PIRANHA ~~~--~--------------~~----~ ORDER ~

'IIIIIIIIIIII Cypriniformes 'IIIIIIIIIIII

FAMILY Characidae Serrasalmus nattereri

""" CARD 1

The relatively small piranha is one of the most feared of all river fish. It will attack prey many times larger than itself, but its

reputation as a man-eater is questionable.

KEY FACTS --------------------------------------------------~

SIZES Length: Average 8 in., but some

species are up to 20 in. long. Weight: Seldom more than 3 lb.

BREEDING Spawning season: March-August.

No. of eggs: Several thousand laid

at a time. Hatching period: 10-15 days,

according to water temperature.

LIFESTYLE

Habit: Move constantly in huge

shoals or packs. Diet: Primarily fish, but will also

attack mammals and birds as they

swim or stand in the water.

RELATED SPECIES Of the 18 or so species of piranha,

4 are thought to be dangerous to

humans, and there are many

accounts of fatalities.

THE PIRANHA'S TEET

The piranha's teeth are triangular and flat with needle-sharp pOints for piercing into the tough skin of prey. The razor-harp sides cut th rough

flesh and bone.

Range of the piranha.

DISTRIBUTION Confined to the South American continent, but widespread

throughout the rivers of Colombia, Venezuela, Guyana,

Paraguay, Brazil, and central Argentina.

CONSERVATION Because they will eat any prey and are shunned by fisher­

men, none of the 18 species of piranha is in any danger.

The teeth in the upper jaw are similar in shape to those in the lower jaw, but are smalle r, so that they fit between the lower teeth.

The lower jaw protrudes beyond the upper jaw; the lips are drawn back from the teeth.

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Unspectacular in appearance

except for its over-sized mouth and

prominent teeth, the piranha varies in

color from species to species. Most have

olive-green or blue-black backs with

dark to silvery-gray

sides and bellies.

~HABITS Piranhas live in enormous packs, or shoals. They spend most of their time hunting for food. Rivers are their primary habitat, although as a result of massive flooding they may occasionally find their way into lakes. But it is thought that they are unable to breed outside of rivers.

Piranhas have voracious appetites and they seek river locations that have plentiful fish supplies. They are found in any well-stocked river within their natural habitat.

~ FOOD & HUNTING The piranha hunts with speed and by surprise. The typical way in which piranhas attack is by swimming directly into a shoal of prey fish. The attacked shoal scatters in all directions and the piranhas quickly overpower individual fish. Small fish are swallowed whole. Larger prey have chunks ripped out of them which the piranha swallows instantly so it can immedi­ately take another bite.

Piranhas possess an advanced sense of smell, which helps them to locate

prey. The presence of blood in the water will send piranhas into a frenzy. They are also, like sharks, capable of sensing any unusual vibration of the water around them. Any commotion in the water will immediately attract large shoals of piranhas.

Piranhas are opportunistic feeders-they will eat any­thing. When the water is muddy and obscures prey fish, or when food is scarce, piranhas will attack any animal that enters the water to drink.

~ PIRANHA & MAN Throughout South America, stories of piranha attacks on men are numerous. And, while it is probable that some of them are true, there are few verifiable accounts. In any case, man is certainly not a preferred quarry, as legend sometimes sets forth. The piranha is not selective when it is hungry-it simply eats whatever food is

available.

A dangerous circumstance has arisen from man's use of piranhas as aquarium fish. At one time, piranhas were ex­tremely popular as "pets." However, when people discovered that the pet

piranhas were as dangerous as their wild counterparts, they began dumping them in

Far left: Dead specimen of red-bellied piranha showing its sharp teeth.

Left: The remains of a common catfish pulled from the Amazon after it had been attacked by a shoal of red­bellied piranhas for just 30 seconds.

ponds, lakes, and reservoirs across the United States.

In many places where this happened, the water tem­perature was too low for the piranhas to survive. In other places, the conditions were ideal. It is not yet known if piranhas can breed in bodies of water outside their natural habitat.

Top: Profile of a piranha, easily identified by its protrud­ing lower jaw.

Left: Piranhas hunt in huge shoals. Although each fish only measures about 8 inches, by attacking together a shoal can quickly devour its prey.

DID YOU KNOW? • The teeth of the piranha are so sharp they can slice through bone.

• Piranhas can consume animals the size of pigs within minutes . One account tells of piranhas attacking and completely eating the world's largest rodent, a capybara, weighing more than 110 pounds.

• It is believed that piranhas tend to attack fish that are more than four times as long as they are wide. Fish that are less than three times as long are less likely to be attacked .

SPOTTED GROUPER

... ORDER '11IIIIIIII Perciformes

FAMILY Serranidae

GROUP 4: FISH ... GENUS

'11IIIIIIII Epinephe/us and others

Spotted groupers are large, placid-looking fish that have the startling ability to change their appearance. They may look

harmless, but they are dangerous hunters.

'.

KEY FACTS

SIZES Length: Up to 13ft. Weight: Up to 650 Ibs.

BREEDING Sexual maturity: Spend 2-5 years as females. Change to males at 7-10 years. Spawning season: Late spring (some species). No. of eggs: Not known.

LIFESTYLE Habit: Sedentary. No fixed territories. Hunt alone or in small groups. Diet: Principally smaller fish . Lifespan: Not known.

RELATED SPECIES Groupers are a family of more than 370 spiny-finned perchlike fish (Serranidae). They are closely related to sea basses such as the North Atlantic's black sea bass, Centropristis stria/a.

FEATURES OF GROUPERS

Dorsal fin: Long and spined . Some groupers are named for their spine color, as is the case with the black­tipped grouper below.

Range of groupers.

DISTRIBUTION Found in shallow seas and coral reefs all over the world . Most live in tropical waters, but some inhabit temperate seas.

