Striped Surgeonfish
The
striped surgeonfish is an attractive Indo-Pacific reef fish that’s best
handled with care because its caudal spine is venomous. Scientists
believe that the world’s seas hold some 1,200 different venomous fish
species and estimate that they injure about 50,000 people per year. But
fish venoms can also bring great benefit—they are useful in the
development of new drugs.
Barracudas
Barracudas
are long, lean hunting machines. Their sleek bodies enable them to dart
through the water at speeds of up to 25 miles an hour (40 kilometers an
hour) in pursuit of fish to shred and devour with their razor-sharp
teeth. The barracuda is highly evolved to be a master predator in its
environment—the fish has been honing its skills for some 50 million
years.
Yellow Sea Anemone
The
sea anemone may look like the beautiful flower for which it’s named,
but fish that swim too close may regret it. The anemone, which is
related to corals and jellyfish, uses venom-laden tentacles to stab
passing victims with a paralyzing neurotoxin—rendering them helpless and
fit to be eaten.
Moray Eel
A
moray eel eyes a colorful fish in the waters off Kona, Hawaii. If the
eel decides to pounce the fish may soon be snared by not one but two
sets of toothy jaws. The second set, found in the eel’s throat, surges
forward to grab prey and help draw it to its doom. This unusual ability
allows the eels to gulp large animals without having to open wide in the
tightly confined spaces of the reef holes in which they live.
Great White Shark
There
is no doubt that the great white shark sits atop the ocean food chain.
The world’s largest predatory fish can weigh in at over 5,000 pounds
(2,270 kilograms) and reach lengths of more than 20 feet (6 meters).
Great whites boast some 300 teeth, which they typically sink into sea
lions, seals, small toothed whales, sea turtles, and carrion. These
sharks are responsible for a third to a half of the 100-odd shark
attacks on humans every year, but the strikes are usually unintentional
and rarely prove fatal.
Whitespotted Surgeonfish
School
is in session for a group of whitespotted surgeonfish on a Kiribati,
Micronesia, coral reef. The world’s 75-odd species of surgeonfish have
scalpel-like, movable spines on each side of their tail bases, which can
deliver a painful slash to another fish or a curious human hand.
Despite this weapon, surgeonfish aren’t particularly violent. Most are
grazers that feed on ocean algae.
Oyster Toadfish
An
oversized head and a large, frowning mouth give the oyster toadfish the
look of a tough customer—and in this case appearances are not
deceiving. This bottom-dwelling camouflage artist can crush mollusk
shells with its jaws and strong teeth, and devour oysters, crabs,
shrimp, squid, fish, and a host of other marine creatures. But oyster
toadfish males have a soft side. They guard the nest and even keep watch
over young hatchlings during their first few weeks of life.
Indonesian Needlefish
Needlefish
are commonly seen schooling near the surface of tropical and
subtropical waters. But they can also hurl themselves out of the water,
and once airborne they can become dangerous flying daggers. Though it is
rare, people have been seriously hurt and even killed when stabbed by
the fish’s sharp, elongated jaws. Night fishermen in small boats are at
particular risk because their lights may attract the fish.
Textile Cone Snail
This
innocuous-looking snail is actually one of the planet’s most toxic
creatures. Textile cone snails “harpoon” their prey with hollow teeth,
through which they inject a lethal venom. Their most common victims are
mollusks, though the snails have been known to eat their own kind when
meals are scarce.
Saltwater Crocodile
Saltwater
crocodiles, or “salties,” are the world’s largest crocodilians,
sometimes stretching 23 feet (7 meters) in length and topping 2,200
pounds (1,000) kilograms. Yet these crocs hunt by stealth, lying in wait
below shoreline waters to snatch crabs and turtles or spring upon
thirsty animals that have come to drink. Saltwater crocs kill a number
of people each year, but suffer far more at human hands than vice versa.
Sea Anemone
A
small crab hovers unharmed among the venomous tentacles of a colorful
sea anemone. Though anemones are toxic, they are known to enjoy several
symbiotic relationships. Some species provide safe pasture for green
algae to grow and in turn receive oxygen and sugar from photosynthesis.
Clownfish also dwell among the tentacles, where those messy eaters
provide their anemone hosts with plentiful table scraps.
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