads a schooling lifestyle. Hundreds of individuals can unite for hunting. They move quickly and attack small and medium-sized fish. To develop greater speed, bluefish release air from their gills. To catch this predator, you need to have certain skills.
Gustera
This fish is similar to the bream, but prefers to lead a schooling lifestyle. In addition, it is distinguished by silvery scales and the absence of fins on the keel. Gusters are not too big. The maximum weight of this individual is 1.2 kilograms. As for the length, it usually does not exceed 35 centimeters.
Juveniles feed on zooplankton. As fish grow older, they switch to eating shellfish. Their diet also contains algae and underwater fragments of terrestrial crops.
Sturgeons
This is a fairly large predator. Many people have a question about what size this fish is. Its length is up to 6 meters. At the same time, the average weight of commercial fish reaches 13-16 kilograms. However, sometimes there are real giants whose mass is 700-800 kilograms. The sturgeon is characterized by an elongated body without scales. It is covered by rows of bony scutes.
This fish has a small head. In this case, the sturgeon’s mouth is located below. Its diet includes bottom organisms and fish. This individual easily withstands low temperatures and food shortages. Sturgeons are found in both salt and fresh water bodies.
Burbot
This fish feeds on ruffs, minnows and juveniles of various fish, including representatives of its own species. Burbot attracts prey with the help of a moving whisker. He himself hides under a snag or buries himself in the mud. Other fish try to attack the burbot, but end up being eaten themselves.
This fish is found in rivers and lakes. However, she prefers bodies of water with clean and cool water. There, burbot can grow up to 1.2 meters. Moreover, its mass is 30 kilograms.
Bream
This individual is considered a predator, as it feeds on bloodworms, plankton and other crustaceans. The diet of bream also contains invertebrates. It is noteworthy that semi-anadromous individuals live 8 years less than freshwater ones. The life expectancy of the latter is 20 years.
Most predators live in the warm sea waters of the tropics. In fresh and cool water bodies, herbivorous species are usually found.
Sharks
The leading position among predators is rightfully occupied by the white shark. It is considered the most insidious for people. The size of the carcass of this aquatic inhabitant reaches 11 meters. The 250 species of this individual's relatives are also potentially dangerous, but attacks by 29 members of the family have been officially recorded. The whale shark is considered the most harmless. Despite its gigantic size, which reaches 15 meters, this individual feeds on plankton.
The remaining species do not exceed 1.5-2 meters in length, but they are very dangerous and insidious. These include tiger shark, mako, katran and many others. In addition to sharp teeth, such individuals have tough skin and prickly spines. The blows and cuts inflicted by them are just as dangerous as bites. In 80% of cases, injuries sustained from sharks are considered fatal.The bites of such individuals can dismember a person into pieces.
A distinctive feature of such fish is the ability to detect vibrations in the water of a swimming person at a distance of 200 meters. The shark's inner ear is tuned to low frequencies and infrasounds. The predator can smell a drop of blood from a distance of 1-4 kilometers. The vision of these individuals is tens of times greater than that of humans. At the same time, the speed of movement when pursuing prey is 50 kilometers per hour.
Soma
This fish is considered quite large. It occupies a leading position among predators that live in fresh water bodies. Catfish is considered a strong fish, so it is not easy to catch. One of the largest individuals reaches a weight of 300 kilograms. Researchers called her a long-liver.
Many are sure that catfish are not too picky about their diet and only eat decaying flesh. However, this is not entirely true. Catfish feed on frogs, shellfish and mammals. It is also capable of attacking geese and ducks.
Sea devils
There are 10 varieties of devils. Their distinctive feature is the special shape of the body. It seems that the monkfish is pressed down from above by something. It has a low and wide body that tapers sharply towards the tail. Two-thirds of the length of the body falls on the head.
The fish has a mouth with a bite. The lower jaw protrudes strongly forward and includes sharp teeth that curve into the mouth. There are the same ones on top. The monkfish's mouth opens open like a snake's. Thanks to this, the fish is able to swallow prey that is significantly larger than it is in size.
Representatives of this species grow up to 2 meters in length.In this case, approximately 50 centimeters is occupied by a growth with a luminous capsule at the end. The flashlight is located on the devil's face and lures prey. The fish itself buries itself in silt and sand to camouflage itself. Only the lamp is visible on the surface. When the prey touches him, the devil swallows the victim.