CONSERVATION Spotted groupers are widespread and adaptable fish. Some of the larger species are popular food and sport fish and may be fished too heavily.

. ..

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Mouth: Usually wide very roomy, with peglike teeth. Prey is sucked in with water, which is later expelled.

Skin: Contains color cells that can be opened at will, enabling the fish to change appearance.

Spotted groupers are stealthy hunters that lurk

in the shelter of coral reefs to stalk their prey.

These unusual fish can change color in seconds,

blending in with their background to avoid detection

by their predators. They also change their sex.

All begin as egg-laying females and become males

as they mature.

~HABITAT Spotted groupers are found in warm, shallow seas-most often around coral reefs.

Coral reefs are rich ecosys­tems, teeming with under­water life. For big predatory fish like spotted groupers, a reef is a plentiful food source.

Small fish, such as "tropical fish" found in aquariums, are

eaten by larger, meat-eating fish. These predators in turn fall victim to sharks, barra­cudas, and groupers.

There are many species of grouper, and the biggest are near the top of this undersea food chain. Even a shark will hesitate before taking on a 650-pound jewfish grouper.

~ FOOD & HUNTING Despite their bulky lines and placid appearance, groupers are dangerous predators. They cannot make a lightning strike like a shark. Instead, they lurk in the shelter of coral forma­tions and watch the smaller fish feed nearby.

The small fish are wary of the big groupers, but sooner or later one ventures too close. Lunging forward, the grouper opens its great mouth and raises its gill covers to suck in its victim in a mass of water. Its mouth snaps shut, expel­ling the water through its gills, and the prey is gone in an instant. The other small fish often do not notice and con­tinue to feed nearby.

A spotted grouper's teeth

~ BREEDING

Most groupers do not have a fixed territory and feed wher­ever the pickings are richest. But in the breeding season, a particular species may migrate many miles and converge on a traditional spawning site.

For example, Nassau groupers gather in huge schools of 30,000 to 100,000 fish, which are easily caught by local fishermen who know where to find them . A few similar sites have been found elsewhere, but little more is known about groupers' breeding behavior.

One fact we do know is that groupers change sex. When

Left: This dazzling grouper is called the rock cod.

Inset: A grouper's teeth.

are simple spikes that securely grip struggling fish, but their bite is rarely fatal. As a result, groupers usually swallow their prey alive. If the prey is spiny, swallowing it can be painful. Sharp-tailed eels, for exam­ple, may pierce their captor's gut and squeeze through the slit into the fish IS body cavity. There the grouper's digestive juices cannot get at them.

Above: Cleaning fish, such as these tiny gobies, can approach the grouper unharmed.

they become sexually mature, they are all females and can lay eggs. But their bodies contain the beginnings of male sex organs. Those who survive to be 7 to 10 years old become males.

The advantage of this shift is not clear. It is possible that each older, male fish fertilizes several females and so passes on its talent for survival.

DID YOU KNOW? • Although groupers feed on other fish, they allow the small cleaner wrasse to swim into their mouths. The wrasse helps by tak­ing parasites from t he grouper's mouth lining.

• Large groupers such as Epinephelus lanceolatus

may stalk divers. A big

~ DEFENSES

The biggest groupers have no enemies, but smaller species are at risk from larger preda­tors such as sharks. Too slow to flee and unable to fight back, they rely instead on camouflage.

Like many fish, groupers can alter their appearance to match the background. Their skin has tiny color cells that can be blinked open or shut. By opening one set of cells and closing another, groupers change color.

A single grouper may dis­playa variety of blotches, bands, and stripes in a range of colors. It may change sev­eral times in succession to confuse its predators.

Left: In a Red Sea reef, a grouper waits for prey to swim by. Its skin has changed color to match the background.

one could even eat a man.

• Most groupers are active only by day. At night they doze in shelter spots, and divers have picked them up without waking them.

• Groupers can be good to eat, but they may conta in ciguatera, a potentially deadly natural poison.

"" CARD 3 RAINBOW TROUT \(~ ___________________________________ G __ RO_U __ P_4_: F_I_SH __ ~

... ORDER ~ Sa/manifarmes

.... FAMILY ~ Sa/manidae

.... GENUS & SPECIES ~ Sa/ma gairdneri

Native to North America, the magenta-striped rainbow trout is a popular fish to both catch and eat. It is now farmed

commercially throughout the world.

KEY FACTS

SIZES Length: Up to 20 in . Weight: Up to 20 lb .

BREEDING Sexual maturity: 2 years. Spawning season: March-April in

the United States. No. of eggs: 500-3,000.

LIFESTYLE Habit: Form schools while young, but become solitary and territorial after reaching about 7 lb. in weight. Diet: Insects, small fish, frogs,

tadpoles, and worms. Lifespan: Varies according to location, but not usually more than 7 years. Some specimens in Eagle Lake, California, are known to have

lived for 11 years.

RELATED SPECIES Golden trout, brown trout (Sa/ma trutta), salmon, and char are members of the same family.

SPECIAL ADAPTATIO~s..

./'

Native range of the rainbow trout.

DISTRIBUTION Native to North America from northern Mexico to the Aleutian Islands. Since the end of the last century, eggs and young fish have been shipped all over the world and naturalized to form new breeding populations.

CONSERVATION Thriving worldwide. Areas are kept well-stocked by hatching eggs artificially and releasing fish into the wild.

7 ~ 'If I Right: In murky

waters where the trout may not be

. Above: In clear easily seen, the iridescent rosy stripe takes on a startling brillianc -

water, the body becomes almost invisible.

Left: The head of the rainbow trout is smaller and blunter than that of the brown trout, and the upper jaw does

at extend back nearly as far.

The rainbow trout thrives in

the fast-running, oxygen-rich waters of

clear streams. It is a favorite with sport

fishermen because of the good fight it

puts up when it is hooked, as well

as for its food value.

