Fish eating fish. What and how do fish eat in the sea?

Our planet is inhabited by amazing representatives of the fauna, each of which has its own unique qualities. We know a lot about them: for example, koalas don’t drink water at all, cats see perfectly in the dark, and dolphins possess almost human intelligence. And what do we know about fish, in addition to being eaten, and even completely inedible, and even poisonous?

In this article we will talk about the amazing inhabitants of the underwater dimension, with fins: about their life in the depths, habits and what the fish eat, depending on the environment in which they live.

You will discover the uncharted world of the underwater kingdom, in which not everything is as calm and peaceful as it seems at first glance. For example, in the reservoirs live fish that feed on fish and small animals. There are also fish-birds and animals who are not averse to feasting on freshly caught delicacy.

To each his own menu

By the nature of their behavior and preferences in food, fish are mainly divided into predatory and peaceful. Carnivores are fish that eat fish and only occasionally consume other foods. They pose a serious threat to vegetarian fish, especially if they are small.

Peaceful, in turn, are herbivorous, benthophages and planktophages. Basically, these are fish that feed on algae.

Herbivores use only phytoplankton, in other words, floating algae. Bentophages are fish that feed on algae that grow in depth (called phytobenthos) and organic particles. Planktophages also prefer zooplankton and do not disdain unicellular organisms that inhabit the river.

In addition, there are omnivorous europhages - fish that feed on fish, algae and small invertebrates. Their menu is the most diverse.

River settlers

Looking at the river, we can’t even imagine how many various living creatures live under the water surface. Each area is characterized by its own "sets" of river fish. For example, in the rivers on the territory of Russia there are such representatives as bersh, grass carp, dace, ruff, sturgeon, char, whitefish, grayling.

Also in Russian waters you can find smelt, pike, carp, bream, asp. In addition, there are crucians, minnows, silver carp, roach, rudd, tench, catfish, burbot, river perch, so beloved by fishermen. And this is not a complete list of all kinds.

Carnivorous River Predators

What do fish eat in the river? Each of them has its own diet. The menu of river inhabitants depends on many factors: the type of bottom (sand or stones), algae, and even the time of year.

Let's start with the classic predators, which include fish that feed on fish. These are bersh, sturgeon, char, pike, catfish, burbot, river bass. Consider them:

• Bersh belongs to the Perch family and looks very similar to zander. This is a predatory schooling fish that eats fry and rudd fry. Do not disdain small minnows and ruffs.
• Sturgeon belongs to the family of the same name. This is an aggressive predator that can have fun with the main menu and “eat” a frog. In the river, a large number of sturgeons are found only when they spawn. These migratory predator fish feed not only in fresh waters, but also in salty.
• The char is a very large representative of the Salmon family, which is considered a predator because it loves the eggs of valuable fish, sweeps it in huge quantities, thereby reducing their population on a catastrophic scale. The char also preys on salmon juveniles.
• Pike is the only representative of the family of the same name. This is an extremely aggressive, gluttonous, predatory person. Its diet includes fish such as crucian carp and roach. In addition, the pike "suffers" cannibalism: these predatory fish eat smaller representatives of their kind. A variety of pike menus can also be made by small mammals (for example, mice), accidentally caught in water. Also, small waterfowl and their young can become pike prey.
• Catfish from the Somov family are similar in their nutritional preferences to pike. It feeds on small fish, and can also attack waterfowl. Large representatives hunt large birds, and are also able to drag a dog or small calf under water. Cases are known when catfish attacked pigeons who inadvertently pecked grain at the water's edge. This "greed" for food is due to the fact that he eats only in the warm seasons, and in the winter he starves.
• Burbot belongs to the Cod Squad. These predatory fish prey at night, and feed not only on fish, including juveniles like themselves, but also on decaying animals, as well as frogs.
• River bass is both a hunter and a victim. He eats small fish, he himself is the food for pike and pike perch.

Underwater vegetarians

Civilians of the river depths are harmless fish that feed on algae, phytoplankton, and detritus. Phytoplankton are the smallest plant organisms that inhabit water bodies in great numbers and move thanks to the current.

Often phytoplankton is not visible with the naked eye, so people do not attach importance to it. Many of us are not even aware of these microscopic organisms, and yet they are the most important vegetarian component of what the fish eat in the river. This is especially true for species such as grass carp, silver carp and tench. Learn more about them:

• Cupid is a "native" of the Karpov family. It feeds exclusively on plant foods: mud, various algae, and reeds. He can also use land plants flooded during the spill of the river.
• Silver carp belongs to the same family as grass carp, and prefers microscopic algae and detritus. The silver carp mouth is a kind of "filtering apparatus", thanks to which this fish filters green water, being a kind of river orderly.
• Tench is a very inactive fish, preferring to live near the bottom or in algae thickets. More than 60% of his diet is algae.

Omnivores

It is interesting that almost all owners of fins, whether they are peaceful vegans or carnivorous predators, are omnivores during the period of active growth. What do the fish in the river eat that are classified as euphages? The answer is simple: almost everything that gets into their mouths. This is small river plankton, crustaceans, mollusks, protozoa, and even insects! This is especially true for young animals. High-calorie nutrition is an important element that growing fish needs.

