The largest predator in the ocean. predatory fish

A fragment of a three-meter petrified skull of a giant sperm whale was found in sedimentary rocks on the coast of Peru. The discovery was made in the desert 35 km southwest of the city of Ika (already known to many paleontologists for its artifacts) by paleontologist Klaas Post from the Rotterdam Natural History Museum on the last day of the expedition of a team of paleontologists led by Dr. Muizon (Christian de Muizon), director of the Natural History Museum in Paris (Natural History Museum in Paris).

The expedition also included paleontologists Olivier Lambert from the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences in Brussels, Giovanni di Bianucci from the University of Pisa (Università di Pisa) in Italy, Rodolfo Salas -Gismondi (Rodolfo Salas-Gismondi) and Mario Urbino (Mario Urbina) from the Museum of Natural History of the National University of San Marcos (Lima, Peru) (Museo de Historia Natural, Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos, Lima) and Gilles Remer (Jelle Reumer) from Museum of Natural History of Rotterdam (Rotterdam Natural History Museum).

The fossil was placed in the collection of the Museum of Natural History in Lima, Peru.

The researchers, as discoverers, named the newly described species of sperm whale Leviathan melvillei:

- the first component of the name is the mythological monster Leviathan, mentioned in the Old Testament;

- the second part is given in honor of Herman Melville, author of the novel about the white whale "Moby Dick".

According to the reconstruction carried out by scientists, Leviathan melvillei had a jaw length of three meters, and from the tip of the muzzle to the tail was 16-18 meters.

The most amazing feature of this animal is its huge teeth up to 30 centimeters long and up to 12 centimeters wide. These are the largest teeth that any of the terrestrial predatory animals possessed.

Teeth of the absolute champion

Of modern predators, only sperm whales, reaching 20 meters in length, can be compared in size with L. melvillei. However, the modern sperm whale has functional teeth only on the lower jaw (on the upper jaw, there are practically no protruding rudimentary teeth), while in the ancient sperm whale-leviathan, both the lower and upper jaws are equally developed. The presence of teeth both above and below suggests a predatory hunting strategy: probably Leviathan melvillei attacked its prey, seized it with powerful jaws and tore it apart with giant teeth.

Analyzing the details of the skull, and in view of the fact that the jaws of the found animal were equipped with large powerful muscles, scientists suggest that Leviathan melvillei could easily deal with even whales up to 7-10 meters long.

At one time and in the same waters, along with Leviathan melvillei, another monster lived - Carcharocles megalodon - a giant shark that reached 15 meters in. Whether these giants of the predatory world could compete or fight is still unknown to scientists, since there are no facts indicating the meetings of these monsters.

In addition, scientists will have to answer the question about the reasons for the disproportionate torso of the animal. This will make it possible to study the skeleton of a prehistoric sperm whale.

Initially, it was believed that a large head allows these marine mammals to dive to a considerable depth in search of food. But the latest data obtained refute this theory, since the animals hunted by giant hunters lived in the upper layers of the ocean.

Based on the size of the skull, the researchers argue that the ancient monster whale had a large spermaceti organ (spermaceti organs), the purpose of which modern sperm whales have no consensus on.

According to modern concepts, this large cavity in the forehead, filled with a waxy substance - spermaceti, helps the whale in several tasks:

- the first (disputed) is the facilitation of diving and ascent due to a consistent change in the density of this substance. It hardens and contracts on contact with cold water, and melts with the heat of blood;

- this cavity, apparently, plays some role in echolocation;

- a large head can serve as a percussion weapon in the struggle of males for a female.

Maybe she helped the Leviathan in the attack on the prey. Such a ram could damage the victim no less than the subsequent capture by strong jaws. At least two 19th-century whaling ships were sunk after being struck on the side by the massive head of large male sperm whales. Similar cases later formed the basis of the plot of the novel "Moby Dick".