~ HABITAT Rainbow trout live primarily in fast-moving, rocky rivers. Those that migrate to bodies of salt water are known as steel heads due to the steely blue color of their heads. Steel heads grow larger than

DID YOU KNOW? • The first exported rainbow trout eggs were sent to Eng­land in 1884.

• Rainbow trout show a preference for orange­colored lures, so fisherman use orange yarn or feathers .

those that remain entirely in freshwater lakes and rivers.

Rainbow trout thrive in loca­tions where they have been introduced, including reser­voirs, lakes, ponds, rivers, streams, and canals.

• Rainbow trout raised in hatcheries can quickly quadruple their weight.

• A recently developed strain of rainbow trout called trip/aids show only female characteristics.

~ BREEDING In their native habitat, rain­bow trout spawn (produce offspring) only in March and April. Those bred commer­cially spawn from January to May. The female chooses a spot at the mouth of a stream and makes shallow troughs, called redds, in the gravel. She sheds her eggs into the redds, and the male fertilizes them with his milt, or sperm.

The eggs hatch at different times, depending on water temperature. Newly hatched trouts, or a/evins, are born with their yolk sacs still

attached. The yolk sacs serve as a source of food until the sacs are absorbed. When the young begin swimming freely, they are known as fry. Very few survive to adult­hood, as most fall prey to larger fish.

Right: The pigmentation of the unhatched fish's eyes can be clearly seen in the egg. As the alevin hatches, it stays attached to the yel/ow yolk sac, which provides food in its early days. Unprotected by parents, it will stay near the gravel bed until this supply is completely used up, aI/owing it to swim freely.

Left: The rainbow trout's streamlined shape enables it to swim upstream against the strong currents of fast-flowing rivers.

Below left: The rainbow trout is an aggressive hunter, living mainly on insects, but it also catches smaller fish, which it grasps in its jaws.

~ TROUT & MAN Rainbow trout have become increasingly popular with fishermen wherever they have been introduced . Al­though rainbow trout are easy to breed artificially, they are often unable to repro­duce naturally in captivity. To overcome this problem, the eggs and milt are re­moved from sexually mature fish and the eggs are artifi­cially inseminated with the milt.

Because they are easy to breed, the success of trout farming prevents the spe­cies from becoming endan­gered.

FOOD & HUNTING Like all trout, the rainbow trout water. In spring, rainbow is an aggressive hunter. It pri- trout eat mayflies and haw-marily eats insects and larvae. thorn flies.

Trout feed on larvae that rest Rainbow trout also feed on on the bottom of a river or small fish, frogs, tadpoles, and lake. They also eat hatching worms. Large rainbow trout insect nymphs and flies that may even eat smaller fish of land on the surface of the their own species.

TIGER SHARK

ORDER Carcharhiniformes

FAMILY Carcharhinidae

CARD 4

Galeocerdo cuvier

The tiger shark is a deadly predator. It is a solitary hunter that will eat anything it can get down its throat-including other sharks.

KEY FACTS

SIZES Length: 1 0-16ft. average, but

probably up to 23 ft.

Weight: 2,200 lb. average.

BREEDING Breeding system: Tiger sharks are

ovoviviparous, which means that

they produce eggs that hatch

within the female's body.

Gestation: About 9 months.

No. of young: 10-80.

LIFESTYLE Habit: Solitary, nomadic.

Diet: Anything it can catch .

lifespan: Not known, but probably

30-40 years.

RELATED SPECIES The tiger is one of the requiem

sharks, a large family which

includes the lemon shark, blue

shark, and bull shark.

Range of the tiger shark.

DISTRIBUTION Mainly tropical, coastal waters throughout the world in

winter, spreading north and south in summer.

CONSERVATION The tiger shark has less commercial value than many other

sharks, so although it is prized by sport fishermen, it is under

no direct threat.

SPECIAL FEATURES OF THE TIGER SHARK

Head: Wedge-shaped head gives minimum side resistance, allowing the shark to lI:lm quickly:

victim in water.

Liver-; Ule lar9&" oily liver helps to K& the shark from­sinking.

The tiger shark gets its name because of the

dark stripes across its back. It is an efficient killer,

armed with an extraordinary sense of smell and

serrated teeth that can slice through flesh and bone.

A proven man-eater, it is one of the most

feared sharks in the world.

~ HABITS The large, powerful, solitary tiger shark cruises the coastal and offshore waters of tropical seas. It will travel up to fifty miles a day, rarely

stopping except to eat. In summer, the tiger shark

may follow warm water cur­rents as far south as New Zealand, or north to Japan or

the northern United States. In winter it stays closer to the equator near the coral reefs of the Caribbean and the Pacific

and Indian Oceans where it is

the largest and most domi­nant of all the reef predators, eating anything it can find.

The tiger shark tends to stay in the deep waters on

the fringe of reefs, occasion­ally penetrating the channels to attack in the shallows. It glides day and night over the reef and ocean bed.

Above: The dark stripes that give the tiger shark its name are clearly visible on this young animal but will eventually fade as it grows older.

~ FOOD &: HUNTING The tiger shark is an indis­criminate feeder; it will eat

anything . In addition to its main diet of fish, squid, sea

turtles, seals, and smaller

sharks, items such as car license plates and gasoline cans have been found in its stomach.

A tiger shark has a large

mouth and massive, powerful jaws lined with flat, triangular,

DID YOU KNOW? • Sharks were once thought to be instinctive killing ma­

chines, but it is now believed that they learn to hunt by ex­perience.

• The sense of smell is so important to a shark that

I nearly two-thirds of its brain is devoted to processing scent information.

~ TIGER SHARK & MAN The tiger shark has been

responsible for more fatal attacks on man than any other species of shark. Be­cause it will eat anything, including man, it is one of the most feared sharks in tropical

waters. Most killer sharks are not

man-eaters; they may attack or kill people, but they won't actually eat the remains. But accounts of tiger sharks swal­lowing their human victims abound. In one report, a tiger shark attacked two men and a woman on a life raft, killed and swallowed one of the men, then came back and snatched the woman . Their

notched teeth with serrated edges. As teeth are broken or

lost, new teeth grow in to replace them.

