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 shrimp 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.
Source : http://badcontrol.net
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