Since the "Leviathan" did not dive deep for its victims, but preferred to eat near the surface of the sea, it did not need "assistance in diving".

From this it may follow that such a large organ in the course of the evolution of whales appeared precisely as a sonar and a ram, and long before sperm whales began to make their amazing dives to great depths.

Scientists still can not answer the question of what led to extinction Leviathan melvillei, but it is assumed that this could be due to changes in the environment (cooling), as well as in the number and size of available prey.

Lambert is sure: Leviathan melvillei is the largest sperm whale known to science. His descendants shredded, lost their teeth, and instead of actively hunting mammals switched to sucking on mollusks such as squid.

Sperm whales that feed on deep-sea squid today are much less vulnerable to climate change than active predators that live near the surface of the water. Modern sperm whales specialize in a completely different food niche: they are excellent divers hunting deep-sea squids. And the teeth of sperm whales are not particularly needed to capture squid.

This was not at all the case with Leviathan melvillei, he knew perfectly well how to use such an impressive weapon. Well, millions of years after the disappearance of the monster, the vacated niche of an aggressive predator was filled by "killer whales" - killer whales, significantly inferior to the "Leviathan" in size, but using similar hunting tactics.

And two more important findings of recent years regarding the evolution of whales.

Last year, the remains of two whales of the Archaeoceti group of the species Maiacetus inuus, about 48 million years old, were found in Pakistan. Analysis of the fossilized skeletons of a male and a pregnant female showed that the females of primitive whales gave birth on the ground. In addition, their find provided new data to determine how the whales migrated from land to water. Scientists believe that the first land creatures appeared in the Devonian - about 360-380 million years ago. After 300 million years, some species of mammals decided to return back to the water. Their paws began to turn back into fins. The discovery in Pakistan showed an important link in the evolution of whales. The presence of teeth in the fetus suggests that newborn whales of this species were not completely helpless in their first years of life.

In 2007, a group of American scientists found that the ancestors of modern whales were deer-like creatures without horns and smaller. New evidence suggests that the ancestors of whales were artiodactyls that lived in South Asia about 50 million years ago and hid in the water when danger approached. Previously, it was assumed that the closest relatives of marine mammals are hippos.

A huge number of different predators live in the ocean. Some marine predators attack swiftly, while others sit in shelter for a long time, waiting for their prey.

Each inhabitant of the ocean is eaten by other marine life, only killer whales and sharks have no enemies.

sharks

The white shark is probably the most dangerous predator of the deep sea. People tremble at the very idea of ​​a great white shark.

The white shark - in terms of strength and power, it has no equal among predators in the ocean.

Sharks appeared in the ocean long before humans began to dominate the Earth. There are about 400 species of sharks. But the most dangerous shark is the white shark. Individuals of this species in length can reach 6 meters, they weigh about 3 tons and have a powerful toothy mouth. There are about 300 sharp teeth in the mouth. The teeth on the upper jaw are triangular, while those on the lower jaw are recurved. The body shape of the white shark is spindle-shaped, the tail looks like a crescent, the fins are large. White sharks live for about 27 years.

But people are not the target. These predators prefer prey with more serious fat reserves. For example, their favorite treats are sea lions and seals. White sharks do not show too high interest in people, because there are too many tendons and muscles in the human body.

As a rule, white sharks attack people for two reasons. The first is that a person, swimming in the water, is associated with a shark with a sick animal that cannot develop sufficient speed, and it is easy to catch it. The second reason is that surfers floating on a board look like other inhabitants of the ocean from the water. And since the shark has rather poor eyesight, it can easily be mistaken. To understand if the prey is edible, the shark bites it, but sometimes sharks tear people to pieces. It is difficult to predict how this predator will behave. When a shark grabs a prey, it shakes its head in all directions, thus snatching pieces from it.

Anemone is a predatory animal, more like a plant.

Scientists say sharks are ocean orderlies as they eat dying animals.

sea ​​anemones

Anemone is a predator veiled in beauty.

