Oceans and seas are the habitat of many amazing and colorful animals. One of the inhabitants of the underwater kingdoms is this exotic creature. This unusual fish lived in the waters even during the time of the dinosaurs, and for 150 million years it has not changed at all. Although it belongs to the family of the most good-natured aquatic inhabitants, it should not be touched, since it is all covered with poisonous spikes.
It is called a crocodile fish (photo presented in the article).
Habitat
Habitat - soft sandy or clay bottom. More often this fish can be found on a coral reef. One of the most famous places for crocodile fish is the Red Sea. You can meet her on the famous Great Barrier Reef, in Indonesia, Australia, off the coast of the Philippines and off the islands of the western part of the Pacific Ocean.
This fish has been little studied by researchers. It occurs at a depth of 12 meters. In gastronomic terms, it is not at all of interest. It causes curiosity only among divers - lovers of diving on coral reefs.
The bottom crocodile fish has a rather frightening appearance, and it got its name due to its similarity with the well-known reptile.
Description
Particular attention is drawn to the head of the fish - in the horizontal plane it is very flattened and very reminiscent of the head of a crocodile. In this regard, it received another name - spotted flatheads. The surface of the body is completely covered with bone outgrowths, poisonous spines and teeth.
Crocodile fish grows up to 50 centimeters in length. She, like a regular crocodile, uses a spotty protective color, which allows it to mask well at the bottom of the seas. Body color depends on the habitat and may be green or gray.
Young individuals have a dark or almost black color. Young fish, not reaching the age when ambush hunting becomes the main source of food, do not particularly care about their disguise. The main diet at this age is small crustaceans and plankton. Over time, it becomes clumsy and large and prefers to wait at the bottom for prey.
Lifestyle and lifestyle
Fish have almost no natural enemies. She spends most of the time at the bottom in a fixed position, so more active predators do not even see her. The most active flatheads in terms of finding food and food at night, and during the day he is more careful, but also not particularly shy.
Almost nothing is known about the reproduction of crocodile fish. All available information is obtained through observations of animals. Usually the breeding season of fish lasts from October to March. Fries born from eggs are immediately left to their own devices. Although the fish is predatory, it does not hunt, but waits for its prey at clefts of underwater rocks and at the borders of mangroves.
It is not dangerous for people, but any careless diver may well get hurt about her terrible sharp spikes. In this case, the wounds can become very inflamed due to the dirt that settles on the tuberous body of the fish.
The fish is distinguished by great tolerance, letting potentially dangerous objects close to themselves. But with obvious danger, it suddenly floats away at high speed, and then almost completely burrows in the sand.
Food and enemies
It is known that small fish enter the diet of a flathead, crawling into its not very high, but wide mouth. It also feeds on crustaceans, crabs, shrimps, cephalopods and bristle worms.
The main enemies are predatory fish that are larger than crocodile fish. It can be sea stingrays and reef sharks.
Due to the fact that these fish live at shallow depths, even a beginner diver can get acquainted with them.