Underwater predators of the ocean. The largest marine predator in history

Original taken from billfish561 in Beautiful, but dangerous inhabitants of the seas and oceans.

A lot of creatures live in the sea and ocean waters, meeting with which can cause trouble to a person in the form of injury or even lead to disability or death.

Here I tried to describe the most common inhabitants of the sea, which should be wary of meeting in the water, relaxing and swimming on the beach of some resort or diving.
If you ask any person "... What is the most dangerous inhabitant of the seas and oceans?", then almost always we will hear the answer "... shark.... But is it so? Who is more dangerous, a shark or a seemingly harmless shell?

moray eels

Reaches a length of 3 m and weight - up to 10 kg, but as a rule, individuals are found about a meter long. The skin of the fish is naked, without scales. They are found in the Atlantic and Indian Oceans, are widespread in the Mediterranean and Red Seas. Moray eels live in the bottom layer of water, one might say at the bottom. During the day, moray eels sit in crevices of rocks or corals, sticking their heads out and usually moving them from side to side, looking out for passing prey, at night they get out of their shelters to hunt. Usually moray eels feed on fish, but they attack both crustaceans and octopuses, which are caught from ambush.

Moray eel meat after processing can be eaten. It was especially valued by the ancient Romans.

Moray eels are potentially dangerous to humans. A diver who has become a victim of a moray eel attack always somehow provokes this attack - sticks his hand or foot into the crevice where the moray eel is hiding, or pursues it. The moray eel, attacking a person, inflicts a wound that looks like a barracuda bite mark, but unlike the barracuda, the moray eel does not immediately swim away, but hangs on its victim, like a bulldog. She can cling to the arm with a bulldog death grip, from which the diver cannot be freed, and then he may die.

It is not poisonous, but since moray eels do not disdain carrion, the wounds are very painful, do not heal for a long time and often become inflamed. Hiding among underwater rocks and coral reefs in crevices and caves.

When moray eels begin to feel hungry, they jump out of their shelters with an arrow and grab a victim floating by. Very voracious. Very strong jaws and sharp teeth.

In appearance, moray eels are not very pretty. But they do not attack scuba divers, as some believe, they do not differ in aggressiveness. Isolated cases occur only when moray eels have a mating season. If the moray eel mistakenly takes a person for a food source or he invades her territory, then she can still attack.

barracudas

All barracuda live in tropical and subtropical waters of the oceans near the surface. There are 8 species in the Red Sea, including the great barracuda. There are not so many species in the Mediterranean Sea - only 4, of which 2 moved there from the Red Sea along Suez Canal. The so-called "malita", which has settled in the Mediterranean Sea, provides the bulk of the entire Israeli catch of barracudas. The most sinister feature of barracudas is the powerful lower jaw, which protrudes far beyond the upper one. The jaws are equipped with formidable teeth: a row of small, razor-sharp teeth dot the jaw on the outside, and inside there is a row of large dagger-like teeth.

The maximum recorded size of a barracuda is 200 cm, weight - 50 kg, but usually the length of a barracuda does not exceed 1-2 m.

She is aggressive and fast. Barracudas are also called "live torpedoes" because they attack their prey with great speed.

Despite such a formidable name and ferocious appearance, these predators are practically harmless to humans. It should be remembered that all attacks on people happened in muddy or dark water, where the moving arms or legs of the swimmer were taken by the barracuda for swimming fish. (It was in this situation that the author of the blog got into in February 2014, when he was vacationing in Egypt, the Oriental Bay Resort Marsa Alam 4 + * (now called Aurora Oriental Bay Marsa Alam Resort 5*) Marsa Gabel el Rosas Bay . Medium-sized barracuda, 60-70 cm, almost bit off the 1st f alangu index finger on the right hand. A piece of a finger dangled on a 5mm piece of skin (dive gloves saved from complete amputation). At the Marsa Alam clinic, the surgeon put 4 stitches and saved the finger, but the rest was completely ruined ). In Cuba, the reason for the attack on a person was shiny objects such as watches, jewelry, knives. It will not be superfluous if the shiny parts of the equipment are painted in a dark color.

The sharp teeth of the barracuda can damage the arteries and veins of the limbs; in this case, the bleeding must be stopped immediately, since the loss of blood can be significant. In the Antilles, barracudas are more feared than sharks.

Jellyfish

Every year, millions of people are exposed to "burns" from contact with jellyfish while swimming.

There are no especially dangerous jellyfish in the waters of the seas washing the Russian coast, the main thing is to prevent contact of these jellyfish with mucous membranes. In the Black Sea, it is easiest to meet such jellyfish as Aurelia and Cornerot. They are not very dangerous, and their "burns" are not very strong.

Aurelia "butterflies" (Aurelia aurita)

Medusa Cornerot (Rhizostoma pulmo)

Only in the Far Eastern seas lives enough dangerous for humans jellyfish "cross", the poison of which can even lead to the death of a person. This little jellyfish with a cross pattern on its umbrella evokes severe burns at the point of contact with it, and after a while causes other disorders in the human body - difficulty breathing, numbness of the extremities.