The tiger shark has good

eyesight, but it relies mostly on other senses to track and

catch its prey. It has an acute sense of smell, which enables it to pick up even the faintest

traces of blood in the water and follow them to their source. It is also sensitive to low-frequency pressure waves produced by movements in

companion reached the safety of a nearby reef and escaped unharmed.

Still, despite such tales, some shark experts and divers insist that tiger sharks are

really quite gentle. But the

the water. Even tiny nerve

and muscle twinges reach its sensitive electro receptors, so

the shark can pinpoint prey in the darkest, murkiest water.

Once the tiger shark has located its prey, it may circle it for a while or nudge it with its snout before making the kill. The final attack is fren­zied; the shark will devour

anything in its path. Below: The powerful jaws and teeth are pushed out as the tiger shark closes in on its prey.

common perception for most people is that the tiger shark means trouble.

Below: This trusting shark expert proves that the tiger's fearsome reputation can be taken too seriously.

~ BREEDING Most fish produce large num­bers of eggs that are fertilized

by sperm ejected into the water. Sharks, however, breed

by internal fertilization, in

much the same way as mam­

mals do. During mating, one of the

male's pelvic fins is introduced into the female's genital opening to act as a guide for the sperm. Mating can be painful for the female, since the male will often use his teeth to hold her still.

The young (between 10 and 80 in each brood) are nour­ished inside their mother's body for approximately nine months. When they are born,

they are completely independ­ent and equipped with a full set of teeth. They are able to

swim away as soon as they emerge and begin to hunt for themselves immediately.

MUDSKIPPER

ORDER Percifarmes

... FAMilY "11IIIIIIII Cabiidae

... GENUS "11IIIIIIII Periapthalmus

It is likely that the first fish to move from sea to land millions of years ago resembled the strange-looking, bulbous-eyed mudskippers found in the tidal mangrove swamps of the tropics.

KEY FACTS ~------ ~---- ------------------------------------------------------~

SIZES length: 6-12 in .

BREEDING Mating season: May to July. No. of eggs: Several hundred laid

in burrows. Hatching time: 2-3 weeks.

LIFESTYLE Habit: Solitary, lives in burrows

dug out of mud. Diet: Smaller species: algae and minute forms of aquatic life. Larger species: small crabs, insects, and small fish .

Range of the mudskipper.

DISTRIBUTION lifespan: Approximately 5 years.

RELATED SPECIES

There are approximately 600 species in the family Cabiidae. They are generally small, spiny-finned fishes with elongated bodies,

Found in tropical and subtropical waters throughout the Indian Ocean in a range extending from Africa to Australia . Able to live on land as well as in water, they particularly frequent mangrove swamps.

CONSERVATION

found in coastal or brackish waters. Because they have no commercial value and their habitats

are not threatened, mudskippers are not endangered.

FEATURES OF THE MUDSKIPPER

The mudskipper has an elongated, muscular body with huge, bulbous eyes on the top of its head. These are protected by a thick layer of clear skin. The mudskipper uses its large and muscular pectoral fins like a pair of legs to skip over the mud.

Eyes: Its eyes are large and round and can swivel around in their sockets to give maximum field of

©MCMXCI IMP BV/ IMP INC WILDLIFE FACT FILETM

Fins: Some species have no dorsal fin ; the male in other species has a high, brightly colored fin .

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In many species of mudskipper the pelvic fins are modified into leglike appendages. In other species, these fins form an adhesive pad.

0160200151 PACKET 15

There are several different species

of mudskipper, all belonging to the

family of fish known as gobies.

Mudskippers are unusual in that they

spend most of their time on land,

using their large, muscular pectoral

fins like a pair of legs to skip over the

mud and sand of their habitat.

~ HABITAT Mudskippers are most com­monly found in mangrove swamps, where they live in burrows among tree stems and roots. Although some may climb up the trunks and branches of the trees, they dart back down and into their

burrows at the first sign of danger.

The trees provide shelter and cover from predators such as gulls and terns.

Below: The mudskipper can retract its prominent eyes into their sockets.

~ SPECIAL 1!1:' ADAPTATIONS

A mudskipper can take in oxy­gen through the mass of tiny blood vessels in its mouth and throat. But, as with other fish, most of its oxygen comes through its gills .

The gills are contained in an enlarged chamber that must be kept filled with water for

oxygen exchange to occur. By I frequently splashing about in shallow pools, the fish keeps

I the two pulpy reservoirs above its gill chambers filled with oxygen-containing water. L __

DID YOU KNOW? J • Mudskippers dig burrows that are 20 inches or deeper by spitting large mouthfuls of mud away from the burrow's entrance. • The mudskipper's eyes are adapted for both above and below water. They can also be moved separately. • Mudskippers do not move with the tide. Instead, they spend most of their time out of water. But at high tide they can remain completely

I submerged in their burrows for up to two hours.

~ FOOD &: FEEDING

Some types of mudskipper feed on diatoms (microscopic algae) that live in the mud. To catch them, mudskippers scrape off a thin layer of mud by skimming their heads across its surface.

Above: Mudskippers defend their burrows by charging and snapping at intruders while raising their dorsal fins.

Right: A pair of mudskippers watches for insects from a dry perch.

Other species of mudskipper feed on larger prey, including shrimp, worms, and insects. They also eat crabs, despite the thick shells. But some­times mudskippers fall prey themselves to larger crabs.

Left: Different species of mudskipper vary in color and appear­ance. This male has a promi­nent, brightly colored dorsal fin.

~BREEDING Male and female mudskip-pers look identical except in breeding season, when the males develop brighter colors on their backs and sides.

