'" CARD 11

ELECTRIC EEL
___________________________________
... ORDER
Cypriniformes
.,. FAMILY
Gymnotidae
.,. GENUS & SPECIES
Electrophorus electricus
The sinister-looking electric eel inhabits the dark depths of rivers
and creeks. It is capable of producing a sao-volt shock that is
powerful enough to stun a horse.
KEY FACTS
SIZES
Length: Up to 8 ft.
Weight: 100 lb .
BREEDING
The electric eel's breeding habits
are not known. The young are
thought to hatch from eggs but
even this is uncertain.
LIFESTYLE
Habit: Solitary.
Diet: Mainly small fish, also frogs.
Young eels also eat invertebrates.
Lifespan: The lifespan of the
electric eel is not known.
Range of the electric eel.
DISTRIBUTION
RELATED SPECIES
Although it looks like an eel, the
electric eel is not a true eel, but a
specially adapted fish related to
carp and catfish.
Native to South America-found throughout the rivers of the
Guyanas, the Orinoco river system, and the waters of the
middle and lower Amazon basin.
CONSERVATION
Although it is eaten in South America, the electric eel has
little value as a commercial food fish. Increased river pollu-
tion presents the major threat to its survival.
THE EEL'S ELECTRICITY
The electric eel's electriCity-generating organs are in its
long tail. They are made up of columns of wafer-thin
electroplates-10,000 in all-and each produce a small
charge. When activated, they produce brief bursts or
pulses. At low voltage, the waves of electricity act like
a form of radar. If the electric eel senses a fish passing
by, however, it will increase the voltage to stun its prey.

Eyes
Senso[l) ____
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MCMXCI IMP BV/IMP INC WILDLIFE FACT FILETM PRINTED IN U.SA
Electroplates (top) . Branches of
nerve fibers (above) act as
"chargers" within each plate.
us P 6001 12010 PACKET 10
Frequently exceeding six feet in length,
the olive-brown electric eel has a long,
thick body and a broad, blunt head. The fish's
electricity-generating organs are situated in its
long tail, which accounts for more than
three-quarters of its total body length.
HABITS
The electric eel is an unusual
fish because it is extremely
inactive. It spends most of its
time motionless.
The water it lives in is often
poor in oxygen, so the eel
comes to the surface occasion-
ally for air. It swims by slowly
moving its long and powerful
anal fin, which runs the length
of its body.
Visibility in the murky water
is minimal, so the eel uses its
electricity-generating organs
to navigate in its surroundings.
Below: An electric eel at the
water's surface gulps in air to
obtain oxygen.
FOOD & FEEDING
Young electric eels eat bottom-
dwell ing invertebrates, but as
eels grow, fish become their
main source of food. The size
of the prey depends on the
eel's size.
The eel detects moving prey
with its electric sensors. Even if
the prey is still, the eel can de-
tect its presence. Its sensors
are able to detect the weak
electric impulses sent through
the muscles of fish as they
breathe. When the electric eel
senses that prey is nearby, it
produces a series of high-
voltage waves which stun or
kill any fish within range.
~ BREEDING
Almost nothing is known about
the breeding habits of the
electric eel. It is possible that it
uses its electricity-generating
organs to provide and receive
information about the sex,
age, and mating receptiveness
of other eels.
The electric eel disappears
Left: Almost
blind, the
electric eel
catches prey
using electric
pulses.
Right: Male
and female
electric eels
look identical.
DID YOU KNOW?
The electric eel is the most
lethal of all electric fish and is
capable of producing a charge
of 500-600 volts. Its head is
positively charged and its tail
is negatively charged.
Torpedo rays and electric
catfish also produce electric
from its habitat at certain
times of the year and later
returns with young electric
eels no more than 4 inches
long. The young, called fry,
are believed to hatch from
eggs, but it is not known for
certain. Where the electric eel
breeds is another mystery.
charges.
Electric eels have been
used for medical experi-
ments, in particular in the
treatment of rheumatism.
Its electricity-generating
organs account for at least
half of the eel's weight.