Insects that feed on insects will not necessarily become predators, and fry that eat algae do not always grow herbivores. However, there are a number of fish that maintain "omnivorous" throughout life:

• Yelets is a "native" of the Karpov family. It eats invertebrates living on the bottom, as well as vegetation and insects.
• Ruff belongs to the perch family. He is incredibly voracious and eats continuously. The main diet of the ruff is invertebrates, insects and their larvae, small mollusks, fish roe and some types of algae.
• Grayling is a representative of the family of the same name. Like ruff, it feeds on zooplankton, insects, and eggs of spawning fish.
• Smelt is an omnivorous fish that does not disdain any food like caviar and fry of other fish, algae, and bottom organisms.
• Carp is a large euriphage of the Carp family. He has no stomach, so his hunger never quenches. This fish eats mollusks, insect larvae, zooplankton living in the bottom mud.
• The bream differs from most fish in a small mouth opening. Due to this anatomical feature, he is unable to absorb large food, therefore, he is content with detritus, small insects and worms.
• The asp belongs to the Carp family. Young fish feed on insects, zooplankton, small crustaceans. Matured individuals switch to a "predatory" diet. At the same time, the asp has no teeth and preys on itself small fish, stunning it with a tail blow. He does not disdain large insects, such as butterflies, beetles, dragonflies.
• Crucian carp is another representative of euryphagous fish. Their food is crustaceans, insect larvae, mollusks, tina, algae, bottom plankton, duckweed.
• Gudgeon is a typical specimen of benthophages. It feeds on zooplankton, small insects and mollusks, as well as caviar of various fish.
• The rudd is a fish of the Carp family. It is a kind of "litmus test" for determining the quality of water - rudd lives only in clean reservoirs. Its menu includes young shoots of various aquatic plants, insects and their larvae, as well as mollusk caviar, which this fish finds on the leaves of water lilies.
• Roach is an unpretentious fish of the Karpovye family that eats small crustaceans and leeches, dragonfly larvae, bloodworms, algae and their seeds.

Food preferences of the inhabitants of the lake

Do not forget that in addition to the rivers there are also lakes, which are also home to all kinds of underwater inhabitants: snails, frogs, crayfish. In such reservoirs there lives a lake fish that feeds on small crustaceans: sterlet, carp, grass carp, tench, perch, rainbow trout, crucian carp, roach, whitefish and ide.

Fish living in the lake have a slightly different diet than river fish. This is due to the special microclimate of the reservoir. River predator fish like whitefish differ in their eating habits from lake ones in that the diet of most of them is 60% phytoplankton and algae.

The largest and gluttonous lake fish that feeds on small crustaceans, phyto- and zooplankton is carp. Like his river "brother", he never eats up, as he is a fish without a stomach. Also, small crustaceans in large numbers eats bream.

The inhabitants of the salt sea

The abyss is simply teeming with all kinds of fauna, and especially with fish. Like river, they are peaceful and predatory. What do fish eat in the sea? Due to the fact that it is more densely populated by different organisms, the menu of cold-blooded marine animals is more diverse than their river "relatives".

The most common marine "brethren" of river fin species, leading a relatively peaceful lifestyle, are pelengas, herring, mullet, red mullet and ram. Why is it relative? Because these fish, eating algae, can sometimes dine like their own.

The menu of aggressive fish, in contrast to the peaceful inhabitants of the deep sea, is more diverse. What do marine predator fish eat? It is interesting to know that a small predator with fins may well make up the diet of larger carnivorous fish. The most common commercial ones are mackerel, pink salmon, catfish, flounder, halibut, horse mackerel, salmon, tuna, cod and pike perch.

Diet for peaceful marine fish

1. Pelengas belongs to the Mullet family. This is a valuable commercial fish of medium size, which feeds on dendrites, mollusks and algae, therefore it is considered ameliorator of the sea.
2. Herring is the most “eaten” of all. She is loved by birds, sea ​​animals and we are people. It feeds on small crustaceans and zooplankton. Larger herring can engage in cannibalism by eating juveniles of their own kind.
3. Mullet is considered one of the most delicious fish. She digs out her food (zooplankton and dendrite) from the bottom sediments.
4. A fish with the funny name Mullet feeds on small bottom organisms, using its antennae to feel for food.
5. Ramming is one of the favorite prey of amateur anglers. It leads a near-bottom lifestyle and eats small mollusks and zooplankton.