Males attract females by moving up and down rhyth­mically. When a female shows interest, the male leads her into his burrow. The female then lays her eggs and the male fertilizes them.

When the eggs hatch two to three weeks later, the hatchlings swim from the burrow while it is submerged at high tide. The young mud­skippers can fall prey to a variety of marine predators, including adult mudskippers.

STINGRAY

ORDER Hypotremata

FAMILY Oasyatidae

GENUS Oasyatis

Varying in shape from almost rectangular to circular, with spotted or mottled markings, stingrays are found in all the world's tropical

and temperate seas.

KEY FACTS

SIZES

Width: Depending on species, from 1-15 ft.

Length: Up to 14 ft.

Weight: 1-750 lb.

BREEDING

Sexual maturity: Not known.

Breeding season: Spring.

Gestation: 4 months to 1 year.

No. of young: 2-9 young are born,

depending on species, from the late summer to winter.

LIFESTYLE

Habit: Solitary, bottom dwelling .

Diet: Mollusks, crustaceans, fish .

Lifespan: Not known.

RELATED SPECIES

Over 100 species of stingray are distributed worldwide. The

European O. pastinaca reaches 8 ft.

in length. O. americana measures

just 5 ft.

THE STINGRAY'S STING

The stingray's sting is actually a poi- Eyes sonous spine located on its long , whiplike tail. When the fish is disturbed in any way, it thrashes its tail along with its spine from side to side. Even though the spine is rigid, Fin the tail is so flexible that together they make a formidable defense weapon that has been known to seriously injure and even kill unsuspecting swimmers.

Range of the stingray.

DISTRIBUTION

Found in tropical and temperate seas worldwide. Ranges as far north as southern Scandinavia.

CONSERVATION

In general, the stingray is not under threat of extinction,

although it is dependent on shellfish for much of its food and shellfish are adversely affected by pollution .

Spine --------~_~------rl..,--~~h

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The size of the stingray's spine varies. In some stingrays it may be up to 16 in. long. The spine is grooved on the underside and filled with poison­secreting tissue.

There are over a hundred species of stingray,

ranging in size from 1 to 15 feet across and weighing

between 1 and 750 pounds. All have the ability to

inflict a severe wound with their long tails and

poisonous, swordlike spines.

~ HABITS Stingrays prefer to live in shallow water and like to

spend time buried in soft sand or mud. They are strong, active swimmers, moving rap­idly through the water with their large, winglike fins.

Some scientists believe that, with the onset of winter,

stingrays make long migra­tions to warmer waters.

Others believe that the fish

dig themselves into the soft seabed and spend the winter in hibernation. Nevertheless, stingrays are usually found in colder waters only during the summer.

Top: A blue­spotted stingray glides over the seabed.

left: Lying covered in sand, this D. americana stingray of the Caribbean displays its ability to conceal itself from view.

~ FOOD & FEEDING Stingrays feed mainly on worms, mollusks, and crusta­ceans that they dig out of the

seabed . Larger stingrays may also eat dead fish and squid .

The stingray's mouth is on the underside of its body. Its wide jaws and several rows of blunt, broad teeth are used to crush the shells of its prey. Its

muddy coloration provides a

good camouflage. Still, the stingray often gives its pres­ence away by creating a cloud of sediment in the water.

Right: The ray's harmless-looking closed mouth conceals rows of strong teeth.

~ DIFFERENT SPECIES

In the oceans surrounding North and South America, the most common species is the

southern stingray, D. ameri­cana. The species native to the Indian Ocean is the huge D. brevicaudata, which reaches a length of 14 feet.

Some species, such as the South American potamotrygon, travel up rivers and spend their entire lives in fresh water.

~ BREEDING Little is known about the stingray's mating behavior. Still, it is known that stingrays produce two to nine young which hatch from eggs inside

the female's body. As they are first developing,

the young feed from the yolk. Later they take in food that is secreted through the female's uterine wall. At birth, the stingrays measure 7 inches across. Most are born in late spring or early summer.

The color of the stingray varies according to where it is found. In some areas, stingrays are dark brown and black, while elsewhere they are dark gray. The underside is a white or cream color.

Large specimens weighing over 50 pounds tend to be very dark in color, and their white undersides have a bluish appearance.

DID YOU KNOW? • Stingray spines have been used to make spear tips, daggers, needles, and awls.

• When stingrays are caught in commercial f ishing nets, the fishermen often cut off their spines before throwing them back in the sea .

• Hammerhead sharks often prey on small to medium­sized stingrays. Some

scientists believe that the strange hammer-shaped

Right: A common stingray rests on the seabed off the coast of Minorca, near Spain. Sting­rays live in both temperate and tropical seas, and some species are even found in waters off Scandinavia.

head of th is shark has evolved so as to keep its eyes clear of the stingray's lashing tail and poisonous spine.

• In Mexican waters, hun­dreds of stingrays gather in seabed depressions known as ray pits.

• In southern England, there is a belief among old fisher­

men that the oil extracted from th e stingray's liver is a preventive fo r pneumonia.

~ STINGRAY & MAN The stingray has little com­mercial value, although it is killed for its meat, spines, and oil . It is a dangerous animal

because it can inflict serious wounds with its tail and spine. People have been killed by stingrays, often as a result of standing on one buried in the sand and being struck by its lashing tail and spine.

Stingrays are also a nui­sance because of their habit of raiding oyster and shellfish farms. Even the hard shell of an oyster can be cracked by the stingray's strong, blunt teeth.

"" CARD 7 M ANTA RAY ~~----------------------------------~ ,. ORDER

"11IIIIIIII Batoidea . ... FAMILY

"11IIIIIIII Mobulidae

.. GENUS & SPECIES "11IIIIIIII Manta birostris

The largest member of the ray family, the manta looks like a giant bat. It has been known to leap out of the water, occasionally

destroying small fishing boats.