Jellyfish-cross (Gonionemus vertens)

the consequences of the burn of the jellyfish-cross

The farther south, the more dangerous the jellyfish. In the coastal waters of the Canary Islands, a pirate is waiting for careless bathers - the "Portuguese boat" - a very beautiful jellyfish with a red crest and a multi-colored bubble-sail.

portuguese boat (Physalia physalis)

The "Portuguese boat" looks so harmless and beautiful in the sea ...

And so, the leg looks like after contact with the "Portuguese boat" ....

Many jellyfish live in the coastal waters of Thailand.

But the real scourge for bathers is the Australian "sea wasp". She kills with a light touch of multi-meter tentacles, which, by the way, can wander on their own without losing their deadly qualities. You can pay for acquaintance with the "sea wasp" at best with severe "burns" and lacerations, at worst - with life. More people have died from the sea wasp jellyfish than from sharks. This jellyfish lives in the warm waters of the Indian and Pacific Oceans, especially numerous off the coast of Northern Australia. The diameter of her umbrella is only 20-25 mm, but the tentacles reach a length of 7-8 m and they contain poison, similar in composition to cobra venom, but much stronger. A person touched by a "sea wasp" with its tentacles usually dies within 5 minutes.

Australian cubic (box) jellyfish or "sea wasp" (Chironex fleckeri)

sting from jellyfish "sea wasp"

Aggressive jellyfish also live in the Mediterranean and other waters of the Atlantic - the "burns" caused by them are stronger than the "burns" of the Black Sea jellyfish, and allergic reactions they call more often. These include cyanidea ("hairy jellyfish"), pelagia ("little lilac sting"), chrysaora ("sea nettle") and some others.

jellyfish Atlantic cyanide (Cyanea capillata)

Pelagia (Noctiluca), known in Europe under the name "purple sting"

Pacific sea nettle (Chrysaora fuscescens)

Medusa "Compass" (coronatae)
Jellyfish "Compass" chose the coastal waters of the Mediterranean Sea and one of the oceans - the Atlantic as their place of residence. They live off the coast of Turkey and the United Kingdom. These are quite large jellyfish, their diameter reaches thirty centimeters. They have twenty-four tentacles, which are arranged in groups of three each. The color of the body is yellowish-white with a brown tint, and its shape resembles a saucer-bell, in which thirty-two lobes are defined, which are colored brown along the edges.
The upper surface of the bell has sixteen V-shaped brown rays. The lower part of the bell is the location of the mouth opening, surrounded by four tentacles. These jellyfish are poisonous. Their venom is potent and often results in wounds that are very painful and take a long time to heal..
And yet the most dangerous jellyfish live in Australia and adjacent waters. Burns of box jellyfish and "Portuguese man-of-war" are very serious and often fatal.

stingrays

Trouble can be delivered by rays of the stingray family and electric rays. It should be noted that the stingrays themselves do not attack a person, you can get injured if you step on him when this fish is hiding at the bottom.

stingray "stingray" (Dasyatidae)

Electric Stingray (torpediniformes)

Stingrays live in almost all seas and oceans. In our (Russian) waters you can meet a stingray or otherwise it is called catfish. It is found in the Black Sea and in the seas of the Pacific coast. If you step on a stingray buried in the sand or resting at the bottom, it can inflict a serious wound on the offender, and, in addition, inject poison into it. He has a thorn on his tail, or rather a real sword - up to 20 centimeters in length. Its edges are very sharp, and besides, jagged, along the blade, on the underside there is a groove in which dark poison from the poisonous gland on the tail is visible. If you hit a stingray lying at the bottom, it will hit with its tail like a whip; at the same time, he sticks out his thorn and can inflict a deep chopped wound. A stingray wound is treated like any other.

The sea fox stingray Raja clavata also lives in the Black Sea - large, it can be up to one and a half meters from the tip of the nose to the tip of the tail, it is not dangerous for humans - unless, of course, you try to grab it by the tail, covered with long sharp spines. Electric rays are not found in the waters of the seas of Russia.

Sea anemones (anemones)

Sea anemones inhabit almost all the seas of the globe, but, like the rest coral polyps, they are especially numerous and diverse in warm waters. Most species live in coastal shallow waters, but they are often found at the maximum depths of the oceans. Sea anemones Usually, hungry sea anemones sit completely still, with tentacles widely spaced. At the slightest change in the water, the tentacles begin to oscillate, not only they stretch out to prey, but often the whole body of the sea anemone leans. Having grasped the prey, the tentacles contract and bend towards the mouth.

Anemones are well armed. Stinging cells are especially numerous in carnivorous species. A volley of fired stinging cells kills small organisms, often causing severe burns in larger animals, even humans. They can cause burns, just like some types of jellyfish.