Anemones are representatives of the cnidarians. Anemones have stinging cells that they use as weapons. Anemones reach a height of about 1 meter. These creatures lead a sedentary life. They are attached to the bottom with a foot called the sole or basal disc.

The sea anemone has from ten to hundreds of tentacles with special cells - cnidocytes. In these cells, poison is formed, which is a mixture of toxins. Anemones use this poison during hunting and for protection from predators.

The poison contains substances that affect the nervous system of the victim. Prey under the influence of poison is paralyzed and the predator eats it calmly.

The basis of the diet of sea anemones are fish and crustaceans. For humans, actinium poison is not dangerous, it does not lead to death, but it can cause quite severe burns.

killer whales

- predators of the dolphin family, but they are not at all as friendly as dolphins. They are called killer whales. Killer whales attack almost all marine inhabitants: mammals, fish and mollusks. If there is enough food, then killer whales behave quite friendly with the rest of the cetaceans, but if there is little food, then killer whales attack their own kind: dolphins and whales.

Killer whales are one of the formidable oceanic hunters.

For these predators, the size of prey does not matter much; killer whales hunt large animals together. If the victim cannot be killed immediately, the killer whale harasses it by biting off small pieces from it. No one manages to stay alive after a collision with killer whales - not a small fish, not a large whale.

A flock of killer whales during the hunt acts very harmoniously. Predators move in even ranks, like soldiers, while each killer whale has a clearly defined task.

When killer whales lead a sedentary life, they feed mainly on crustaceans and fish. And migrating killer whales prefer large mammals such as sea lions and seals. Killer whales justify the name of killer whales in the best possible way.

Octopuses

Octopuses are part of the order of cephalopods. These creatures have excellently developed sight, smell, and touch, but they do not hear very well.

Incredible Facts

The modern ocean is home to many incredible creatures, many of which we have no idea. You never know what lies there - in the dark cold depths. However, none of them can be compared with the ancient monsters that dominated the world's oceans millions of years ago.

In this article, we will tell you about pangolins, carnivorous fish and predatory whales that terrorized marine life in prehistoric times.

prehistoric world

Megalodon

The Megalodon may be the most famous creature on this list, but it's hard to imagine that a school bus-sized shark actually existed. Nowadays, there are many different scientific films and programs about these amazing monsters.

Contrary to popular belief, megalodons did not live at the same time as dinosaurs. They dominated the seas from 25 to 1.5 million years ago, which means that they missed the last dinosaur by 40 million years. In addition, this means that the first people found these sea monsters alive.

The home of the megalodon was the warm ocean that existed until the last ice age in the early Pleistocene, and it is believed that it was he who deprived these huge sharks of food and the opportunity to breed. Perhaps in this way nature has protected modern humanity from terrible predators.

Liopleurodon

If there was a water scene in the Jurassic Park movie that included several sea monsters of the time, the Liopleurodon would definitely appear in it. Despite the fact that scientists argue about the real length of this animal (some claim that it reached 15 meters), most of them agree that it was about 6 meters, with the pointed head of Liopleurodon occupying a fifth of the length.

Many people think that 6 meters is not so much, but the smallest representative of these monsters is able to swallow an adult. Scientists have recreated a model of Liopleurodon's fins and tested them.

In the course of their research, they found that these prehistoric animals were not so fast, but they were agile. They were also capable of making short, quick and sharp attacks similar to those of modern crocodiles, which makes them even more intimidating.

sea ​​monsters

Basilosaurus

Despite the name and appearance, they are not reptiles, as it might seem at first glance. In fact, these are real whales (and not the most intimidating in this squeak!). Basilosaurus were the predatory ancestors of modern whales and ranged from 15 to 25 meters in length. It is described as a whale, somewhat resembling a snake due to its length and ability to squirm.