KEY FACTS SIZES

Length: 10-1 6 ft.

Span: 14-20 ft.

Weight: Estimated at up to

3,000 lb.

BREEDING

Mating season: Year round. Gestation: Not known.

No. of young: 1 .

Lifespan: Not known.

LIFESTYLE

Habit: Large specimens solitary; smaller fish may move in shoals of

five or six in food-rich areas.

Diet: Mainly shrimp and plankton; occasionally small fish such as

mullet.

RELATED SPECIES

Other members of the ray family

include the common eagle ray

(Myliobatis aquila), spotted eagle

ray (Actobatus narinari), and blunt

nosed sting ray (Dasyatis sayii).

THE MANTA RAY'S FI.l TRA TION SYSTEM

The manta ray has two gigantic fins on either

Range of the manta ray.

DISTRIBUTION

The western Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans, in both inshore and offshore waters.

CONSERVATION

Manta rays have little commercial value and are not consid­

ered good sport fish by fishermen, so they are generally left

in peace. It is not known how many manta rays exist.

The manta's fil tration system is used for feeding as well as respiration. or breathing.

of Its head. They resemble large. soft paddles and are used to channel food directlY into its wide mouth. The manta has no teeth-its food is sucked. along with water, into its gill arches which act as a filter. W."I$ then pumped back out through the gills and the food is siphoned Into its stomach.

Known as the devilfish because of its terrifying habit

of slowly circling small boats, in reality the manta ray

is one of the ocean's more harmless giants.

Right: The manta ray may look menacing as it glides through the water, but its giant mouth is toothless.

~ FOOD & FEEDING Manta rays feed mainly on shrimp and plankton, al­though they will occasionally eat small fish such as mullet.

The manta's gill arches help it to feed by operating as a filtration system. During respiration, water is sucked in through the mouth and pumped out through the gill

slits . The plankton that is sucked into the manta's mouth along with the water is caught by the gill arches and siphoned into its stomach.

When mantas encounter a shoal of fish, they quickly move in to feed, swallowing as many fish as they can.

The span of the manta 's winglike fins can reach 22 ft, The wingspan of a Piper Cherokee plane is only slightly longer at 26 ft,

~ MANTA & MAN , The manta ray has long been regarded by fishermen as dangerous. Stories of mantas killing scuba divers and deliberately jumping onto small boats are numerous, but unsubstantiated .

However, the manta's habit of circling small boats can be frightening to those aboard. And, although mantas do oc-

l casionally jump onto boats, the damage they cause is thought to be accidental. In the process of leaping out of the water, done possibly as an

Its strange appearance is enhanced by the way its aid in giving birth or for T~ _I --~-

b --- ;iiiiiiI""'" sport, manta rays have

road, flat fins move slowly up and down to ______________________ [, ~ £;:: ;} CJ c::J~ wrecked small boats, earning propel it through the water. ):J c:::::::::::::::::~~:::==~ ~ 1 them the name devilfish.

I J II ~ HABITAT The manta ray is found both inshore and offshore in the warmer oceans. Although mantas can be found on the seabed, they spend much of their time feeding near the ocean's surface.

Large species of ray, such as the manta, tend to be solitary, although they are often accompanied by a shoal of pilot fish. While feeding, small and medium­sized species of ray may form shoals.

~ BREEDING Manta rays bear live young . The single fertilized egg develops inside the mother. It appears that mantas do not breed until their winglike pectoral fins reach a length of 1 3-15 feet.

There is no specific breeding season: males and females mate year round . The new­borns are fairly large, weigh­ing 20-30 pounds, have fins that span 4 feet, and can gen­erally protect themselves from predators.

• • DID YOU KNOW? - Manta rays can grow to a huge size: it is common for fin ns to reach more than

20 feet. One 17-foot­long manta caught in

the Bahamas had fins that spanned 22 feet.

- The word manta is Spanish for cloak or blanket. When swim­ming, the manta resembles a spread-out cape.

I-The blue whale, basking shark'i and whale shark have feed ing systems similar to the manta's .

"" CARD 8 SEA HORSE

~-----------------------------------------------~ ~

ORDER

Gasterosteiformes

FAMILY

Syngnathidae

GENUS

Hippocampus

The sea horse is a member of the pipefish family. Swimming upright-and looking a little like a chesspiece­

it is a graceful inhabitant of the warmer seas.

KEY FACTS SIZES

Length: From 1 in . for the dwarf

pygmy sea horse to 14 in. for the

large Eastern Pacific sea horse.

BREEDING

Mating season: Year-round in

tropical seas. Spring and summer

in cooler waters. Coincides with

full moon .

Gestation: Usually 14 or 28 days.

No. of young: About SO, depend­

ing on species.

LIFESTYLE

Habit: Social.

Diet: Planktonic crustacea, tiny

fish, and other marine life.

Lifespan: Not known .

RELATED SPECIES

Close relatives are the pipefish and

shrimp fish .

FEATURES OF THE SEA HORSE

• Range of the sea horse.

DISTRIBUTION

Found in Indo-Australia; the Atlantic coasts of Europe, Africa,

and North America; and the Pacific coast of North America .

CONSERVATION

Little is known about its status, but shrimp trawlers catch

thousands around the full moon when sea horses congregate

to breed. Shrimp trawls also damage the shallow seabed that

forms the sea horse's home.

in size. The

lest, 1 inch long,

, at 14 inches,

Swivel eyes I~t the sea horse watch prey without moving.

The sea horse r---:::;:::---------::----, uses a clever

l1BBfJ

camouflage technique to deceive predators. It simply adopts the color of surrounding weeds.

To avoid being swept away in shifting seas, the sea horse wraps its

il around the

Sea horses avoid predators by mimicking

the colors of underwater plants. There are

35 species living along the coasts of Australia/

Africa/ Europe/ and North America. They

range in size from the tiny pygmy variety to

the giant Eastern Pacific sea horse.