Octopuses

Octopuses (Octopoda) are the most famous representatives of cephalopods. "Typical" octopuses are representatives of the suborder Incirrina, demersal animals. But some representatives of this suborder and all species of the second suborder, Cirrina, are pelagic animals that live in the water column, and many of them are found only at great depths.

They live in all tropical and subtropical seas and oceans, from shallow water to a depth of 100-150 m. They prefer rocky coastal zones, looking for caves and crevices in the rocks. In the waters of the seas of Russia they live only in the Pacific region.

The common octopus has the ability to change color, adapting to environment. This is due to the presence in his skin of cells with various pigments, capable of stretching or contracting under the influence of impulses from the central nervous system, depending on the perception of the sense organs. The usual color is brown. If the octopus is scared, it turns white, if angry, it turns red.

When approaching enemies (including divers or scuba divers), they flee, hiding in crevices of rocks and under stones.

The real danger is the bite of an octopus with careless handling. The secret of poisonous salivary glands. In this case, acute pain and itching are felt in the area of ​​​​the bite.
When bitten common octopus a local inflammatory reaction occurs. Excessive bleeding indicates a slowdown in the clotting process. Usually after two or three days recovery occurs. However, cases of severe poisoning are known, in which symptoms of damage to the central nervous system occur. Wounds inflicted by octopuses are treated in the same way as injections poisonous fish.

blue-ringed octopus (Blue-ringed Octopus)

One of the contenders for the title of the most dangerous marine animal for humans is the octopus Octopus maculosus, which is found along the coast of the Australian province of Queensland and near Sydney, is found in the Indian Ocean and, sometimes, in the Far East. Although the size of this octopus rarely exceeds 10 cm, it contains enough poison to kill ten people.

Lionfish

Lionfish (Pterois) of the Scorpaenidae family are of great danger to humans. They are easily recognizable by their rich and bright colors, which warns of effective means defenses of these fish. Even marine predators prefer to leave this fish alone. The fins of this fish look like brightly colored feathers. Physical contact with such fish can be fatal.

Lionfish (Pterois)

Despite its name, it cannot fly. The fish got this nickname because of the large pectoral fins, a bit like wings. Other names for lionfish are zebra fish or lion fish. She got the first because of the wide gray, brown and red stripes located throughout the body, and the second - she owes long fins, which make her look like a predatory lion.

The lionfish belongs to the scorpion family. Body length reaches 30 cm, and weight - 1 kg. The color is bright, which makes the lionfish noticeable even on great depth. The main decoration of the lionfish is the long ribbons of the dorsal and pectoral fins, it is they that resemble lion's mane. These luxurious fins hide sharp poisonous needles that make the lionfish one of the most dangerous inhabitants of the seas.

The lionfish is widespread in the tropical parts of the Indian and Pacific Oceans off the coast of China, Japan and Australia. It lives mainly among coral reefs. lionfish Since it lives in the surface waters of the reef, therefore it represents great danger for bathers who can step on it and injure themselves on sharp poisonous needles. The excruciating pain that occurs in this case is accompanied by the formation of a tumor, breathing becomes difficult, and in some cases, the injury leads to death.

The fish itself is very voracious and eats all kinds of crustaceans and small fish during night hunting. The most dangerous are pufferfish, boxfish, sea dragon, hedgehog fish, ball fish, etc. We must remember only one rule: the more colorful the coloring of the fish and the more unusual its shape, the more poisonous it is.

stellate pufferfish (Tetraodontidae)

Cube body or box fish (Ostraction cubicus)

hedgehog fish (Diodontidae)

fish ball (Diodontidae)

In the Black Sea, there are relatives of the lionfish - the noticeable scorpionfish (Scorpaena notata), it is no more than 15 centimeters in length, and the Black Sea scorpionfish (Scorpaena porcus) - up to half a meter - but such large ones are found deeper, further from the coast. The main difference between the Black Sea scorpionfish is long, similar to rag patches, supraorbital tentacles. In the conspicuous scorpion, these outgrowths are short.

conspicuous scorpionfish (Scorpaena notata)

black sea scorpionfish (Scorpaena porcus)

The body of these fish is covered with spikes and outgrowths, the spikes are covered with poisonous mucus. And although the poison of the scorpionfish is not as dangerous as the poison of the lionfish, it is better not to disturb it.

Among the dangerous black marine fish of note is the sea dragon (Trachinus draco). Elongated, snake-like, with an angular large head, bottom fish. Like other bottom predators, the dragon has bulging eyes on the top of its head and a huge, greedy mouth.

sea ​​dragon (Trachinus draco)

The consequences of a poisonous injection of a dragon are much more serious than in the case of a scorpionfish, but not fatal.

Wounds from the thorns of a scorpion or dragon cause burning pain, the area around the injections turns red and swells, then - general malaise, fever, and your rest is interrupted for a day or two. If you have suffered from the thorns of a ruff, consult a doctor. Wounds should be treated like normal scratches.