It is hard to imagine that, while swimming in the ocean, one could stumble upon a huge creature that looked like a snake, a whale and a crocodile at the same time 20 meters long. The fear of the ocean would stick with you for a long time.

Physical evidence suggests that basilosaurs did not have the same cognitive abilities as modern whales. In addition, they did not have the ability to echolocate and could only move in two dimensions (which means that they could not actively dive and dive to great depths). Thus, this terrible predator was as stupid as a bag of prehistoric tools and would not be able to follow you if you dived or made landfall.

Racoscorpions

Not surprisingly, the words "sea scorpion" evoke only negative emotions, but this representative of the list was the most creepy of them. Jaekelopterus rhenaniae is a special species of crustacean that was the largest and most fearsome arthropod of the time: 2.5 meters of pure clawed terror under the shell.

Many of us are terrified of small ants or large spiders, but imagine the full range of fear experienced by a person who would not be lucky enough to meet this sea monster.

On the other hand, these creepy creatures became extinct even before the event that killed all dinosaurs and 90% of life on Earth. Only some types of crabs survived, which are not so scary. There is no evidence that ancient sea scorpions were venomous, but based on the structure of their tail, we can conclude that perhaps this was indeed the case.

See also: A huge sea monster washed up on the coast of Indonesia

prehistoric animals

Mauisaurus

Mauisaurus was named after the ancient Maori god Maui, who, according to legend, pulled the skeleton of New Zealand from the bottom of the ocean with a hook, so that only by the name you can understand that this animal was huge. The neck of the Mauisaurus was about 15 meters long, which is quite a lot compared to its total length of 20 meters.

His incredible neck had many vertebrae, which gave it a special flexibility. Imagine a turtle without a shell with a surprisingly long neck - this is what this terrible creature looked like.

He lived during the Cretaceous period, which meant that the unfortunate creatures jumping into the water to escape the velociraptors and tyrannosaurs were forced to come face to face with these sea monsters. The habitats of the Mauisaurs were limited to the waters of New Zealand, which indicated that all the inhabitants were in danger.

Dunkleosteus

Dunkleosteus was a ten-meter predatory monster. Huge sharks lived much longer than dunkleostei, but this did not mean that they were the best predators. Instead of teeth, Dunkleosteus had bony growths, like some species of modern turtles. Scientists have calculated that their bite force was 1500 kilograms per square centimeter, which put them on par with crocodiles and tyrannosaurs and made them one of the creatures with the strongest bite.

Based on the facts about their jaw muscles, scientists concluded that the Dunkleosteus could open its mouth in one fiftieth of a second, absorbing everything in its path. As the fish matured, the single bony tooth plate was replaced by a segmented one, which made it easier to get food and bite through the thick shells of other fish. In the arms race called the prehistoric ocean, the Dunkleosteus was a real well-armoured, heavy tank.

Sea monsters and monsters of the deep

Kronosaurus

Kronosaurus is another short-necked lizard that looks like a Liopleurosaurus. Remarkably, its true length is also known only approximately. It is believed that it reached up to 10 meters, and its teeth reached up to 30 cm in length. That is why it was named after Kronos, the king of the ancient Greek titans.

Now guess where this monster lived. If your assumption was related to Australia, then you are absolutely right. The head of the Kronosaurus was about 3 meters long and it was able to swallow an entire adult human. In addition, after that, there was room inside the animal for another half.

Also, due to the fact that the flippers of kronosaurs were similar in structure to the flippers of a turtle, scientists concluded that they were very distantly related and assumed that kronosaurs also got out on land to lay their eggs. In any case, we can be sure that no one dared to ruin the nests of these sea monsters.

Helicoprion

This shark, 4.5 meters long, had a serrated lower jaw lined with teeth. She looked like a hybrid shark with a buzz saw, and everyone knows that when dangerous power tools become part of a predator that is at the top of the food chain, the whole world trembles.