~ HABITAT

Sea horses are usually found in warm, shallow water among seagrass beds. They situate themselves near deep, fast-running channels that provide them with plankton, the microscopic marine life

on which they feed. To avoid being swept away

by the current, they wrap their long tails around nearby vegetation. Their tails are prehensile-specially adapted for grasping.

~ FOOD fie FEEDING Sea horses feed constantly on plankton and other small fish . A sea horse can use each eye independently from the other, which allows it to search for prey without moving its body. When prey comes close, the sea horse can snap it up from

~ BREEDING

Sea horses are an unusual

species in that the male be­

comes pregnant. The female

releases her eggs into a

pouch on the male's abdo­

men. As the eggs attach

themselves to the spongy

pouch wall, he fertilizes them

and nourishes them with a

special fluid secretion. After

gestation, about fifty young

are released from his pouch.

up to an inch and a half away. The sea horse can avoid

most predators because its coloration acts as camouflage in all surroundings. Within seconds, it can change from gray or black to vivid yellow or purple.

Right: The female releases her eggs into a pouch on the male's abdomen. Below: The babies are born as perfect miniatures of their parents. By the time they are two months old, they have grown to two inches.

left: On the lookout for food, a yellow sea horse uses both its eyes separately to spot its prey.

Right: Well camouflaged, a sea horse grips onto plant stems with its prehensile tail.

~ SEA HORSE fie MAN The sea horse was once thought to be a mythological creature. Today it is much in demand for home aquariums. However, it is extremely difficult to keep a sea horse alive outside its natural environment, probably because of the high intake of food it needs to survive.

DID YOU KNOW? • Except for crabs, few preda­tors eat sea horses-they are too bony.

• Male pregnancy lets the female produce more eggs quickly without nurturing the last batch .

~Female sea horses compete

with each other for male mating partners.

"" CARD 9 LION FISH '(~ ____________________________________ G_RO __ U_P_4_: _FI_SH __ __

... ORDER ". FAMilY ". GENUS & SPECIES 'IIIIIIIIIII Scorpaeniformes 'IIIIIIIIIII Scorpaenidae ~ Pterois volitans

With its vivid coloration and poisonous spines, this scorpionfish species effectively deters predators and,

conseQuentlv, can swim freelv without fear of attack.

KEY FACTS

SIZES length: Lionfish grow to 15 in., w ith pectoral fins spanning 30 in .

BREEDING Mating season: Spring for tem­

perate species. No. of young: Up to 20,000 in some species.

LIFESTYLE Habit: Solitary. Lionfish are free­swimming; other species are mainly bottom-dwellers. Diet: Smaller fish, small crabs, prawns, and shrimp.

RELATED SPECIES There are 300 species of related scorpionfish, found mainly in the Indian and Pacific Oceans, but

Sebastes marina, the redfish or ocean perch, is found throughout the north Atlantic.

Range of the lionfish.

DISTRIBUTION Reefs and coastal shallows in the Indian and Pacific oceans,

from eastern Africa to New Guinea, Australia, the Philippines, and the western Pacific islands.

CONSERVATION Despite some commercial collection for aquariums, the lionfish is in no immediate danger.

SPECIAL FEATURES OF THE LION FISH

Pectoral fins: Spread wide and used to rake through the water, sweeping smaller fish into a position where they can be eaten.

Spines: If the spines are thrust into an attacker, the ---\ venom in the glandular tissue is squeezed up a groove into the d, where it enters the bloodstream.

Mouth: The wide mouth of the lionfish is used as a trap. When suitable prey swims past, the fish opens its mouth and water

-==.:i~-ft-'i~-""'--;---~~-"::-;;:'-"--floods in, drawing

the helpless prey in with it.

The lionfish is a type of scorpion fish.

Its beautiful fins conceal an array of

poisonous spines capable of inflicting

severe pain. Like many scorpion fish/

it does not have many predators/ since

few animals will dare to attack it.

~ HABITS The lionfish lives in shallow water among the rocks and coral reefs of warm and tem­perate seas.

Its featherlike fins and bristling spines are not merely decorative but, rather, serve as camouflage that helps protect the fish among the seaweed and coral on the seabed . The lionfish spends most of its time lurking or resting among the rocks on the bottom of the seabed. It is rarely detected unless it moves. This behavior is typical of most scorpionfish (members of the Scorpaenidae family).

Unlike the lionfish, some other species of scorpionfish do not hide but, rather, swim

through the water seemingly indifferent to predators. They have poisonous spines and, like brightly colored wasps, they advertise the presence of the spines with their gaudy coloration . Would-be preda­tors seem to recognize the possible danger and avoid swimming too close. As a result, the scorpionfish is vir­tually immune to attack by other fish.

Right and below: The lionfish is one of the few aggressive scorpion fish. It will raise its spines, point them at an intruder, and even advance threateningly'

DID YOU KNOW?

• An Ind ian species of scorpi­onfish has a symbiotic, or mutually beneficial, relation­ship with the hydroid (a small species resembling the sea anemone). The hydroids attach themselves to the skin of the scorpionfish and

Most fish lay eggs. Many pro­duce millions at a time, leaving them to the ocean currents and to predators, so that only a small proportion survive to

maturity. Some scorpionfish species,

including the lionfish, have large numbers of eggs that reach maturity. These fish are ovoviviparous (the eggs stay in the female's body until they hatch), ensuring that the eggs are safe. Still, when the hatch­lings are released into the

provide it with camouflage. In return, they are trans­ported by the fish . • The closely related stonefish is the most poisonous fish in the world . Its 13 dorsal spines deliver a poison that can kill a person in six hours .

water, many fall prey to other fish. Several thousand young must be produced each sea­son so that a sufficient num­ber will survive.