The "stone fish" or Wartyfish (Synanceia verrucosa) also belongs to the scorpion family - no less, and in some cases more dangerous than lionfish.

"fish stone" or warty (Synanceia verrucosa)

sea ​​urchins

Often in shallow waters there is a risk of stepping on a sea urchin.

Sea urchins are one of the most common and very dangerous inhabitants of coral reefs. The body of a hedgehog the size of an apple is studded with 30-centimeter needles sticking out in all directions, similar to knitting needles. They are very mobile, sensitive and instantly react to irritation.

If a shadow suddenly falls on the hedgehog, he immediately directs the needles in the direction of danger and puts them together in several pieces into a sharp, hard pike. Not even gloves and wetsuits guarantee full protection from the formidable peak of the sea urchin. The needles are so sharp and fragile that, having penetrated deep into the skin, they immediately break off and it is extremely difficult to remove them from the wound. In addition to needles, hedgehogs are armed with small grasping organs - pedicillaria, scattered at the base of the needles.

The venom of sea urchins is not dangerous, but causes burning pain at the injection site, shortness of breath, rapid heartbeat, transient paralysis. And soon redness, swelling appear, sometimes there is a loss of sensitivity and a secondary infection. The wound must be cleaned of needles, disinfected, to neutralize the poison, hold the damaged part of the body in very hot water for 30-90 minutes or apply a pressure bandage.

After meeting with a black "long-spined" sea urchin, black dots may remain on the skin - this is a trace of pigment, it is harmless, but it can make it difficult to find needles stuck in you. Seek medical advice after first aid.

Shells (clams)

Often on the reef among the corals there are wavy wings of bright blue.

clam tridacna (Tridacna gigas)

According to some reports, divers sometimes fall between its wings, like in a trap, which leads to their death. The danger of tridacna, however, is greatly exaggerated. These mollusks live in shallow reef areas in clear tropical waters, so they are easy to spot due to their large size, brightly colored mantle, and ability to splash water at low tide. A diver captured by a shell can easily free himself, you just need to stick a knife between the valves and cut the two muscles that compress the valves.

Poison Clam Cone (Conidae)
Shouldn't be touched beautiful shells(especially big ones). Here it is worth remembering one rule: all mollusks that have a long, thin and pointed ovipositor are poisonous. These are representatives of the cone genus of the gastropod class, having a brightly colored conical shell. Its length in most species does not exceed 15-20 cm. The cone inflicts a prick as sharp as a needle with a spike that protrudes from the narrow end of the shell. Inside the spike passes the duct of the poisonous gland, through which a very strong poison is injected into the wound.

Various species of the cone genus are common in coastal shallows and coral reefs of warm seas.

At the moment of injection, a sharp pain is felt. At the injection site of the spike, a reddish dot is visible against the background of pale skin.

Local inflammatory reaction is insignificant. There is a feeling of acute pain or burning, numbness of the affected limb may occur. In severe cases, there is difficulty in speech, flaccid paralysis quickly develops, and knee jerks disappear. In a few hours, death may occur.

With mild poisoning, all symptoms disappear within a day.

First aid is to remove fragments of the thorn from the skin. The affected area is wiped with alcohol. The affected limb is immobilized. The patient in the supine position is taken to the medical center.

corals

Corals, both living and dead, can cause painful cuts (be careful when walking on coral islands). And the so-called "fire" corals are armed with poisonous needles that dig into human body in case of physical contact with them.

The basis of the coral is polyps - marine invertebrates 1-1.5 mm in size or slightly larger (depending on the species).

Barely born, the baby polyp begins to build a cell house, in which he spends his entire life. Microhouses of polyps are grouped into colonies from which a coral reef eventually appears.

Hungry, the polyp sticks out tentacles with many stinging cells from the "house". The smallest animals that make up plankton encounter the tentacles of a polyp, which paralyzes the victim and sends it into the mouth opening. Despite their microscopic size, the stinging cells of polyps have a very complex structure. Inside the cell is a capsule filled with poison. The outer end of the capsule is concave and looks like a thin tube twisted in a spiral, which is called a stinging thread. This tube, covered with the smallest spikes pointing backwards, resembles a miniature harpoon. When touched, the stinging thread straightens, the "harpoon" pierces the body of the victim, and the poison passing through it paralyzes the prey.

Poisoned "harpoons" of corals can also injure a person. Among the dangerous ones is, for example, fire coral. Its colonies in the form of "trees" made of thin plates have chosen the shallow waters of tropical seas.

The most dangerous stinging corals of the Millepore genus are so beautiful that scuba divers cannot resist the temptation to break off a piece as a keepsake. This can be done without "burns" and cuts only in canvas or leather gloves.

fire coral (Millepora dichotoma)

Talking about such passive animals as coral polyps, it is worth mentioning one more thing. interesting type marine animals - sponges. Usually sponges are not classified as dangerous inhabitants seas, however, there are some species in Caribbean waters that can cause severe skin irritation in swimmers upon contact. It is believed that the pain can be relieved with a weak solution of vinegar, but the unpleasant effects from contact with the sponge can last for several days. These primitive animals belong to the genus Fibula and are often referred to as touchy sponges.