The teeth of the helicoprion were serrated, which clearly indicates the carnivorous nature of this sea monster, but scientists still do not know for sure whether the jaw was pushed forward as in the photo, or slightly pushed deep into the mouth.

These creatures survived the Triassic mass extinction, which could indicate their high intelligence, but the reason could also be their living in the deep sea.

prehistoric sea monsters

Leviathan Melvilla

Earlier in this article we already talked about predatory whales. Melville's Leviathan is the most intimidating of them all. Imagine a huge orca-sperm whale hybrid. This monster was not just carnivorous - it killed and ate other whales. It had the largest teeth of any animal known to us.

Their length sometimes reached 37 centimeters! They lived in the same oceans at the same time and ate the same food as megalodons, thus competing with the largest predatory shark of the time.

Their huge head was equipped with the same sonar devices as modern whales, making them more successful in murky waters. If it was not clear to someone from the very beginning, this animal was named after Leviathan - a giant sea monster from the Bible and Herman Melville, who wrote the famous "Moby Dick". If Moby Dick were one of the Leviathans, he would certainly eat the Pequod with his entire crew.

The Peruvian deserts are known for their artefacts: the most famous of them are the giant drawings of the Nazca desert. Now, the Pisco-Ica desert has presented a real gift to paleontologists, in one of the geological formations of which scientists were able to dig up fragments of a huge jaw.

Claes Post, an employee of the Museum of Natural History of Rotterdam, was the first to notice the remains. During a short expedition to the desert, he noticed well-preserved bones resembling elephant tusks. The subsequent excavations allowed scientists to extract large fragments of the skull and several teeth from the bowels of the earth.

After a thorough study of the found remains of the animal, an international group of Dutch, Peruvian, French and Italian scientists determined that in front of them are the bones of the largest predatory marine mammal that mankind has ever met.

The results of the study of scientists published in the journal Nature.

Analysis of the found remains allowed the researchers to determine the age of the find - 12-13 million years. Scientists have reconstructed the skull of this sea monster and its torso. It turned out that his head exceeds the size of an adult and is about two to three meters. The fossil sperm whale also had sharp teeth reaching a height of 36 centimeters.

As discoverers, scientists named the sperm whale dug out by them Leviathan melvillei in honor of the American writer, whose most famous work is the novel Moby Dick or the White Whale.

This work tells about the hunting of the whaling ship "Pequod" for the giant white whale Moby Dick. At the end of the novel, both the monster and the entire crew of the ship die, except for the sailor, on behalf of whom the story is being told.

The fossil sperm whale Leviathan melvillei was found in a layer of sedimentary rocks, indicating that millions of years ago there was an ocean in this territory of Peru. Not so long ago, other scientists discovered the remains of giant sharks there. Scientists suggest that together with them, the sperm whale ate smaller whales, not exceeding ten meters in size. Probably, the ancient hunt could look like the one shown in the picture for this note.

Compared to Leviathan melvillei, modern sperm whales look completely harmless.

They do not have such giant teeth, and their main food is squid, shellfish and fish.

In addition to describing a new species of sperm whale, scientists have proposed an alternative explanation for the appearance in whales of a giant bubble of spermaceti (a viscous liquid that was the main trophy of whalers) located in the head of the animal. In the 18th century, candles were made from spermaceti, later it was used as a lubricant and the basis for the preparation of creams and ointments. Now, due to the termination of the production of sperm whales, spermaceti is no longer harvested and is not used.

It is believed that the spermaceti bladder allows whales to dive to great depths.

But scientists who have studied Leviathan melvillei believe that their fossil "ward" lived near the surface of the ocean and did not need such a "weight". Scientists believe that this bubble was used by the sperm whale as a weapon in the hunt for smaller whales.

The 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 frightening specimens to attractive aquarium specimens. They are united by the possession of a large mouth with sharp teeth for catching prey.