"'" CARD 12
GREAT WHITE SHARK
~ ~ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ~
... ORDER
~ Selachii
... FAMILY
~ Isuridae
... GENUS & SPECIES
~ Carcharodon carcharias
The great white shark is found in the warmer oceans throughout
the world. It eats most types of fish and warm-blooded animals and
is the most deadly of the man-eating sharks.
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KEY FACTS
SIZES
Length: Averages 10-20 ft.
Weight: Averages 2,500 lb.
BREEDING
Little is known of the great white
shark's breeding habits. The female
is thought to give birth to a single
live pup; still, no pregnant white
shark has ever been captured.
LIFESTYLE
Habit: Solitary. Must move
continuously.
Diet: Almost any fish or warm-
blooded creature it can catch.
Lifespan: Believed to be 30-40
years.
RELATED SPECIES
The whale shark (Rhincodontypus),
over 60 ft. long, is considered the
largest fish. The second largest,
also a shark, is the basking shark
(Cetorhinus maximus).
Range of the great white shark.
DISTRIBUTION
In oceans worldwide, but mainly warm or temperate seas.
Still, specimens have been found in the cooler waters off
Nova Scotia, Iceland, and southern Australia.
CONSERVATION
Because the great white shark is always on the move, it is
impossible to monitor its numbers, and no population figures
are available. It is thought to be rare.
PRINTED IN U.S.A.
The great white shark is a solitary
animal and joins with other sharks only
to feed on a large kill. It must swim
continuously throughout its life to allow
enough oxygen to enter
its bloodstream.
~ FOOD &: HUNTING
The great white shark preys on
most ocean-going animals. It
regularly eats such fish as tuna,
marlin, and broadbill sword-
fish, as well as sea lions, seals,
and dolphins.
After eating large prey, the
shark can survive for a month
without eating again. The
great white may feed when-
ever prey is available, not just
when the shark is hungry. Still,
as its metabolic (body process)
rate increases, especially in
warmer waters, it eats more.
Most great white sharks
hunt alone. But groups of
sharks, attracted by blood
released from a kill, often
gather to feed on dead prey.
The great white shark lo-
cates its prey with its sharp
sense of smell. Within its
rostrum, or snout, are thou-
sands of tiny holes that make
up the shark's main nerve
center. Thus, the great white
is able to detect even the
smallest amounts of blood in
the water.
The great white also finds
prey by echolocation, releas-
ing sound waves that bounce
back to the shark and enable
it to determine an animal's
exact location.
Above: The shark's sensitive snout
is its nerve center.
Right: The great white shark's
body is massive and very strong.
~ GREAT WHITE SHARK &: MAN
The great white shark has been
responsible for many of the
shark attacks on people. Its role
in these attacks has been con-
firmed by positive identifica-
tion of great white shark tooth
fragments recovered from
damaged surfboards and
boats.
The great white shark is con-
sidered a prize catch by sport
: fishermen. The shark is easily
~ recognized by its high, triangu-
~ lar dorsal fin and crescent-
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~ left: A great white shark takes a
lure from a boat. '
shaped tail.
Although the great white
shark is killed for sport, it is
not hunted for its meat. Be-
cause the shark expels urine
through its tissues and out of
its body through its skin, its
meat cannot be eaten.
Remarkably little is known
about the great white shark.
Attempts to study it in its
natural habitat have failed
because it is constantly on
the move. It has also been
impossible to keep the shark
in captivity, so little study has
been done.
r ~ ~ SPECIAL
~ ADAPTATION
The great white shark has tri -
angular teeth that grow as
long as t hree inches. Serrated
edges enable the shark to gri p
its prey firmly. Li ke all sharks,
t he great white replaces lost
teeth: a previously unused
tooth emerges t o replace the
missing tooth.
Scientists believe that when
a great white shark exceeds
a certain length-to-weight
ratio, it abruptly retreats to
the ocean depths, where it
remains for the rest of its life.
It is also believed that
great white sharks, like blue
marlin and wrasse, change
sex when they reach a
DID YOU KNOW?