Sea snakes (Hydrophidae)

Little is known about sea snakes. This is strange, since they live in all the seas of the Pacific and Indian Oceans and are not among the rare inhabitants of the deep sea. Maybe it's because people just don't want to deal with them.

And there are serious reasons for this. After all, sea snakes are dangerous and unpredictable.

There are about 48 species of sea snakes. This family once left the land and completely switched to an aquatic lifestyle. Because of this, sea snakes have acquired some features in the structure of the body, and outwardly they are somewhat different from their terrestrial counterparts. The body is flattened from the sides, the tail is in the form of a flat ribbon (for flat-tailed representatives) or slightly elongated (for dovetails). The nostrils are not located on the sides, but at the top, so it is more convenient for them to breathe, sticking the tip of the muzzle out of the water. The lung stretches throughout the body, but these snakes absorb up to a third of all oxygen from the water with the help of the skin, which is densely penetrated by blood capillaries. Under water, a sea snake can stay for more than an hour.

The venom of a sea snake is dangerous to humans. Their poison is dominated by an enzyme that paralyzes the nervous system. When attacking, the snake quickly strikes with two short teeth, slightly bent back. The bite is almost painless, there is no swelling or hemorrhage.

But after some time, weakness appears, coordination is disturbed, convulsions begin. Death occurs from paralysis of the lungs in a few hours.

The high toxicity of the venom of these snakes is a direct result of aquatic habitation: in order for the prey not to run away, it must be instantly paralyzed. True, the poison of sea snakes is not as dangerous as the poison of snakes that live with us on land. When bitten by flattails, 1 mg of poison is released, and when bitten by a dovetail, 16 mg. So, a person has a chance to survive. Of the 10 bitten by sea snakes, 7 people remain alive, of course, if they receive medical assistance on time.

True, there is no guarantee that you will be among the latter.

Among other dangerous aquatic animals, especially dangerous freshwater inhabitants should be mentioned - crocodiles living in the tropics and subtropics, piranha fish living in the Amazon River basin, freshwater electric rays, as well as fish whose meat or some organs are poisonous and can cause acute poisoning.

If you are interested in more detailed information about dangerous species jellyfish and corals, you can find it at http://medusy.ru/

photo: John ‘K’

sharks

Perhaps the most dangerous predator of the ocean can be called the white shark: this animal brings great fear to people. Sharks lived in the ocean many years before the appearance of man. About 400 species of these animals are known, but the white shark is considered the most dangerous predator. Its powerful teeth, huge weight - about 3 tons and a length of about 6 meters can terrify anyone. The predator has a spindle-shaped body, large fins and a crescent-shaped tail, lives for about 27 years. There are 300 sharp teeth in the oral cavity, the upper jaw is equipped with triangular teeth, and on the lower jaw they acquire a curved shape.

photo: corwinconnect

However, a person is not a "delicacy" for these animals, they prefer to attack those inhabitants who have good fat reserves, for example, fur seals and lions. People are not too interesting for white sharks: they have a lot of muscle tissue and tendons. Sharks attack people for two reasons:

a man flounders in the water, and the predator takes him for easy prey - a sick animal;

the silhouette of a person floating on a surfboard resembles the outlines of other inhabitants of the ocean. Since sharks have poor eyesight, they can make a mistake and mistake the swimmer for simple prey. To make sure the prey is edible, the predator makes a test bite or is limited to a powerful push, but it can also tear the prey to pieces.

photo: Venson Kuchipudi

How the white shark will behave is difficult to predict. Having caught the prey, the shark shakes its head in different directions, which helps it tear the prey to pieces.

Scientists believe that thanks to this animal, the Pacific Ocean is the cleanest, since the shark eats the weakest creatures.

sea ​​anemones

These organisms belong to the class Cnidaria, distinctive feature which is the presence of stinging cells used to protect against predators and for the purpose of attack. Anemones lead a sedentary lifestyle, their length reaches 1 meter in height.

photo:Achim

These predators are attached to the bottom with a special foot called the basal disc or sole. The tentacles of sea anemones, which vary in number from ten to hundreds, contain special cells called cnidocytes. These cells secrete a venom composed of a mixture of toxins designed for hunting and self-defense. The poison contains substances that affect the nervous system: they paralyze the victim, which allows the predator to pull it closer to the mouth. With the help of venom, anemones immobilize fish and crustaceans, which make up their main diet.

For humans, the poison of stinging cells is not life-threatening, but can cause soreness and burns.

killer whales

These predators belong to the dolphin family, but do not have all the friendly features of these animals. Their nickname is the killer whale, they eat almost all the inhabitants of the oceans: mollusks, fish, mammals. If they have enough food, then killer whales exist quite peacefully with other cetaceans. But if the killer whale gets hungry, a whale, and, and a penguin can become her food.

photo: Nick Johnson

The size of the victim does not really matter: if it is a large animal, killer whales can attack with the whole herd. But, when it is not possible to kill the victim in one fell swoop, killer whales can starve it out, biting off a small piece from the body. No one will be protected from the attack of killer whales - neither a small herring, nor a large dolphin.