A feature of predators is unbridled greed, excessive voracity. Ichthyologists note the special intelligence of these creatures of nature, ingenuity. The struggle for survival contributed to the development of abilities by which predatory fish surpass even cats and dogs.

Marine predatory fish

The vast majority of marine fish of predatory families live in the tropics and subtropics. This is due to the content in these climatic zones of a huge variety of herbivorous fish, warm-blooded mammals that make up the diet of predators.

Shark

Unconditional leadership takes white predatory fish shark, the most insidious for man. The length of its carcass is 11 m. Its relatives of 250 species also carry a potential danger, although attacks of 29 representatives of their families have been officially recorded. The safest shark is 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 head on the sides);
• mako shark;
• katran (sea dog);
• gray shark;
• spotted scillium shark.

In addition to sharp teeth, the fish are equipped with prickly spikes and a hard skin. Cuts and blows are no less dangerous than bites. Wounds inflicted by large sharks are 80% fatal. The strength of the jaws of predators reaches 18 tf. With her bites, she is able to dismember a person into pieces.

Pictured is a stone perch

Scorpionfish (Sea ruff)

Predatory bottom fish. The body, compressed on the sides, is colorfully painted and protected by spikes and processes for camouflage. A real monster with bulging eyes and thick lips. Keeps in the thickets of the coastal zone, no deeper than 40 meters, hibernates at great depths.

It is very difficult to notice him at the bottom. In the forage base are crustaceans, greenfinch, and atherina. For prey is not worn. She waits for her to come closer, then with a throw she grabs into her mouth. It lives in the waters of the Black and Azov Seas, the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans.

Mistake (galley)

Medium-sized fish 25-40 cm long with an oblong body of a dirty color with very small scales. A benthic predator that spends time in the sand during the day and goes hunting at night. In food molluscs, worms, crustaceans, small fish. Features - in the ventral 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, forms a number of subspecies. The color has a green color with an olive tint, brown blotches. The basis of nutrition is herring, capelin, polar cod, mollusks.

Their own juveniles, small relatives, go to feed. Atlantic cod are characterized by seasonal migration over long distances up to 1.5 thousand km. A number of subspecies have adapted to live in desalinated seas.

Pacific cod

It has a massive head shape. The average length does not exceed 90 cm, weight 25 kg. It lives in the northern zones of the Pacific Ocean. In the diet of pollock, shrimps, octopuses. Settled stay in a reservoir is characteristic.

Catfish

Marine representative of the perch genus. The name is derived from the canine-like front teeth protruding from the mouth. The body is eel-shaped, up to 125 cm long, weighing an average of 18-20 kg.

It lives in moderately cold waters, near rocky soils, where its food base is located. In behavior, the fish is aggressive even towards relatives. In the diet of jellyfish, crustaceans, medium-sized fish, shellfish.

Pink salmon

A representative of small salmon, 70 cm in length on average. The habitat of pink salmon is extensive: the northern regions of the Pacific Ocean, entering the Arctic Ocean. Pink salmon is a representative of anadromous fish tending to spawn in fresh waters. Therefore, small salmon is known in all rivers of the North, on the Asian mainland, Sakhalin and other places.

The fish is named for its dorsal hump. Characteristic dark stripes appear on the body for spawning. The diet is based on crustaceans, small fish, fry.

Eel-pout

An unusual inhabitant of the coasts of the Baltic, White and Barents Seas. Bottom fish, in the preferences of which sand, overgrown with algae. Very tenacious. It can wait for the tide among wet stones or hide in a hole.

Appearance resembles a small animal, up to 35 cm in size. Large head, body tapers to a sharp tail. The eyes are large, protruding. The pectoral fins look like two fans. Scales like those of a lizard, not overlapping the next one. Eelpouts feed on small fish, gastropods, worms, and larvae.

