The high seas are home to many potentially dangerous animals. As well as large sharks and other mammals that can exhibit violent behavior patterns, many deadly venomous animals such as sea snakes, blue-ringed octopuses, and some jellyfish and fish live in the ocean. The community living near the sea has some understanding about the nature of certain sea creatures. Some fishermen have experience in how to carefully remove such poisonous animals when caught in the nets.
Although we have heard about many dangerous animals that live in the sea, we have heard less about the dangerous animals that live in fresh water like rivers and lakes. The fiercest and most famous predator living in a freshwater ecosystem is the crocodile. There have been reports from Sri Lanka about people who have paid the price with their lives due to crocodile attacks. Apart from the crocodile, this article brings the details of ten other dangerous animals that live in fresh water. Their dangerousness can be based on several reasons. Some species are endangered because of the impact on the ecosystem in the face of invasive predation. Some members of the list live only in one geographical region of the world.
African tiger fish
If you ever see a tiger fish while traveling in Africa, it is best to swim away from the area as soon as possible. Tiger fish have a rather dangerous appearance. Tiger fish with long, sharp teeth will eat any fish smaller than them. Tiger fish do not hesitate to eat even their own species. When they are not satisfied with their meal, they are able to catch even a bird flying near the surface of the water.
The largest of the African tiger fish is the “Goliath tiger fish”. One can grow up to 1.5 meters and weigh about 15.5 kg. Due to the large teeth and ferocious behavior of this species, if it acts as a herd, even a large terrestrial animal can be preyed upon.
Although there are no humans among their victims, there have been reports of them attacking people living in the Congo. Their truth or falsity is not so clear.
Electric lights
Although it looks like a snake species because of its body shape, it cannot really be called a snake. In terms of scientific classification, electric beds are closest to carp and catfish species. Electric sandflies live along the Amazon and Orinoco rivers in South America. They can produce up to 600 volts of electricity, and the electric shock can paralyze most animals around them. That’s why electric bats can be called successful predators.
Even a human being can be killed by the electric shock of electric shocks. The severity of the damage depends on the duration of the electric shock. Therefore, electric shocks from an electric shock are usually not fatal to a person.
Piranha
Piranha is a species of fish that has even appeared in movies. Piranhas, which have made their habitat in the rivers of South America, are also successful predators. Piranhas that live in groups have the ability to eat an animal carcass down to the bones within a few minutes.
In general, piranhas follow a pattern of behavior that avoids humans. When food is scarce and the water level is low, the population of piranhas in one place can increase. At such moments, even humans are capable of being attacked by piranhas. It is said that children are the most affected by these attacks. From time to time in Brazil, there are reports of people injured in piranha attacks.
Wells catfish
Wells catfish is a huge freshwater fish native to Central, Southern and Eastern Europe. They have also been reported to live in marine environments such as the Baltic, Caspian and Black seas. These freshwater fish are so huge that a Welsh catfish can grow up to 5 meters in length and 300 kilograms in weight.
Due to the enormous size of the body, the number of species of animals that can be preyed upon by them is also high. They prey on small-scale prey such as snails, insects, fish, and frogs to large-scale animals such as their own species and ducks. The special thing is that they follow a hunting method of coming close to the land and catching even pigeons and dragging them back into the water. Attacks by a Welsh catfish seeking protection can also be harmful to humans.
Fresh water shed
Species of freshwater snails belonging to the Potamotrygonidae family live in the rivers flowing into the Caribbean region of South America. Squirrels are known as dangerous animals because of the attacks they make with their tails. A thorn is located in this tail, and in an attack from the tail, the thorn can get stuck and cause serious injuries. However, the attacks are not as serious as the South American species of freshwater sharks are quite small. Because they live in poorly lit waterways, they are more susceptible to attack due to ignorance.
The facts are slightly different when talking about the freshwater mussels that live in the rivers and estuaries of Southeast Asia. The freshwater sharks living in Southeast Asia are huge in body size. They can grow up to 1.9 meters in width and 5 meters in length. Their attacks are more serious than the South American species because the tail spine grows up to 38 cm. An attack has the potential to inflict bone-deep wounds on a person.
Bull shark
If you thought the ocean was the only place to fear sharks, you might want to rethink that belief. Among the sharks, the “bull shark” species is a dangerous member of the ocean, and they have been recorded even in the freshwater environment. They can adapt to both brackish and fresh water to find food. Bull sharks have been reported to be about 2500 miles inland from the mouth of the Amazon River. There is also an incident where a bull shark was caught in the Mississippi River in the United States. This can be considered as a dangerous situation because bull sharks have mostly been reported to attack people.
Candiru
Candiru is a parasitic fish species. They usually attach themselves to the carapaces of larger fish and live as parasites. There have been reports of Candiru fish being found in the urinary tract of humans. Although those occurrences are somewhat debatable, people who know about candiru fish are careful not to enter waterways where they abound.
If these fish, which live along the Amazon River, come into contact with the genital area of humans, infection or even surgery may be required. Therefore, entering areas where they are abundant is harmful to humans.
Snakehead
Snakehead fish are a freshwater animal that is harmful to humans because they are recognized as an invasive species. Because invasive animals destabilize ecosystems, humans also have to suffer their ill effects. A snakehead fish can grow to over three feet in length, and during the breeding season, they will attack anyone they come across.
Wolffish _
Wolffish are also known as “Anjumara”. Native to South America, these predatory fish grow to over a meter in length and weigh up to 90 pounds. With very sharp teeth, the wolffish preys on small invertebrates and even large animals.
Alligator snapping turtle
The alligator snapping turtle is a relatively large reptile species. The weight of a male animal is between 70 and 80 kg. These animals are found in freshwater ecosystems from North Florida to East Texas in the United States. Their specially adapted tongues attract prey to alligator snapping turtles. They come to the riverbed, open their mouths and move their specialized tongues in a worm-like twisting motion. Then the fish are tricked as food and swim between the strong jaws of these animals.
The Alligator Snapping Turtle is considered dangerous to humans because of its strong claws. The pressure generated by their bite is as much as a thousand pounds. Needless to say, the damage caused by the bite of an animal that can exert such pressure, right?