A flock of these animals works in a strictly debugged mode: when they notice a victim, they become very “silent”.

photo: Sean

They move in even ranks, like soldiers, and each individual has its own task. If a flock of killer whales leads a sedentary lifestyle, then fish or crustaceans are quite suitable for food. A migrating flock of killer whales may feed on large mammals such as seals and sea ​​lions. They fully justify their nickname - "killer whales".

These are representatives of the order of cephalopods. Octopuses have excellent sense of smell, sight and touch, but they do not hear very well. Octopuses are mobile animals that, with the help of tentacles, capture the victim and immobilize it with the help of a paralyzing poison. Most often, crabs and lobsters become their prey: with the help of their tools, they split their shell and reach the body of the victim. For humans, octopus venom is also dangerous, there are problems with speech, breathing and swallowing. If help does not arrive in time, it can lead to death.

Photo: Neptune Canada

Octopuses are rather cunning creatures: when an enemy attacks, they seem to throw off their tentacles. The reclined organ wriggles frantically, and the predator focuses directly on it. At this time, the octopus safely crawls away.

If you find an error, please highlight a piece of text and click Ctrl+Enter.

Some deep dwellers would love to feast on us, but most are only dangerous if you attack them first. You can call it the principle of "accidentally stepped, poisoned and died." Who should not be attacked in this case?

The Portuguese boat is a whole colony of jellyfish that hunts other marine life with the help of long poisonous tentacles. The base of the "ship" at this time floats on the surface of the water, but it is easy to miss. Every year they poison several thousand people.

Box jellyfish have long been famous as one of the most dangerous creatures off the coast of Australia. Their tentacles, up to 60 pieces, reach a length of four meters. The poison in some of their species can paralyze a person at one touch and make them choke.

Blue-ringed octopuses are as legendary among mollusks as box jellyfish are among cnidarians. These are the most poisonous creatures in all the oceans of the world, the attack of which leads to paralysis and death.

Great white sharks are much scarier on screen than in real life, but that doesn't make them any less formidable predators. At least 74 unprovoked attacks on people have been recorded, including attacks on fishing boats.

Sea snakes are equipped with a stronger toxic venom than their land-based relatives, simply because fish are not as sensitive to poison. Their venom, like all asps, has a paralyzing effect. Luckily for humans, they use their weapons mostly for hunting purposes, and when handled carefully, they don't bite.

Lionfish do not waste time on spikes, generously exposing them all over the body. They are quite successful in preying on other fish, capturing even territories that are not needed for the survival of their species. Due to their toxicity and prevalence, lionfish are a real headache for fishermen.

Crocodiles mostly prefer rivers, but their largest representative is combed crocodile- Do not mind swimming in salt water. Males of this species grow up to seven meters in length and two tons in weight. Aggressive specimens often attack people.

Large barracudas are impressive predators, growing up to two meters in length. Their teeth are considered to be among the sharpest and most painful of all. sea ​​world. Barracudas often follow divers out of sheer curiosity, but rarely attack. True, if this happens, then death is guaranteed.

Millepores, aka fire corals, are extremely venomous cnidarians with a deceptively harmless appearance. One touch to them will provide a person with a severe burn, which subsequently develops into an ulcer. It is not fatal, but contact can cause pain shock and loss of consciousness.

Warts, they are stone fish, boast not only an outstanding appearance, but also a terrible deadly poison! Extremely painful, too. Their back fin contains 12 sharp spines, each of which is equipped with a separate poison sac. Given the habit of warts to rest in shallow water, step on them and get a dose of poison - just spit.

(the average: 4,59 out of 5)

Probably, of all the predators living on Earth, they cause the greatest fear in humans. It is difficult to find a more perfect, and, at the same time, more ancient organism. Sharks are ideal and ancient predators that appeared already 420-450 million years ago, and since then they have not changed much: in the form that we know them now, they formed during the Jurassic period, when dinosaurs still walked the planet, and the first birds were just rising into the air.

One of these predators was recently encountered in Primorye. On August 17, a 25-year-old guy was attacked by a great white shark and bit off both of his hands, and a day later a 16-year-old scuba diver suffered, who got off with severe lacerations of his legs.

There are about 350 different types of sharks in the waters of the oceans, and each of them is unique in its own way. Today we will take a closer look at some sharks and find out which of them is in the “big three” of the most dangerous killer sharks for humans.

Sharks are aquatic animals belonging to the superclass of fish. All sharks are predators; for food, they use animal food - from the smallest planktonic animals to large inhabitants of sea waters.