Brown (eight-line) greenling

Occurs along the rocky headlands of the Pacific coast. The name refers to the color with green and brown hues. Another option was obtained for a complex drawing. The meat is green. In the diet, like many predators, crustaceans. There are many relatives in the terpug family:

• Japanese;
• Steller's greenling (spotted);
• red;
• single line;
• one-feathered;
• long-browed and others.

Names of predatory fish often convey their external features.

Gloss

Found in warm coastal waters. The length of a flat fish is 15-20 cm. In appearance, the gloss is compared with a river flounder, it is adapted to live in water of various 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 the Red. The peculiarity of the structure of the skeleton is in the elastic cartilaginous chord, the absence of vertebrae. The size reaches 4 meters and weighs from 70 kg to 1 ton.

It occurs in the Caspian and Black Seas, during spawning - in large rivers. A characteristic wide mouth, an overhanging thick lip, 4 large antennae are inherent in the beluga. The uniqueness of the fish lies in longevity, the 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 weight of commercial fish is on average 13-16 kg, although giants reach 700-800 kg. The body is strongly elongated, without scales, covered with rows of bony scutes.

The head is small, the mouth is located below. It feeds on bottom organisms, fish, providing itself with 85% protein food. It tolerates low temperatures and a period of lack of food. Lives in salt and fresh water.

Stellate sturgeon

Characteristic appearance due to the elongated shape of the nose, the length of which reaches 60% of the length of the head. The stellate sturgeon is inferior in size to other sturgeons - the average weight of the fish is only 7-10 kg, the length is 130-150 cm. Like relatives, it is a long-liver among fish, lives 35-40 years.

Lives in the Caspian and Azov Seas with migration to large rivers. The basis of nutrition is crustaceans, worms.

Flounder

The sea predator is easy to distinguish by a flat body, eyes located on one side, and a circular fin. She has almost forty varieties:

• stellate;
• yellowfin;
• halibut;
• proboscis;
• linear;
• long-tailed, etc.

Distributed from the Arctic Circle to Japan. Adapted to live on a muddy bottom. Hunts from an ambush for crustaceans, shrimps, small fish. The sighted side is distinguished by mimicry. But if frightened away, she sharply breaks away from the bottom, swims away to a safe place and lies on the blind side.

Lechia

Large marine predator from the horse mackerel family. It is found in the Black, Mediterranean Seas, in the east of the Atlantic, in the southwest of the Indian Ocean. It grows up to 2 meters with a weight gain of up to 50 kg. Dashing prey is herring, sardines in the water column and crustaceans in the bottom layers.

Whiting

Predatory schooling fish with a slanted body. The color is gray, with a purple tint on the back. It is found in the Kerch Strait, the Black Sea. Likes cold waters. By the movement of anchovies, you can follow the appearance of whiting.

Whip

It lives in the coastal waters of the Azov and Black Seas. Up to 40 cm long, weighing up to 600 g. The body is flattened, often covered with spots. Open gills increase the size of the head, devoid of it, and frighten predators. Among stony and sandy soils it hunts for shrimps, mussels, small fish.

River predatory fish

Freshwater predators are well known to anglers. This is not only a commercial river catch, known to cooks and housewives. The role of insatiable inhabitants of reservoirs is in eating low-value weeds and diseased individuals. Predatory freshwater fish carry out a kind of sanitary cleaning of water bodies.

Chub

A picturesque inhabitant of Central Russian reservoirs. Dark green back, golden sides, dark border on scales, orange fins. He likes to eat fish fry, larvae, crustaceans.

asp

The fish is called a horse for frisky jumping out of the water and deafening falls on prey. Blows with the tail and body of such force that small fish become petrified. The fishermen called the predator a river corsair. Keeps aloof. The main prey is bleak floating on the surface of water bodies. Inhabits large reservoirs, rivers, southern seas.

catfish

The largest predator without scales, reaching 5 meters in length and 400 kg in weight. Favorite habitats are the waters of the European part of Russia. The main food of catfish is shellfish, fish, small freshwater inhabitants and birds. Hunts at night, spends the day in pits, under snags. Catching a catfish is a difficult task, as the predator is strong and smart

Pike

A real predator by habits. Throws himself at everything, even at relatives. But preference is given to roach, crucian carp, rudd. Dislikes prickly ruff and perch. Catches and waits before swallowing when the prey subsides.

