9 most dangerous fish on the planet

Review of the best according to the editorial board. On the selection criteria. This material is subjective and does not constitute advertising and does not serve as a purchase guide. Before buying, you need to consult with a specialist.

Man is a deadly creature for most fish living on the planet, because fishing has long been a popular craft. But there are fish among the fish that should be feared by man himself. Such creatures pose a potential danger, which sometimes translates into sad cases of death. Below is a rating of the most dangerous fish in the world.

Rating of the most dangerous fish on the planet

Electric eel

Rating: 5.0

Habitat – rivers of the northeast of South America. The basis of the diet is invertebrates, fish and small mammals. At first glance, an eel may seem completely harmless, because it does not bite. But he doesn't need this: an electric eel generates a powerful current discharge, reaching 650 V (the average is 350 V). This is enough for a person to lose consciousness or even die. The radius of electric shock reaches 3 m.

This freshwater predator uses its deadly weapon to stun prey, but it can attack humans, large mammals and even a crocodile, since it has an aggressive disposition. With electric shock, temporary paralysis of the body occurs, disruptions in the work of breathing and heart muscle. All this can lead to drowning.

The electric eel reaches 3 m in length, has a slightly flattened, serpentine body, and its weight ranges from 20 to 40 kg. A notable external feature is the complete absence of scales on the body, which covers a layer of mucus. The fish prefers stagnant, cloudy water, but comes to the surface every few minutes to take a breath of air.

Council. An electric eel always attacks suddenly, and it is not at all afraid of large prey: the fish confidently attacks opponents whose size is 10 times larger than its own. Therefore, in case of an unexpected encounter with an eel, it is better to sail away as soon as possible, and if possible, swim ashore.

Bull shark (blunt shark)

Rating: 4.9

While most people are terrified by the great white shark, the blunt-nosed shark is to blame for the majority of reported shark attacks on humans. The males of this fish are considered the most aggressive animals on the planet. A similar feature is associated with the production of excessive amounts of the male hormone, which causes sudden and powerful outbursts of rage. When attacked by a bull shark, the probability of salvation is close to zero.

The fish are not distinguished by their pickiness in the food they catch: the bull shark, as a rule, absorbs everything that comes in its way (molluscs, crustaceans, any fish, even carrion) and often attacks large marine animals. Among them are even dolphins and white sharks.

The blunt shark has a strong constitution and impressive size: it reaches 4 m in length. And this applies to females. Males, as a rule, are not so large and rarely grow longer than 2.5 m. The weight of the fish reaches a bovine – about 300 kg. The large body ends in a massive head with a blunt muzzle and a powerful jaw, dotted with sharp, razor-sharp triangular teeth, curved inward and capable of gnawing even a tortoise shell.

Interesting fact: The blunt shark is the only one of its kind that feels great in fresh water, which makes it even more dangerous. An unusual feature of the fish is due to the low salt content in its blood (about 50%).

Piranha

Rating: 4.8

The most dangerous marine inhabitant of the fresh waters of South America and one of the most dangerous in the world. A powerful jaw, razor-sharp triangular teeth and the habit of 'hunting' in a group – all this speaks of piranha as far from being the most friendly. There are about 60 species of piranha and all of them, without exception, live in the rivers of South America.

Piranha rarely exceeds 0.5 m in length and weighs no more than a couple of kilograms, but you should not be fooled by the modest size of this fish. Gathering in a flock of 100 brothers or more, this small nibbler is able to practically destroy an animal weighing about 50 kg in a couple of minutes: only bones will remain. It is noteworthy that piranha shows aggression only when they are in a flock (one by one, these nibbles are very shy).

Piranha is a very voracious predator and, as a rule, prefers to see crustaceans, as well as other fish, in its diet. This bloodthirsty silver-colored toothy fish is happy to hunt even deadly fish and is capable of killing a whale. Do not disdain piranha and man. She tears off food in pieces, so the bite of this fish is considered the most painful in the world and causes severe bleeding.

Interesting fact: in order to wade the herd across the river, local shepherds usually sacrifice one of the animals. While the toothed flock devours it, the herd hastily distilled to the opposite bank.

Vandellia (kandiru)

Rating: 4.7

A modest kid, it would seem, could only accidentally get into the rating of the most dangerous fish on the planet, but this is definitely deserved. A nondescript fish with a body 2.5 to 15 cm long and about 3 mm wide lives in the Amazon basin and it is better not to meet it 'face to face'. It's all about the peculiarities of the diet of this translucent fish: it prefers blood and urine. This is why Vandella is sometimes referred to as a 'vampire fish'.

Faced with a person, he can get to the coveted food only through his holes: it gets inside through the urogenital organs and the anus. And once in the body, it begins to eat the flesh. Long-term stay of Vandellia in the human body is fraught with severe tissue inflammation, internal bleeding, and even death. It is possible to remove the 'pest' only by surgery.