Sharks are very tenacious and do not have such pain sensitivity as other vertebrates. Their structure was so successfully honed by evolution that sharks survived in the centuries-old struggle for existence with different, often very powerful predators, while changing little in the structure of organs and bodies.

For convenience, we will mark in red species of sharks dangerous to humans, and in green - relatively safe. However, do not forget that all sharks are predators. If you disturb these huge fish during the hunt, consciously or unconsciously provoke them, then even safe species are quite capable of attacking a person.

By the way, what to do if a shark suddenly attacked you? A small infographic on this topic from rian.ru:

This species is distributed in the tropical zone of the Indian and Pacific Oceans. These are one of the most common coral reef sharks that inhabit reefs. different types living at depths of several meters. These sharks are small members of the family, they do not exceed 2 meters in length and weigh 45 kg. They are found at depths of 30 cm or less.

Due to its small size, it is mainly not dangerous to humans. Although there are cases of attacks on swimmers by blacktip reef sharks. In all the cases noted, the aggression on the part of sharks was provoked by the smell of blood flowing into the water from fish harpooned by humans.

Blacktip reef sharks are sissies. For example, once during transportation, due to a staff error, the water in the tank turned out to be two degrees below the possible minimum, and the sharks died from hypothermia. In another case, 35-year-old English comedian Guy Venables, who was on a nightclub show in Brighton, jumped into a shark tank. The result of this trick was sad: the 12-year-old shark died of fright.

This shark can reach 4 meters in length, but usually does not exceed 2.5-3 meters. Chet reminds me of a catfish:

It keeps at a depth of 0.5 to 3 meters, can gather in flocks of up to 40 individuals.

Slow and inactive nurse sharks feed on crabs, octopuses, sea ​​urchins, small fish.

Usually, nurse sharks are safe for humans.

This predator usually reaches 3.5-4 meters in length.

Despite their rather intimidating appearance, sand tigers quite peaceful in nature and only attack people in self-defense. (Photo by David Doubilet):

It should be noted the original method of maintaining buoyancy used by this species of sharks - swallowing air and retaining it in the stomach.

Sand tiger sharks distributed mainly in warm climatic zones, especially a lot of them off the Australian coasts. The largest population lives off the coast of North Carolina, near sunken ships.

Sand tiger teeth:

Currently, tiger sand sharks, like many other types of sharks, are on the verge of extinction. All this led to the inclusion of sand tiger sharks in the list of protected fish and their inclusion in the international Red Book.

Scuba divers hold a 3-meter ruler to show the size of the shark:

Hammerheads are large sharks. This is the most unusual shark. Basic hallmark family of hammerhead sharks is the shape of their head - it is completely unusual shape- in the form of a hammer, T-shaped, along the edges of which there are eyes.

According to one theory, the shark's head acquired the shape of a hammer gradually, over millions of years, expanding each generation by a tiny distance. According to another theory, such a hammer did not appear as a result of gradual changes, but was the result of a sudden, bizarre mutation that happened.

These sharks live in warm and temperate waters of the Pacific, Indian and Atlantic oceans at depths of up to 300-400 meters. These aggressive hunters feed on various types of fish, octopus, squid and crustaceans.

Hammerhead sharks (except for the giant hammerhead) are up to 3.5-4.2 meters long and weigh about 450 kg.

In search of food, the hammerhead shark is helped, basically, not by the eyes, but by special receptors for electromagnetic impulses. Predator can catch electrical discharges one millionth of a volt!

Due to its large size, many researchers consider the hammerhead shark one of the most dangerous for a person. But she doesn't attack people on purpose. Many attacks that took place in front of numerous spectators are documented. Once, in 1805, three hammerhead sharks were caught in a net on Long Island at once. In the stomach of the largest of them, a human torso was found.

One of the types of hammers - giant hammerhead shark(average length 4-5 meters) - listed in the International Red Book:

The largest species of sharks, as well as the largest living representatives of fish.

Although, according to some eyewitnesses, they met specimens from 18 to 20 m long, the largest specimen ever measured was 13.7 m long. Whale sharks can weigh up to 12 tons.

Despite its impressive size, it feeds, like a giant shark, exclusively on plankton and other small organisms, which it filters, drawing water into itself through a huge throat with a diameter of 10 cm.

Whale sharks prefer water temperatures between 21 and 25 °C and are distributed throughout the world, found in almost all warm tropical and many subtropical seas on both sides of the equator and near it.

Whale shark is not dangerous for humans and behave peacefully. She not only does not attack, but even turns off if a swimmer is in her way.

It has been estimated that whale sharks can live up to 100 to 150 years.

Usually found in tropical waters near islands in all oceans. Sharks live at the bottom and prefer to stay close to the coastline next to underwater rocks and coral reefs with a strong current. These sharks reach sizes of 2.5 meters.

Galapagos gray shark- one of the few that demonstrates its intention to attack: before the attack, it arches its back, raises its head, lowers its fins, and while swimming it spins and rolls from side to side. She is belongs to species dangerous to humans.