Food of marine predator fish

1. Mackerel is one of the most beloved fish used by humans. This is a euryphagous predator that feeds on both plankton and smaller ones like it.
2. Pink salmon is one of the most important fishing representatives of the Salmon family. In some countries, this fish is called "Russian salmon." Her diet consists of shellfish and smaller fish, crustaceans and fry.
3. Catfish prefers cold water, therefore it lives at a sufficiently large depth. Thanks to the well-developed jaws, its menu is very diverse. Catfish eat crabs, mollusks, sea urchins, lobsters, starfish and sometimes jellyfish. Catfish are not disdained by fish, which are significantly superior in size.
4. Flounder is unique due to its unusual appearance. This flat lady leads a benthic lifestyle and preys on crustaceans and small fish, attacking them from her sandy refuge.
5. Halibut belongs to the family Flounder and eats the same as flounder. Preference is given to capelin and pollock.
6. Horse mackerel is a fast-paced hunter. Such fish as hamsa, red mullet and mullet become its prey. He does not refuse his own young. In turn, horse mackerel is a favorite food for dolphins.
7. Salmon is the fish most loved by people. It is widely used in cooking in all cuisines of the world. At sea, salmon feed on herring, sprats, smelt, herring and crustaceans.
8. Tuna belongs to the Mackerel family and is the most valuable commercial fish. It feeds on cephalopods and some small fish species, as well as squid and shrimp.
9. Cod and pike perch in their food preferences are no different from the above "brothers".

Menu for aquarium migrants

Aquarists have a fashionable tendency to arrange an imitation of the deep sea. To do this, decorate the aquarium with corals, anemones and launch exotic fish from the seas and oceans. It is unlikely that an ignorant person will be able to choose the right "company" - after all, many inhabitants of the pseudo-sea behind glass can destroy each other in accordance with the nutritional characteristics. Aggressive predatory fish will always prey on peaceful phytophages - this should be taken into account when choosing multi-colored "residents" with fins. Particular attention should be paid to what fish eat in the sea. The most popular predatory aquarium "overseas guests" are discus, astronotus, piranha, lionfish, apistogram, yellow.

Of the peaceful inhabitants of the sea, clown fish, lalius, angel fish, neon, minor, tetra can settle in the aquarium.

If you decide to arrange your own underwater world in your home, you should find out what aquarium residents eat at home - in the sea or ocean. Predators like yellow dine with snails and small crustaceans, and also do not mind hunting for small fish. Other cichlids, as well as astronotuses and piranhas, are not far behind them.

But algae is what the clown fish eats. As well as most other peaceful aquarium inhabitants.

River fish hunters

Fish-eating birds pose a great danger to them, regardless of their habitat. The winged enemies of the river representatives are black-headed gulls, gray herons, cranes, ospreys and white-tailed eagles. These gluttonous birds can destroy a huge number of fish. Learn more about them:

• Black-headed (river / lake gull) is an omnivorous, indiscriminate food bird of small sizes. Thanks to the membranes on the paws, the gulls swim perfectly, and it is not difficult for them to catch fish from the surface of the pond.
• Gray herons and cranes are rather large birds that prefer only animal food. Fish make up 80% of their diet, the remaining 20% ​​are frogs and rodents.
• Ospreys are river eagles. They are listed in the Red Book. Osprey is a bird that feeds fish and only it! They hunt with clawed paws, capturing prey from the water. Osprey is the worst enemy of river inhabitants, regardless of species.
• White-tailed eagle, like an osprey, is listed in the Red Book. This is a large bird of prey, feeding on fish and smaller birds. Also, the menu of the white-tailed eagle includes hares, ground squirrels, groundhogs and other rodents. They do not disdain carrion.

Winged sea hunters

Fishes living in the sea are also not immune to the fact that they will become the food of birds. Feathered gourmet lovers such as cormorants, albatrosses, petrels, and gulls are actively attempting their lives. Penguins prey on fish in the northern seas and oceans.

1. Cormorant is a rather large bird that feeds not only on capelin, sardine and herring, but also on mollusks. The eyes of these winged hunters have a transparent blinking membrane, which, when submerged under water, serves them as peculiar underwater glasses. Thanks to this anatomical feature, cormorants perfectly see their prey under the water column.
2. Albatross is a marine long-liver. During its 30-year life, one individual eats a huge amount of fish, as well as crustaceans, squid and mollusks. Albatrosses can dive 15 meters in depth, and also have an extremely accurate sense of smell.
3. The petrel looks similar to a pigeon, but, unlike the latter, has a much larger size and webbed feet. The life cycle of these birds is 20-26 years. They have the same nutrition as albatrosses and cormorants. Also, petrels often accompany ships, eating up food debris.
4. Seagulls are the only birds that have no natural enemies. Their main diet is primarily fish, as well as shellfish, insects, small birds and their eggs, crustaceans, carrion and waste. These tricks got used to get mollusks even from the most durable shells, throwing them from a height.
5. Penguins are gourmet birds. They will never eat rotten or stale fish, as seagulls or petrels do. Their diet should be exclusively freshly caught, it consists of plankton, fish, krill, squid and cephalopods. Penguins get food by diving to a depth of 20-70 meters.

Trouble from the shore

In addition to birds and fishermen, the enemies of fish are animals. The four-legged representatives of the fauna that eat fish will never miss the opportunity to enjoy their favorite dish. Especially many "lovers of delicacies" live on the river. What animals eat fish? This is a muskrat, otter, kutor, muskrat. She is also very fond of mink and eats in large quantities.