The great white shark is
able to detect a si ngle drop
of blood in more t han a
million gallons of water.
The great white shark must
swim at a minimum speed of
certain size: the males be-
come females . The reason for
the sex change is not known,
but it may ensure that all
larger sharks give birth. This
would increase their chances
of producing healthy off-
spring. The majority of the
larger sharks caught have
been female.
two miles an hour, 24 hours
a day, to get enough oxygen
into its bloodstream.
If a great white shark is
dragged backward, it drowns
in minutes.
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"'CARD 13
CLOWNFISH
\ ( ~ ___________________________________ G_R_O_U_P_4_:_F_IS_H __ ~
~
ORDER
Perciformes
FAMILY
Pomacentridae
GENUS
Amphiprion
The brilliantly colored clownfish gets its name from
its distinctive black and white markings.
KEY FACTS
SIZES
Length: 2-5 in., according to
species.
BREEDING
Spawning season: Year round in
tropical waters.
Eggs: Laid in large batches.
Hatching time: 4-5 da,{s.
LIFESTYLE
Habit: Usually live in pairs within
an anemone.
Diet: Leftovers from fish consumed
by anemone; algae.
Lifespan: 3-5 years in captivity.
RELATED SPECIES
Clownfish belong to the same
family of damselfish. They include
the common A. percu/a, the two-
banded A. akindynos, the black A.
me/anopus, the black-banded A.
ephippus, the white-maned A.
perideroin, and the Red Sea variety
A. bicinctus.
Range of the clownfish.
DISTRIBUTION
Species are found in the Red Sea, the Indian Ocean and the
tropical Pacific Ocean. A. percu/a is particularly comm?n on
Australia's Great Barrier Reef.
CONSERVATION
Having come under threat from the aquarium trade, many
governments are restricting the removal of the fish from their
natural environments.
CLOWNFISH AND THE SEA ANEMONE
The clownfish and
the sea anemone have
a symbiotic (or mutually
beneficial ) relationship.
The clownfish attracts
predators to the anemone
in which it lives. The
predator fish in turn become
the prey of the anemone.
The clownfish also chases away certain
fish that are harmful to the anemone.
such as the butterfly fish. This fish preys
on the anemone. biting off the ends of its
tentacles.
MCMXCIIMP BV/ IMP INC WILDLIFE FACT FILpM PRINTED IN U.S.A. 0160200031 PACKET 3a
brightly colored fish called damselfish.
These inshore reef dwellers have
developed a curious and potentially
deadly relationship with
the sea anemone.
DID YOU KNOW?
The most common anem-
one to act as host to the
clownfish is the large stoichac-
tis species.
If the slimy mucus covering
is wiped off a clownfish
before it returns to its host
anemone, it will be stung or
even killed by the anemone's
tentacles.
~ SPECIALADAPTATIONS
It was once bel ieved that the
cl ownfish had a natural immu-
nity t o the anemone' s sti ng.
However, studies have shown
that this immunity must be
developed.
The initial sting of an anem-
one causes the clownfish to
secrete a slimy mucus whi ch
covers its body and protects it
from further contact with the
poisonous discharge of the
anemone's tentacles.
This protective covering
protects the cl ownfish from its
host anemone species, but it
can still be stung and killed by
any other speci es of anemone
against which it has not devel-
oped an immunity.
~ FOOD &: FEEDING
The clownfish has a symbiotic,
or mutually beneficial,
relationship with the sea
anemone. It catches most of
its food by cooperating with
its host anemone. The
clownfish will leave the safety
of the anemone's tentacles
and swim out among the
nearby reef. Its brilliant colors
attract larger fish, who, lured
by the thought of a meal,
follow it back to the anemone
and are stung by the anem-
one's tentacles. The anemone
then consumes the fish, and
the clownfish feeds on the
remains.
In addition to other fish, the
clownfish also feeds on
planktonic crustaceans and
algae that live in or grow on
the reef. The clownfish also
eats away debris and nibbles
off the dead tentacles of its
host anemone.