The nose of sharks is sensitive to certain odors and can detect the presence of blood at a concentration of 1:1000,000, which can be compared to a teaspoon of blood poured into a pool.

Their other trait is curiosity: sharks accompany ships, poke into the side, hit the oars and chase the divers.

The life span of the Galapagos shark is about 24 years.

It is the brightest representative of the largest species of fish. It is the second largest fish species. after the whale shark. It reaches a length of up to 10 meters and weighs about 4 tons.

Like whale shark, giant shark it feeds on plankton, but does not suck up water, but simply swims with its mouth open, filtering everything that enters it through the gills. Thus, the giant shark is able to filter up to 2000 tons of water per hour.

Giant sharks are found in both the eastern and western hemispheres, preferring cool to warm temperate latitudes and following the presence of plankton.

safe for humans and today it is under the threat of extinction.

Females reach a length of 4 meters, males - up to 2.5 m. The maximum documented weight of a caught bull shark was 316.5 kg. On average, a bull shark lives 27-28 years.

The bull shark rightfully occupies 3rd place in the list of the most dangerous species of sharks for humans. This is an extremely aggressive animal that has the right to claim the title of an ideal and all-powerful predator. It is almost impossible to escape from a terrible monster attacking a swimmer.

Feeding a bull shark by scuba divers:

These bloodthirsty predators usually in the morning or at late twilight, and often at a shallow depth - only 0.5m - 1m.

The behavior of bull sharks is impossible to predict. They can swim peacefully nearby for a long time, and then suddenly attack the swimmer. This attack can range from a simple exploratory bite to an outright attack.

This is one of the most common types of sharks on Earth and occupies 2 1st place in the list of the most dangerous species of sharks for humans.

Sea tigers reach a length of 5 meters, but larger individuals are also found. Weight ranges from 570 to 750 kg. The lifespan of tiger sharks is probably 30-40 years.

Tiger shark teeth:

Until the shark reaches two meters in length, transverse stripes similar to tiger ones are noticeable on its sides - hence the name.

Tiger sharks live in many seas of the World Ocean, preferring to stay in the coastal waters of the seas of tropical and subtropical thermal zones. The depth range of tiger sharks extends from the surface of the sea to considerable depths. They were met at a depth of almost 1 km.

Courageous Scuba Diver:

This huge predator rightfully occupies 1st place in the list of the most dangerous species of sharks for humans.

It is officially stated that on August 17-18, 2011 in Primorye, in both cases, bathers were attacked by the same fish - a white shark at least four meters in length.

"White death"- under this name this exceptionally large shark is known, found in the surface coastal waters of all the main oceans of the Earth. Reaching a length of over 6 meters and a mass of 2,3000 kg, it is the largest modern predatory fish. Great white sharks - they are like torpedoes, with a powerful tail, thanks to which they move in water at speeds up to 24 km / h.

Scientists determined the size of the largest specimen, the length of which was reliably measured and equals 6.4 meters. This great white shark was caught in Cuban waters in 1945, measured by experts with documented measurements. The unconfirmed weight of this Cuban shark is 3,270 kg. (Photo by Epic Hanauer):

Wide mouth and sharp triangular teeth arranged in several rows. Experts advise when attacking sharks "to strike in the face, in the eyes and gills." It is doubtful that such measures will help repel the attack of a 5-meter predator, which has honed the skill of killing for millions of years of evolution.

The number of teeth in a great white shark, like in a tiger shark, is 280-300 pieces.

However, the great white shark is on the verge of extinction - only about 3,500 specimens of these beautiful, ancient predators remain on Earth.

In contact with

To the predators underwater world include fish whose diet includes other inhabitants of water bodies, as well as birds and some animals. World predatory fish varied: 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 carnivorous 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 ( dogfish);
• 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. The wounds inflicted big sharks are fatal in 80% of cases. 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. Stays in the weeds 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 atherine. 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 bottom 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 contains 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. Average length does not exceed 90 cm, weight 25 kg. Dwells in northern zones 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, 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

Unusual inhabitant 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-linear) 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 Seas of Azov with migration to major 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. Runs in Black mediterranean seas, East Atlantic, Southwest 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 slanting 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 with 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, south 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. Does not love prickly ruff and perch. Catches and waits before swallowing when the prey subsides.

Hunts frogs, birds, mice. Distinguishes fast growth and good camouflage. It grows on average up to 1.5 meters and weighs up to 35 kg. Sometimes there are giants in human growth.

Zander

Large predator of large and clean rivers. The weight of a meter fish reaches 10-15 kg, sometimes more. Found in sea ​​waters. Unlike other predators, the mouth and throat are small, so small fish serve as food. Avoids thickets, so as not to become 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 stretches 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, shrimp, earthworms.

Livingstone cichlid

On the video predatory fish reflect the unique mechanism of ambush hunting. Occupy a position dead fish and long time withstand for a sudden attack of emerging prey.

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 predator blue-orange color. Develops speed, attacks 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.