Februari 03, 2017
at times, some of the most dangerous creatureson earth lie just beneath the water’s surface. here are 7 of the world's most terrifyingfish. number 7: the snakeheadmembers of the channidae family, snakeheads got their name based on their elongated bodyshapes and the snake-like scales on their heads. they can be found in various regions on theafrican and asian continents. snakeheads have sharp teeth, large mouthsand long dorsal fins. the largest species can exceed 3 feet in length. adults are thrust-feeders and mainly preyon smaller fish.
one of the most distinctive features thatsnakeheads species share is the development of supra-branchial organs when they mature. these organs allow the fish to breathe inair through their gills and to survive out of the water for up to four days. as long as they move on a wet surface, snakeheadshave been known to migrate on land for almost a quarter of a mile by wriggling their finsand bodies. this feature has caused the national geographicpublication to refer to the snakehead as ‘fishzilla’. national georgraphic has also reported thatsnakeheads reach sexual maturity by the age of three.
they mate around five times annually witheach female being able to release almost 15.000 eggs at once. there have also been occurrences of snakeheadsas an invasive species. once they are released in a foreign watersystem, they reproduce in large numbers and without natural opposing competition for foodthey often become apex predators thus unbalancing the ecosystems they enter. willingly or unintentionally, humans havebeen releasing snakeheads into non-indigenous waters for more than 100 years. number 6: the red lionfishalthough the red lionfish is mainly found
in the coral reef regions of the indo-pacific,they are also found, as an invasive species, in the caribbean sea and along the us eastcoast. it is believed that they were initially introducedoff florida’s region in the 1980’s. they are considered an invasive species inthese regions because they threaten the marine ecosystem by unbalancing the existing foodchains, which can lead to the decline of certain fish population as well as a decline of coralreef areas. adult red lionfish can grow up to 18.5 inches,making it the largest lionfish species in the ocean. the fish draws its name from the long venomousspines protruding out of its body, which resemble
a lion’s mane. their red dorsal spines are venomous and mainlyused as a defense mechanism. although their sting is not typically fatalto human beings, those unfortunate enough to experience it will suffer side effectswhich include severe pain and possibly vomiting, breathing difficulties and headaches. number 5: payarahydrolycus scomberoides, also known as the payara or ‘vampire fish’ is a predatoryfish endemic to the amazon basin. it has the potential of reaching lengths ofup to 3.8 feet and weights of almost 40 pounds. because of the two fangs on its lower jawthe payara has also been called the saber
tooth tigerfish. its diet consists mostly of other smallerfish which it impales using its long fangs. these ‘sabers’ can grow as long as 4 to6 inches and are capable of easily piercing through human skin. the payara has been known to routinely consumepiranhas and this usually occurs because of the size difference between the two species. their fearsome appearance has drawn the fascinationof many people, some of whom choose to keep them as pets. aggressive in temperament, the payara oftengrows larger than the tank it is kept in and
should mostly be fed live food. due to their highly predatory nature and theirtendency to swim in fast moving, turbulent water systems, the payara have had low survivalrates in captivity. number 4: the goliath tigerfishthe hydrocynus is a genus of fish commonly referred to as ‘tigerfish’ because oftheir aggressive temperament and predatory behavior. aside from overpowering and consuming otherfish, members of the hydrocynus genus have also been proven to be the only freshwaterfish which attack birds in flight. they are mainly found in the african continent.
in 1949, renowned angler l.j. mccormick statedthat ‘the tigerfish of africa is the fiercest fish that swims’. the largest member of the genus is the hydrocynusgoliath also known as the goliath tigerfish or mbenga. it is endemic to the congo river basin andlake tanganyika. the name ‘mbenga’ is associated with anevil spirit that, local legends claim, takes hold of the fish and forces it to attack people. aside from its massive proportions of 6 feetin length and weight of almost 125 pounds, the goliath tigerfish possesses powerful musclesand a broad tail, enabling even the most massive
specimens to chase down almost any type ofprey. one of its most distinctive features is theset of 32 long, razor-sharp teeth, which can easily pierce through human flesh. the hunting technique they employ is the resultof many years of evolution which have shaped them into dangerous predators. dissections have uncovered that, internally,the goliath tigerfish is equipped with an air sac that reacts to vibrations in the sameway a drum does, which helps it detect nearby movement. while filming a documentary called ‘rivermonsters’ british angler jeremy wade caught
a massive goliath tigerfish. it was 5 feet long and weighed over 100 pounds. shortly after returning the fish back intothe water, wade shared his impressions after having been so close to the beast. ‘the teeth on it are incredibly sharp andare about the same length as a great white shark. it also has an extremely powerful bite andhas been known to consume prey the same size as itself, attack people and take pieces outof crocodiles.’ number 3: the goonch catfishthe goonch catfish, also known as the giant
devil catfish is part of a genus of fish calledbagarius which contains four other species. the goonch is the largest of the four weighingover 200 pounds and reaching lengths of almost 6.6 feet. their physical characteristics are similarto those of other catfish species and include broad heads and mouths, wide gill openingsand fins which have filamentous extensions. they are mainly found in regions with fastmoving rivers in south and southeast asia. in recent years the goonch catfish has gathereda reputation as a ‘man eater’ mainly due to several incidents which have occurred inareas along the kali river, which flows between nepal and india.