Right: The blackish yellow two-
banded variety, A. akindynos,
swims among the sea anemones,
feeding on planktonic crustaceans
and algae.
~ BREEDING
Clownfish lay their eggs in
batches on the clear coral or
rock adjacent to the anem-
one, or at the base of the
anemone's tentacles. The
male guards the eggs until
they hatch 4-5 days later. In
some species of clownfish,
the male cares for the young
until they reach sexual ma-
turity, at which time they
leave to find their own host
anemone.
Left: The Red
Sea species, A.
bicinctus, is
bright yellow-
orange with two
white bars-one
behind the eye,
the other across
the middle.
Right: Most
clownfish spawn
on coral near
their host
anemone or
within the
anemone itself.
reefs for thousands of years.
But more recently, they have
become extremely popular as
saltwater aquarium fish. The
brightly colored species
command a high price in
Europe and the United States.
Collectors, realizing the
demand, have destroyed many
reefs in search of prime speci-
mens, often damaging or
killing the host anemones in
the process.
. Fortunately, many local
governments have imposed
restrictions on the number of
clownfish that can be taken
from their habitats and the
means by which they can be
taken. And, because clownfish
are a big attraction with
snorkelers and scuba divers,
the tourist industry has an
interest in protecting them and
ensuring that they be allowed
to live and breed safely on the
reef.
ANGELFISH
ORDER
Perciformes
FAMILY
Pomacanthidae
GROUP 4: FISH
GENUS & SPECIES
Pomacanthus
Angelfish are among the most colorful of marine animals.
Coral reefs, found in tropical seas around the world,
are their natural habitat.
KEY FACTS
SIZES
Length: Up to 2 ft. but usually
much smaller.
BREEDING
Little is known about the breeding
habits of angelfish in the wild, and
they do not breed well in captivity.
Probably spawn as pairs, produc-
ing hundreds of eggs.
LIFESTYLE
Habit: Active by day, either
solitary, in pairs, or in small groups.
Diet: Algae, worms, shellfish, and
sponges.
Lifespan: Unknown in wild.
RELATED SPECIES
There are 74 angelfish species.
Their closest relatives are the
similar butterflyfish (family
Chaetodontidae), including the
forceps fish Forcipiger /ongirostris.
Range of the angelfish.
DISTRIBUTION
Angelfish are found throughout the world in tropical and
subtropical shallow seas, usually on coral reefs.
CONSERVATION
Despite collection for aquaria, angelfish are in no direct
danger from man. However, in areas such as the Caribbean,
pollution and coastal development pose a considerable
threat to their coral reef habitat.
COLORFUL ANGELFISH VARIETIES
Pterophyllum:
Freshwater
ornamental
species bred for
its long fins.
Blue-lipped: Flat-
bodied with black
fin; eats plant
material.
~ ,
MCMXCI IMP BVIIMP INC WILDLIFE FACT FILETM PRINTED IN U.S.A
Blue: Body, fins,
and gills edged
with blue; plant-
eating.
0160200061 PACKET 6
Angelfish are a favorite subject of underwater
photographers, but little is actually known about their
behavior. In many ways they are unique,
changing their color, even their sex-
as they mature.
HABITAT
The angelfish is so brilliantly
colored it seems unlikely that
it could escape the attention
of predators. Some people
have assumed that the
colorful angelfish in home
aquariums are a special
breed-that angelfish in the
wild are drab and dull-
colored. But in fact all
angelfish have bright colors
and distinct markings.
Angelfish are found on
coral reefs in tropical and
subtropical seas throughout
the world. Of the seventy-
four different species of
angelfish, the blue-lipped,
emperor, and blue angelfish
are among the most colorful
(see back cover).
Above: Angelfish Holacanthus
berrnudensis ona Florida reef.
DID YOU KNOW?
The markings on some
young angelfish look like
Arabic script. In Zanzibar,
an angelfish was spotted
that supposedly had
"There is no God but
Allah" written on one side,
and "A warning sent from
Allah" on the other.
Some angelfish have
markings near their fins
that resemble eyes, called
eyespots, that confuse
predators and keep them
away from the fish's head.