The Californian scorpionfish and some tropical species also lay eggs. The eggs are embedded in a large, hollow, gelatinous balloon that floats on the water's surface. As soon as the young hatch, they sink rapidly to the sea­bed to avoid being eaten by

predators.

. ...

~ FOOD &: FEEDING The lionfish eats any fish and crustaceans it can catch.

It expends a great deal of energy chasing its prey, so it must eat a large amount to compensate for this loss . Still, like all predators, the lionfish has an instinctive awareness that causes it to give up the chase if it seems likely to use more energy than it is worth.

~ DEFENSE Scorpionfish spines are barbed and dagger-sharp, and each has an elongated poison gland. The more elaborately finned shallow-water species are the most poisonous.

The effect of the poison on an animal can be fatal. Lion-

Above: A lionfish opens its mouth wide, and its prey floods in with the water.

Some species of scorpion­fish are bottom-dwelling and remain motionless and virtually invisible when not feeding. Its inactivity uses up little energy, so a single feed­ing will sustain the fish for several days.

fish venom is a neurotoxin, or nerve poison, and when in­jected into a predatory fish, it paralyzes its muscles­including its heart. For a human, the consequences are usually less drastic, but still extremely painful.

left: The stonefish is a close relative of the lionfish. Its harmless appearance disguises venomous spines that are lethal to humans.

BARRACUDA

... ORDER

~ Perciformes ... FAMILY

~ Sphyraenidae ... GENUS

~ Sphyraena

GROUP 4: FISH

As a deep-water hunter, the barracuda strikes with lightning speed and deadly accuracy. With its dagger like teeth, the great

barracuda can easily bite off a person's leg.

KEY FACTS

SIZES

Length: Up to 6 ft . Weight: Highest recorded, 103 lb .

BREEDING

Very little known about habits. Thought to breed in open water, probably at any time of the year.

~ LIFESTYLE

Habit: Small or young fish found in schools. Larger fish are mainly

solitary. Diet: Almost any fish. Lifespan: 1 0-15 years.

RELATED SPECIES

There are 20 species of barracuda, the best known being the California or Pacific barracuda, S. argentea, and the European barracuda, S. sphyraena. Within the Perciformes order, there are some 8,000 species, contained in about 150 families.

Range of the great barracuda.

DISTRIBUTION

Widely distributed in all tropical seas, especially around coral heads and submerged reefs, but probably most common in the western Atlantic and Caribbean.

CONSERVATION

The great barracuda has no commercial value, and although a popular target of sport fishermen, it is in no danger of extinction.

FEATURES OF THE BARRACUDA

The most noticeable and menacing feature of the barracuda is its strong bottom jaw. which protru des beyond the pointed snout of the top jaw. The jaws are equipped with formidable

sets of teeth-a row of small razor­sharp ones around the outside and a larger set of tearing teeth set just Inside.

The torpedo-shaped body is long and

©MCMXCI IMP BV/IMP INC WILDLIFE FACT FILE TM PRINTED IN U.S.A.

slender with two prominent dorsal fins set well apart. The tail fin is broad and powerful. The body is silver colo red . usually with darker speckles and dark gray-blue stripes down the side.

0160200071 PACKET 7

Barracudas vary in size from a mere

78 inches to more than 6 feet. The 6-foot

great barracuda is the most feared of all species,

and the many authentic records of attacks

on man has led to its being known as the

tiger of the sea.

~ HABITAT Barracudas are found in the Mediterranean, western Atlantic, and tropical waters. Adult barracudas are found in the deep waters of their range. In stormy weather they some­times come inshore.

Young barracudas are mostly

DID YOU KNOW? • The barracuda is also known as the sea pike, because it bears a resem­blance to the freshwater pike. The two are not related . • Because barracudas are attracted to yellow-colored objects, fishermen often use

found in inshore waters, particularly over shallow, sandy, or weedy areas. They swim and hunt in small schools, which is very unusual in predatory fish. Larger fish, however, tend to be more solitary.

yellow lures to catch them. • In the eighteenth century, there were sightings of 15-foot barracudas. • Barracudas adapt remark­ably well to aquarium living, provided they are fed with an ample supply of fish .

~ BARRACUDA &: MAN Barracudas have been known to attack fishermen and skin divers on several occasions.

Barracudas are extremely curious and will swim around skin divers, watching their movements. They become highly excited by the splash ing

of fast-moving objects, per­haps mistaking them for prey.

Because the great barracuda absorbs toxins from the food it eats, it is not fished com­mercially. But the European barracuda, S. sphyraena, is a popular commercial fish.

Right: Its two sets of razor­sharp teeth make the barracuda an efficient and feared predator.

Left: The tropical marine waters that are the barra­cuda's habitat are also much favored by divers. Conse­quently, the two often come into conflict.

~ FOOD &: HUNTING The great barracuda's reputa­tion for being a voracious and fierce hunter is well founded. All species of barracuda are active hunters. Their food varies according to their hab­itat. Groupers, grunts, bream, snapper, and its own young fall prey to the great barra­cuda.

Barracudas attack swiftly, charging their prey with great speed and biting with their powerful jaws. Their eyesight is so acute that they hunt by sight even in the most murky

~BREEDING Barracudas are such aggressive hunters that they generally live alone. But large groups of adult barracudas do come together each year to spawn (breed). The Mediterranean barracuda spawns from April to September. The females lay

waters. When several barracu­das hunt together, it is believed that they herd their prey into a dense school, increasing the success of their attack.

The flesh of some of the coral reef fish that make up the great barracuda's diet is poisonous, so the barracuda's flesh becomes poisoned with it as well.

Left: The barracuda's elongated body helps it to achieve lightning speed for an attack.

their eggs in the surface waters of the sea far offshore. Young fish may produce up to 5,000 eggs per season, while mature barracudas can lay 300,000. The newly hatched fish (or fry) immediately begin to prey on other fish.