Fish is an excellent source of proteins and fats not only for humans but also for many of the predatory animals that hunt the fish and then eat it. It is also well known that larger fish prey on smaller fish to eat them, but there are numerous aquatic, non-aquatic and semi-aquatic animals that eat fish.
Animals That Eat Fish
There are various types of animals that love to eat the meat of fish and that is why they hunt and prey on fish. Some of the animals that are very well known for eating the fish are as following:
Flat-Headed Cats
Flat-headed cats are one of the animals that hunt fish. They have unique techniques to hunt the fish. They catch the fish. They move close to the water where they sense the presence of the fish and snatch the fish when it moves above. These types of fish hunt in pairs, one of the fellows helps to move the fish to the other cat and the other then catches it instantly.
Tigers
Tigers are known to hunt the majority of the animals. Interestingly, they also hunt fish. Tigers are known and famous hunters so it is no surprise that they are one of the best hunters amongst all the animals. They are very patient while hunting. They also know how to swim so it is very easy for them to catch and prey on the fish.
Grizzly Bears
Grizzly bears are very famous and known hunters in North America. They prey on fish to eat it. Although fish are not the major part of their diet and they mostly rely on plants, fish is an excellent source of protein and fats for them. Moreover, they need to maintain calories in their bodies, so they prey on fish to maintain the amount of calories and to stay healthy.
Seals
Seals being carnivores rely on animals for their diet. Fish is also a major part of their diet. Seals swim in water to catch the fish and eat them. Seals have great techniques to hunt the animals and fish. They have extremely sharp teeth that help them tear their prey very easily. Seals normally need a lot of meat daily to live healthy. So, they always want to hunt the fish in larger quantities.
Crocodiles
Crocodiles are considered one of the most dangerous animals that prey on the majority of animals on land and in the water. Fish are no exception. Crocodiles do not hunt only small fish but they can also catch and eat large fish. They will prey on whatever they find. They can hunt fish by catching and tearing the fish through their jaws and they can also directly swallow the fish if they want.
Snakes
Some species of the snakes (for instance, cottonmouth) like to prey on and eat fish. These types of snakes that hunt fish normally stay near the shore. While most of the snakes prey on the animals on land, there are some types and species of the snakes that stay in water and rely on hunting and eating fish.
American Minks
American Minks are known for hunting and eating the fish. Minks do not eat all kinds of the fish, they normally eat small fish because they can prey on them easily. Another benefit for these animals is that they can also live in water other than land. So, they easily swim and catch fish. But, the good thing for the fish around these predators is that they do not prey fish in larger quantities. If the american mink has already eaten one or two fish per day, they will probably not prey on more fish.
Bottlenose Dolphin
Dolphins are known to be highly intelligent. Bottlenose dolphins are also extremely intelligent and are excellent predators. They use their intelligence to sense the presence of the fish around and the technique to hunt or eat the fish according to the movement or nature of the fish.
The Bottom Line
There are many animals that hunt and eat fish as a part of their diet, for instance, flat-headed cats, tigers, grizzly bears, seals, American minks and bottlenose dolphins. Some of these animals live only on the land and prey on fish by waiting for them near shores, some purely live in water and can easily catch the fish swimming near them and some animals live both on the land and water and can also eat the fish easily.