In some species of angel-
fish, such as the emperor
angelfish, the young fish
have different markings
than the adults.
Right: A blue-girdled angelfish
Euxiphipops navarchus.
BREEDING
One of the most unusual
things about reef-dwelling fish
is the way many species,
including certain angelfish,
change sex as they grow. Most
often it is the mature females
who change into fully function-
ing males. In some species, the
change in sex is automatic; in
others, the change is circum-
BEHAVIOR
On the rich feeding grounds
of the reef, most angelfish can
find enough food within a
relatively small area. Singly or
in groups, fish will often
jealously defend their feeding
grounds against others of the
same species. They flaunt
themselves so that the intrud-
ers recognize their distinctive
markings and retreat without
a confrontation.
Some angelfish, such as the
blue-and-gold dwarf angel-
fish, Centropyge bic%r, claim
territory within a small, algae-
rich area of the reef. They live
in family groups dominated
by a single male. Other family
groups are kept out of the
territory-partly by the ag-
gressive behavior of the male
stantial.
A static group consists of a
single male and his harem of
females. The largest and old-
est female, however, changes
sex and takes over his position
once he dies, defending the
group and fertilizing the eggs.
Little is known about the
spawning behavior of angel-
and partly because of the
warning indicated by the
group's bright coloration.
It has been suggested that
the bright markings of many
angelfish act as camouflage,
enabling them to blend in
with their surroundings. But
according to most scuba
divers, an angelfish is visible
for many yards through the
clear water.
Since its bright coloration
does not protect it from
predators in all cases, the
angelfish is also able to slip
into tight crevices out of
reach of its predators. Its
deep, flattened body has de-
veloped partly as an adapta-
tion allowing it to squeeze
into narrow spaces.
fish. The spawning (producing
or depositing eggs) of most
reef fishes takes place above
the reef. The male and female
dash toward the ocean
surface, shed the eggs and
sperm, then dive back to the
shelter of the coral. The
fertilized eggs float off in the
currents, away from reef
FOOD &: FEEDING
Many species, such as the
dwarf angelfish, are primarily
plant eaters. They scrape algae
off rocks with fine, brushlike
teeth. This activity also helps
keep the algae in check.
Larger species such as the
emperor angelfish Pomacan-
thus imperator, eat shrimp,
worms, and shellfish. They
have strong, beaklike jaws with
which to crush prey. Some an-
predators.
The larvae that hatch from the
eggs may drift off into the open
sea, either to die or to settle on
another reef. Only a small
proportion survive to maturity.
Below: The blue angelfish
Porn acanthus sernicirculatus.
gelfish species have protrud-
ing mouths which allow them
to probe for food in crevices
between the corals.
Occasionally, an angelfish
will eat parts of a coral polyp
-one of the tiny, anemone-
like colonial animals that are
part of the reef-and seems
to be unaffected by the
stinging cells in the polyp's
tentacles.
CICHLID
ORDER
Perciformes
FAMILY
Cichlidae
GENUS
Various
Popular as tropical aquarium fish, cichlids are famous for
their courtship displays and their devotion to their young. But in
the wild, the cichlids have some even more unusual habits.
KEY FACTS
SIZES
Length: 4-12 in., but some
predatory species up to 21/2 ft.
BREEDING
Spawning season: Varies
according to species and
location.
No. of eggs: Up to several
hundred.
Hatching period: 3-5 days.
LIFESTYLE
Habit: Form schools until the
males adopt breeding territories.
The territories are later aban-
doned and the schools reform.
Diet: Varies according to species.
RELATED SPECIES
Cichlids are members of the vast
Perciformes order of perch like fish,
relatives of the mud-skippers and
the fighting fish.
Range of the cichlid.
DISTRIBUTION
Except for t wo species found on the coasts of south India
and Sri Lanka, cichlids are freshwater inhabitant s of lakes and
rivers in Africa and tropical Central and South America.
CONSERVATION
Pollution, water management schemes, and the introduct ion
of new species threaten their often specialized habitats.