Acne
This fish resembles a snake in appearance, which is why few people dare to catch it. The flexible body is covered with mucus. The eel is characterized by a small head with eyes that merges with the body. The back is black, the sides are brown-green, and the belly is light. The eel prefers to hunt at night. This fish feeds on newts, snails and frogs.
Ruffs
The color of these individuals depends on the reservoir. Light-colored ruffes are found in sandy lakes, and dark ones in muddy lakes. The fins are covered with dark spots. The ruff is distinguished by its gray-green color and small size. This fish can easily fit in the palm of your hand. It is considered an unpretentious schooling species. The ruff easily adapts to dark places. In general, it is able to adapt to different living conditions.
Moray eels
There are almost 200 species of this marine predator on Earth. In appearance, the moray eel looks like a thick snake, which is distinguished by a large dragon head. The fish's mouth contains many long teeth, which allows it to cope with larger prey.
Thanks to the shape of its body, moray eels can hide in narrow crevices between stones. The top of the body is covered with poisonous mucus. This serves as protection against pathogens and other organisms. Touching a moray eel leaves burns.
Toad fish
This nickname is associated with an unattractive appearance. The smooth body of the toad fish is covered with spines, on top of which there is a toxic substance.It is these growths that make individuals so dangerous.
The toad fish can change the color of its body, like a chameleon. This feature is associated with the habit of hiding in the sand in coral reefs. Therefore, there is a risk of accidentally stepping on a predator and getting a dangerous injection.
For humans, the poison of the toad fish does not pose a mortal threat. However, it provokes pain and the appearance of a tumor at the site of penetration. An interesting feature of this predator is the ability to make an unusual sound during mating, reminiscent of singing. In terms of volume, it can be compared to the roar of an approaching train.
Eel-pout
This is an unusual representative of the coast of the White, Baltic and Barents Seas. This bottom-dwelling fish prefers sand covered with algae. The eelpout is considered unusually tenacious. She can hide in a hole or among wet stones.
Based on visual characteristics, this individual resembles a small animal, the size of which does not exceed 35 centimeters. It is characterized by a large head and a body tapering towards the tail. The eelpout also has large bulging eyes and fins that resemble two fans. The diet of this individual is based on gastropods, small fish, larvae and worms.
Pike-perch
This river predator is distinguished by large scales and a high dorsal fin. Pike perch prefers warm currents. At the same time, he tries to stay away from dense thickets, where he may suffer from other predators.
Since pike perch have a tiny mouth, their food mainly consists of small fish and insect larvae. During an active hunt, this individual can get so carried away that it jumps onto the shore.
Arapaima
This tropical predator is found in tributaries of the Amazon.It is distinguished by an elongated and flattened head on top, on which there is a bone plate. At the same level with it is a wide mouth. Arapaima is characterized by a thick body, which is flattened laterally and tapers towards the tail. This individual also has fused fins. At the same time, the body of the fish itself is less long. It is covered with large raised scales on top.
The arapaima's diet includes bottom fish, since it itself lives at depth. If a predator moves to the surface layers of a reservoir, it is able to catch even a bird flying over the water.
Gobies
These individuals belong to the order Perciformes and include 1359 species of fish. Moreover, 30 of them live in Russian reservoirs. All these individuals are considered bottom-dwelling. However, they live in coastal areas. Gobies are divided into marine, freshwater and anadromous.
These fish feed on bottom worms, crustaceans, and mollusks. Their diet also includes small fish. Small gobies do not exceed 2.5 centimeters in length. At the same time, large individuals can grow up to 40 centimeters.
Piranhas
These dangerous predators live in tropical waters of South America. They do not exceed 50 centimeters in length. Piranha is distinguished by a flattened body, which is covered with black, gray or silver scales. There are also red, orange or yellow spots on the body of the fish.
Piranhas are characterized by a protruding lower jaw with sharp triangular teeth. Its bites are characterized by destructive power. An adult is capable of crushing a stick with a diameter of 2 centimeters.
Arrowfish
The largest representatives of this species can weigh up to 6 kilograms. These fish belong to the Sarganov family and have a silvery body. Such fish live in surface sea waters.They have protruding jaws with small and sharp teeth. These individuals feed on young mackerel, sprat and sand lance.
Today there are many varieties of predatory fish that live in fresh and salt waters. These individuals differ in their lifestyle, visual signs and danger to people.