Tiger fish

Rating: 4.6

This is the most dangerous aquatic inhabitant of the African continent. The gregarious predator is not distinguished by goodwill and may well attack a person. And the presence in its powerful mouth of 32 sharp 5-centimeter teeth, similar to a shark, will provide this meeting with a sad outcome.

The fish is distinguished by the finest hearing and excellent vision, which allows it to notice potential prey from a distance of several kilometers. In addition, the tiger fish is able to swim even against a very powerful current. Weaker inhabitants of the river, unable to withstand the power of the water, automatically fall into the mouth of the predator.

Among the existing varieties of tiger fish, one can distinguish ordinary (weighing up to 15 kg and lives in the Zambezi and Lualaba rivers) and the famous goliath fish. The latter species reaches 2 m in length and weighs about 50 kg. This is an unusually fast and strong predator, capable of reaching speeds of up to 100 km / h in pursuit of prey (taking into account the fact that this chase is under water, the strength of the fish can be assessed as a bull).

Olive catfish

Rating: 4.5

It is considered the most dangerous aquatic inhabitant of North America. In length, this unfriendly creature reaches 1.5 m, weight is 120 kg. Freshwater predator prefers to feed on other fish, like mammals, waterfowl. Do not underestimate this fish because of its harmless appearance and cute name: it can attack humans as well.

The olive catfish is considered a commercial fish and is highly regarded for its excellent meat taste. But sometimes it happens that the fisherman himself turns out to be a delicious 'dish' for catfish. Every year, a dozen fishermen who dare to catch an olive catfish die on North American rivers. Moreover, death from his teeth is terrible: this freshwater predator, attacking its prey, tears it to pieces with force.

Fish stone

Rating: 4.4

Also known as the 'wart', the stonefish is sometimes almost indistinguishable from the rocks of the coral reefs it likes to inhabit. Therefore, her surprise attack is always unexpected for the prey. This deadly poisonous sea creature is considered the most dangerous tropical fish in the Indian and Pacific oceans, living in shallow waters. It can also be found in the Red Sea (on the coast of Australia, the Philippines, Indonesia).

The wart could be called quite harmless outwardly, if it were not for the terrible thorn on the dorsal fin: piercing, it injects poison. Unfortunately, there is no antidote for it. Therefore, if the substance secreted by the stone fish enters the blood of a person, they will face several hours of terrible torment, after which death occurs.

However, in recent years, there have been several precedents when, with the provision of timely assistance, a person was saved. But at the same time, the atrophy of the local nerve occurred at the point of contact with the spine: this led to the 'failure' of a part of the muscle tissue.

Sea dragon ('scorpion', snake fish)

Rating: 4.3

A small, inconspicuous predator with an unpredictable character – a sea dragon or a snakefish lives in the waters of the Mediterranean and Black Seas. It can be found in Turkey, Georgia, Greece, Bulgaria and Russia. A small body slightly flattened from the sides, rarely reaching a length of 40 cm, looks like a Black Sea goby, but this fish is far from harmless.

On its gills and dorsal fins, poisonous spines are located, which, when injected into human flesh, cause severe tissue edema, convulsions, if it is a limb – its paralysis (not always), and even heart failure.

The sea dragon prefers to live at a depth of about 15-20 meters, but it multiplies and gets its food mainly in shallow water, completely burying itself in silt. Therefore, from time to time there are unpleasant cases of a person meeting with a prickly fish, which he accidentally steps on.

And, although the 'scorpion' is not aggressive towards people, this does not make him less dangerous. It is important to know how to behave when pricked by a sea devil's thorn, as the consequence can be death. First of all, you need to suck the poison out of the wound (the duration of the manipulation is about 10 minutes). Do not be afraid that the poison will enter the bloodstream through the mouth: saliva can neutralize it. Then you need to treat the wound (for example, hydrogen peroxide or chlorhexidine). If this is not done, deep ulcers may remain on the skin that will not heal for months.

Council. To avoid meeting the sea dragon, you should not intensively fumble with your feet on the seabed, try to catch a fish that is unfamiliar at first glance with your hands, and do not linger at the bottom of underwater crevices.

Payara ('water wolf')

Rating: 4.2

Also known as the scamubrious hydrolic, payara is the only fish that rivals the more famous big-toothed 'glutton' piranha and also prefers to live in a flock. In length, this unpleasant creature reaches 1 m and weighs about 15 kg. Payara is not considered aggressive, therefore rarely attacks a person, but is potentially very dangerous.

A distinctive feature of the fish is two sharp 10-15 cm canines located on the lower jaw. Such a 'weapon' can be considered incredibly formidable not only for freshwater fish, but also for marine life. Payara's fangs are so long that there are two special holes in the upper jaw so that the fish can close their jaws when biting a prey, which it then swallows whole. The favorite food of fish is other, smaller fish, including piranha. She was repeatedly caught in eating relatives.

Interesting fact: in the case of severe fright, Payard usually inflicts fatal injury on himself.

Attention! This rating is subjective and does not constitute an advertisement and does not serve as a purchase guide. Before buying, you need to consult with a specialist.