Collection for aquari ums does li ttle harm to t heir numbers.
SOME DIFFERENT SPECIES OF CICHLID
Te/amaloehromis rittalus: A "crevice dweller,"
its narrow body is adapted to searching for
food in the crevices between rocks.
Lapidoehromis vellieans: A carnivorous bottom-
dweller, its narrow, sharp teeth pull shrimp and
aquatic insects out of the crevices in the seabed.
Large eyes help identify prey.
MCMXCI IMP BV/ IMP INC WILDLIFE FACT FILETM
Hap/oehromis maerosloma: One of many species of
predator that use vicious tactics such as biting
scales, or even chunks, off other fish.
An/onoeara nyssae: A mouth-brooder-once the
eggs are laid and the male has released sperm into a
pit, the female gathers the eggs and sperm into her
mouth for fertili zation.
PRINTED IN U.S.A. 0160200301 PACKET 30
Cichlid species are constantly
evolving. Over millions of years, the
cichlids of East Africa have evolved into a
huge range of more than 600 different species
with every conceivable lifestyle. Yet they all share
a loyalty to their partners and young-
this is characteristic of their family.
HABITAT
Nearly all the 1,000 species
of cichlid fish live in lakes and
rivers in Central and South
America and Africa, and more
than half occur in East Africa's
great lakes.
There have been many
climatic changes affecting
these lakes over millions of
years. The water levels have
decreased several times,
exposing ridges on lake beds
and forming many smaller
lakes. It is likely that many
species of cichlid evolved to
survive the special conditions
of the isolated pools.
The cichlid has little com-
petition from other fish in
these lakes, so it has diver-
sified into a variety of closely
related but distinct species to
fill every niche in the eco-
system. Nearly 300 species of
the family Haplochromis live
in Lake Victoria-and each
species has its own feeding
and breeding habits.

Territorial when breeding, the
male claims a small section of
the lake bed. Boundary dis-
putes between territorial
neighboring males are settled
by threats. Glowing with
heightened color, the male
will patrol the area with fins
bristling, ready to attack any
intruder. Soon the males
respect each other's bound-
aries and neither one will pass
through the other's.
For a nest, the male cichlid
cleans large stones to receive
eggs or digs a breeding pit in
Left: The bright colors of many
cichlid species make them popular
aquarium fish.
DID YOU KNOW?
Mating cichlids often stay
together longer than neces-
sary to raise young-this is a
unique bond among fish.
Some cichlids have devel-
oped into predators of their
mouth-brooding relatives,
harassing the parent fish
until it coughs up its brood
the gravel, pushing the soil to
the boundary to make a
shallow protective wall. Then
he attracts a mate with a
graceful and vibrant color
display.
The parents take turns
guarding the fertilized eggs,
fanning them constantly with
their fins to keep water
flowing through the clutch.
This oxygenates the eggs and
helps prevent infection. When
the fry are newly hatched, the
parents guard them closely.
At first the fry lie in the nest
cavity, but they soon move
around as the parents watch
carefully. At night a parent
of eggs or fry.
The cichlid Haplochromis
livingstonii preys on scaveng-
ing fish by pretending to
be dead. The scavenger is
lured by the prospect of a
meal, and when it comes
close enough, the cichlid
eats the would-be predator.
often gathers them up in its
mouth to protect them.
Some female cichlids use
their mouths as nests, gath-
ering and holding the eggs
and sperm there to fuse and
develop into fry.
FOOD &: FEEDING
Isolated in lakes, various cich-
lids have evolved in different
ways to survive on a variety of
food sources.
The more placid cichlids
only eat vegetation. Some
have rows of small rasping
teeth for scraping algae off
rocks; others have bladelike
teeth for shearing through the
stems of water plants. Some
Left: Male cichlids use their
strong jaws and lips to defend
their territory.
Above: The Below:
fry of species Cichlids use
that are not breeding pits
mouth- or slabs of
brooders feed specially
on their par- cleaned stones
ents'mucus to receive the
secretions. eggs.
cichlid species filter micro-
scopic plants from the water
by using their gills as strainers.
