Red-bellied piranha
Pygocentrus nattereriPuffer fish
Diodon sp.Clown anemonefish
Amphiprion ocellarisOLength 13 in (33 cm)
OWeight 2 lb (1 kg)
OLocation South AmericaFamed for their powerful bite and wickedly
sharp teeth, these ferocious freshwater fish
live in large schools. Their usual prey
includes other fish and aquatic
invertebrates, although they will attack
other animals. Their sensitive hearing and
lateral line organs allow them to home in
on disturbances caused by struggling
prey. Piranhas in turn are hunted and
eaten by people.FISH109Great white shark
Carcharodon carchariasAfrican lungfish
Protopterus annectens
OLength 36 in (90 cm)
OWeight Exact weight unknown
ODepth 6–160 ft (2–50 m)
OLocation Tropical and
subtropical Atlantic, Pacific, and
Indian OceansWhen threatened, the puffer
fish inflates its body into a
spiked ball, making it
impossible for all but the
largest predators to swallow. But even large
predators may avoid eating puffer fish: they
not only taste awful, but some are also
poisonous.OLength Up to 23 ft (7 m)
OWeight Can reach over 6,600 lb (3,000 kg)
ODepth 0–4,300 ft (0–1,300 m)
OLocation Oceans worldwideProbably the most feared fish in the seas, the
great white is a predator of large fish, squid,
and seals. Great white sharks are protected,
since they were overfished in the past.OLength 3–4 in (8–11 cm)
ODepth Up to 50 ft (15 m)
OLocation Seas around
southeast Asia and northern AustraliaThese brightly colored little fish live in the
shallow sheltered lagoons created by coral
reefs. They gain protection from predators
by hiding among the tentacles of
anemones, which other fish avoid because
of their deadly stings. No one knows for
sure how anemonefish keep from being
stung. Anemonefish begin life as males and
change into females once they have reached
a certain size.Banded moray eel
Gymnothorax rueppelliiOLength 32 in (80 cm)
OWeight Exact weight
unknown
ODepth 3–130 ft (1–40 m)
OLocation Tropical Indian
and Pacific OceansLike other morays,
this species is an
aggressive ambush
hunter. By day it hides in
dark crevices on shallow
reefs and at night lurks in the
entrance to its lair, waiting to
strike at passing fish or shrimp.OLength Up to 6^1 ⁄ 2 ft (2 m)
OWeight Up to 38 lb (17 kg)
OLocation West and Central Africa
Lungfish live in the swamps and backwaters of
sluggish rivers, which often dry up completely
in the dry season. When this happens, the fish
survives up to a year in a cocoon of mud,
breathing air with primitive lungs and waiting
to emerge with the next rains.
Giant
sea bass
Stereolepis gigasOLength 8¼ ft (2.5 m)
OWeight 880 lb (400 kg)
ODepth 15–150 ft (5–45 m)
OLocation Eastern Pacific, from California to Mexico,
and Japan
These huge fish lurk close to kelp-fringed drop
offs on the rocky coasts of California, Mexico,
and Japan. An individual may live to the great
age of 100 years, but the species breed so
slowly that losses due to overfishing take
decades to make up.Blue spotted
stingray
Taeniura lymmaOLength 27 in (70 cm); up to 6^1 ⁄ 2 ft (2 m) incl. tail
OWeight Up to 65 lb (30 kg)
ODepth Shallow water to 65 ft (20 m)
OLocation Indian Ocean, western Pacific, Red SeaThis relatively common fish lives around
tropical coasts and reefs, where it feeds on
mollusks and crustaceans hidden on the
sandy seafloor. Like most rays, it “flies”
through the water using wavelike movements
of its large pectoral fins, which give the body
its disk shape. The long tail bears a sting,
used in self-defense.Common fangtooth
Anoplogaster cornutaOLength 6–7 in (15–18 cm)
OWeight Unknown
ODepth 1,600–16,000 ft (500–5,000 m)
OLocation Oceans worldwide
Also known as the ogrefish, this ugly-looking
fish usually lives at great depths.
It detects prey, mainly other
fish, using its lateral line
organs—lines of
pressure-sensitive
cells on the sides
of its body that
pick up vibrations
in the water.InflatedDeflatedLIVING WORLD