after the fulfillment of hindu burying rites,the locals disposed of the funeral pyres in the river. it is believed that the goonch catfish populationhad fed on the corpses, which had caused the fish to grow to considerable sizes. aside from their unplanned growth spurt thefish were also believed to have acquired a taste for human flesh. in april 1998, as teenager dil bahadur wasswimming in the kali river, he disappeared underwater. his girlfriend and a number of eyewitnessesstated that something had dragged the 17-year-old
below surface level. residents formed a search party and coveredan area of 3.11 miles for three days. still, dil bahadur’s remains were neverfound. three months after this attack, a young boynamed dharma gat was pulled underwater before his father’s eyes. his body was never found. the most recent attack took place in 2007,in similar circumstances, this time the victim being an 18-year-old man from nepal. eyewitness reports described that the victimhad been dragged into the water by a large
pig. in an effort to distinguish fact from whathe believed were local legends, biologist jeremy wade offered to catch whatever wascausing the attacks. although skeptical at first, he was intriguedthat all the attacks had happened in a 4-5 mile radius. before embarking on the expedition he hadheard reports of a domestic water buffalo having been dragged below the water’s surfaceby some creature even though the animal had only been drinking in a depth of about 3 feet. after a failed attempt of capturing the creatureusing a fishing rod, wade used a funeral pyre
in order to lure it in. before long, a 6 foot-long, 170 pound-heavygoonch catfish was caught. it was three times heavier than the averagegoonch. wade concluded that even larger specimensmust have inhabited the river. number 2: puffer fishpuffer fish are commonly referred to as blowfish. this is mainly due to their ability to increasein size, several times their normal proportions, in order to intimidate predators. their incredibly elastic stomachs enable themto quickly ingest a large amount of water and even air until they become a ball thatmakes it almost impossible for predators to
consume them. in addition to this defense mechanism, somespecies also develop spines on their bodies thus effectively preventing any possible ingestion. most puffer fish species also contain a substancecalled tetrodotoxin. although it is often lethal for any predatorsthat consume the puffer fish in their non-inflated state, for human beings tetrodotoxin is almost1.200 times more deadly than cyanide. there is currently no known antidote to counterits effects. a single puffer fish has enough tetrodotoxinto kill 30 adult humans. ironically, puffer fish meat is seen as adelicacy.
known as ‘fugu’ in japan, a meal consistingof puffer fish meat is only prepared by experienced chefs who are aware of the dangers they andtheir customers face. however, there are a number of deaths recordedannually as a consequence of eating puffer fish. biologists have identified over 120 speciesof puffer fish. some of them have colors that blend with theenvironment while others have patterns and markings that are an indication of their highlypoisonous nature. number 1: stonefishthe stonefish lives in the estuaries, rock or coral formations in the shallow coastalwaters of the indian and pacific oceans.
it is a thick fish with small eyes, a largehead and a large mouth. its skin has a bumpy texture and is oftencovered with lumps which are similar to warts. because it is able to blend with the surroundingenvironment so well, the stonefish usually rests at the bottom, often completely motionless. it is mainly an ambush predator capable ofdelivering a swift attack, swallowing its prey in 0.015 seconds. the stonefish is widely considered to be themost venomous fish in the world. it secrets neurotoxins from the glands locatedat the base of its dorsal fin. whenever the stonefish feels threatened thesharp spines on its dorsal fin stick up ready
to inject a dose of its venom. a member of the synanceia genus, the name‘stonefish’ is derived from the fish’s ability of camouflaging itself. swimmers might not see it because of its stone-likecolor and accidentally step on it. the side effects of being stung by a stonefishinclude paralysis, severe pain and tissue necrosis. the more pressure applied to the fish, themore venom it delivers. the sting of a stonefish may lead to heartfailure and even death thus it should be treated as a medical emergency.
treatments include the administration of anti-venomand applying heat to the affected area, which in some cases has reportedly destroyed thevenom. stonefish bites can also occur on the beachas the fish has the ability of surviving for 24 hours outside of water.
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