Carnivorous species use their
protruding, needlelike teeth as
tweezers to pluck shrimp and
aquatic insects out of crevices.
In contrast, another species
has flattened teeth that crush
the shells of mussels and
snails. Predatory cichlids have
large mouths and strong,
pointed teeth to catch and
eat other fish.
CARD 16
WELS CATFISH
ORDER
Siluriformes
.... FAMILY
~ Siluridae
GENUS fir SPECIES
Silurus glanis
The freshwater Wels catfish nightly patrols the
weed beds and the rim of its murky lake or river home.
It is a danger to all unsuspecting smaller fish.
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KEY FACTS
SIZES
Length: Averages 5 ft., but can
grow to 16 ft.
Weight: About 200 lb.; largest
over 700 lb.
BREEDING
Sexual maturity: 4-5 years.
Spawning season: May to July.
No. of eggs laid: 100,000-
370,000.
LIFESTYLE
Habit: Solitary; nocturnal.
Diet: Fish, small mammals,
reptiles, and birds.
Lifespan: Up to 15 years.
RELATED SPECIES
The only other species found in
Europe, Silurus aristotelis, is found
in southern Greece. It can reach a
length of 6 ft . and weigh as much
as 350 lb.
Range of the Wels catfish.
DISTRIBUTION
Once confined mainly to eastern Europe, the Wels catfish's
range now extends into western Europe and England. It is
also found in brackish waters of the Baltic and Caspian seas.
CONSERVATION
The Wels catfish is not an endangered species.
FEATURES OF THE WELS CATFI SH Body: Broad at head; flattens toward
back. Usually a brown-green color.
Tail lin
: Scaleless (the reason these
catfi sh are someti mes call ed "naked"
catfish).
Head: Flat with broad mouth; many tiny
teeth form brushli ke pads that grip and
hold food in the fish' s large jaws.
Dorsal fin
I0MCMXCI IMP BV/IMP INC WILDLIFE FACT FILETM PRINTED IN U.S.A. 0160200181 PACKET 18
The huge Wels catfish feeds
mainly on live fish. It also eats
small mammals, amphibians, and birds
that might be in the water. But catfish
sometimes scavenge for carrion,
so sport fishermen use animal meat as bait.
BREEDING
The Wels catfish spawns from
May to July, depositing its
eggs under weed beds. First,
the male digs a shallow hole
Right: Of the
thousands of
eggs laid, only
a small
number will
survive to
maturity.
with his nose, then the
female lays her eggs in the
hole. She can produce from
100,000 to 370,000 eggs,
FOOD & HUNTING
On its nightly hunting trips the
adult catfish stalks and catches
live fish, including the young
of other catfish. It uses its long-
est pair of whiskerlike barbels
(feelers) to forage along the
muddy bottom for small inver-
tebrates.
depending on her size.
The male guards the eggs for
two to four days, until the
young hatch. Then the black
Fish is the Wels catfish's
basic diet, though it also eats
water voles, ducklings, frogs,
and crayfish. Sometimes it
will surface to gulp down
swimming amphibians, birds,
and even small mammals in
the water.
tadpole-shaped fry (young
fish) fend for themselves.
They feed mainly on tiny
invertebrates.
Right: Close-
up of catfish
head showing
the barbels, or
feelers, on its
top and
bottom jaws.
Left: The Wels
catfish,
sometimes
called the
European
catfish, is
popular with
fishermen.
& MAN
In Eastern Europe catfish are
an important commercial
fish. They are caught in nets,
in large traps, or even on
baited lines.
In some areas the fish are
successfully farmed because
they are content to live in an
artificial environment where
food is readily available. Un-
der these favorable condi-
tions they grow rapidly and
reach a marketable size
quickly. Their meat is eaten
fresh, salted, or smoked.
Catfish are also a popular
sport fish in several European
countries.
HABITS
The Wels catfish feeds mainly
at night. It rests during the
day in the shelter of over-
hanging or weedy banks, or
on the muddy bottom of
deeper water in slow rivers
and muddy lakes.