Hunts frogs, birds, mice. Distinguished by rapid growth and a good camouflage outfit. It grows on average up to 1.5 meters and weighs up to 35 kg. Sometimes there are giants in human growth.

Zander

A large predator of large and clean rivers. The weight of a meter fish reaches 10-15 kg, sometimes more. Found in marine waters. Unlike other predators, the mouth and throat are small, so small fish serve as food. Avoids thickets, so as not to become the prey of the pike. Active in hunting.

Predatory fish zander

Burbot

Belonesox

Small predators are not afraid to attack even commensurate fish, so they are called miniature pikes. Gray-brown color with black spots like a line. The diet contains live food from small fish. If the whiteness is in a satiated form, then the prey will be alive until the next dinner.

tiger perch

A large fish with a contrasting coloration up to 50 cm long. The shape of the body resembles an arrowhead. The fin on the back extends to the tail, with which it provides acceleration in the pursuit of prey. The color is yellow with black diagonal stripes. The diet should include bloodworms, shrimps, earthworms.

Livingstone cichlid

On the video predatory fish reflect the unique mechanism of ambush hunting. They take the position of a dead fish and stand for a long time for a sudden attack of the prey that has appeared.

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. In the aquarium, pieces of shrimp, fish, are used as food. You can't overfeed.

toad fish

The appearance is unusual, the huge head and growths on the body are surprising. The bottom dweller, thanks to camouflage, hides among snags, roots, awaits the approach of the victim to attack. In the aquarium it feeds on bloodworms, shrimp, pollock or other fish. Likes solo content.

leaf fish

Unique adaptation to a fallen leaf. Camouflage helps guard prey. The size of an individual does not exceed 10 cm. The yellowish-brown color helps to imitate the drifting of a fallen tree leaf. In the daily diet 1-2 fish.

Biara

Suitable for keeping only in large aquariums. The length of individuals is up to 80 cm. The type of a real predator with a large head and a mouth full of sharp teeth. Large fins on the abdomen are like wings. It feeds only on live fish.

Tetra vampire

In the aquarium environment it grows up to 30 cm, in nature - up to 45 cm. The ventral fins look like wings. Helps to make rapid jerks for prey. In swimming, the head is lowered down. In nutrition, live fish can be abandoned in favor of pieces of meat, mussels.

Aravan

A representative of the oldest fish up to 80 cm in size. An elongated body with fins forming a fan. Such a structure gives acceleration in hunting, the ability to jump. The structure of the mouth allows you to grab prey from the surface of the water. You can feed in the aquarium with shrimps, fish, worms.

Trahira (Terta the wolf)

Legend of the Amazon. Keeping in the aquarium is available to experienced professionals. Grows up to half a meter. Gray powerful body with a large head, sharp teeth. The fish eats not only living food, it serves as a kind of orderly. In an artificial pond, it feeds on shrimps, mussels, pieces of fish.

Frog catfish

A large predator with a massive head, a huge mouth. Notable short antennae. Dark body color and whitish belly. It grows up to 25 cm. It feeds on fish with white meat, shrimps, mussels.

Dimidochromis

Beautiful blue-orange predator. Develops speed, attacks with powerful jaws. It grows up to 25 cm. The body is flattened on the sides, the back has a round contour, the stomach is even. Fish smaller than a predator will certainly become its food. Shrimps, mussels, shellfish are added to the diet.

All predatory fish in wildlife and artificial keeping are carnivorous. The diversity of species and habitats has been 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 makings of cunning and ingenuity, not allowing the superiority of weed fish in any reservoir.