It prefers to spend its time
in an almost static position.
It never jumps, although it
sometimes rolls just under
the surface.
A loner, the catfish
establishes and defends its
territory. However, food-rich
waters can support several
catfish in the same area.
DID YOU KNOW?
In Asia "walking" catfish
have lunglike organs that let
them breathe on land. They
can pull themselves along on
land with their fins.
There are more than 2,000
species of catfish, from 30
families. They vary in size
from smaller than a half inch
to 16 feet.
Only two families of marine
catfish exist: Plotosidae and
Aridae. The Aridae male
carries the fertilized eggs in
his mouth for as long as two
months and does not eat
during this time.
COMMON STURGEON
ORDER
Acipenseriformes
.... FAMILY
~ Acipenseridae
""" CARD 17
GROUP 4: FISH
GENUS & SPECIES
Acipenser sturio
The common sturgeon has changed very little since
the age of the dinosaurs. At that time its ancestors were
among the most abundant fish in the seas.
KEY FACTS
SIZES
Length: Male, 3-5 ft. Female, 4-7 ft.
Can reach over 11 ft.
Weight: Up to 600 lb.
BREEDING
Sexual maturity: Male, 7-9 years.
Female, 8-14 years.
Spawning season: May to June.
Eggs: Up to 2.5 million.
Hatching time: 3-7 days.
LIFESTYLE
Habit: Migratory. Bottom living.
Diet: Crustaceans, polychaete
worms, mollusks, and small fish.
lifespan: 100 years or more.
RELATED SPECIES
Closest relative: Acipenser
oxyrhynchus, in the northwest
Atlantic. Other relatives: A. fulves-
cens, lake sturgeon; Huso huso,
beluga; and H. dauricus, kaluga.
Range of the common sturgeon.
DISTRIBUTION
The adult common sturgeon is found in the Black Sea and its
associated rivers, the northern Mediterranean, and the
northeast Atlantic coast from Morocco to Norway.
CONSERVATION
Fishing, pollution, and obstructions across spawning rivers
have greatly reduced the sturgeon's population. It has
become rare within all but the eastern portion of its range.
LlFECYClE AND FEATURES OF THE COMMON STURGEON
1 Roe (eggs): In
early summer a
female spawns
more than two
million roe, each
less than a tenth of
an inch long. They
stick to the river
bed and hatch in
three to seven
days.
Barbels: Sensitive feelers below the
snout detect prey on the river or sea
bed. The mouth then extends like a
tube to scoop up prey.
2 'fhe newly hatched larva is
about a third of an inch long. It
feeds from an attached yolk sac.
3 Within six months to a year
the fry (young fish) develops a
primitive mouth and barbels
(see below).
Scutes: Rows of bony plates, called
scutes, lie along the sturgeon's back,
flanks, and belly. The scutes may once
have protected the sturgeon's ancestors
from predators.
~
e
e
4 The sturgeon develops in fresh
water for three years before swim-
ming to the sea, where it stays until
it becomes sexually mature.
The common sturgeon is one
of the largest fish to use rivers and
lakes for breeding grounds. Some
sturgeons grow to several yards in length
and may outlive humans. Widespread
commercial fishing has left few of
these older and larger specimens.
~ HABITS
The common sturgeon is a
bottom-dwelling fish, spend-
ing much of its time inshore,
where the seabed is 50 to 150
feet deep. It is the only
European sturgeon that can
live in full salt water as well as
in the brackish (mixed salt and
fresh) water of estuaries. After
spawning in fresh water, some
adult sturgeons remain near
the mouths of their breeding
rivers, while others travel more
than 600 miles throughout the
seas of their range.
Pollution and the dams and
weirs that obstruct spawning
rivers have taken their toll on
the sturgeon population.
While the common sturgeon
remains fairly numerous in
the Black Sea between Turkey
and the Soviet Union, it is
now a rare visitor to the
northern European coast.
Only a few are caught in
British waters, for example.
In southwestern Europe the
sturgeon is concentrated in
just a few places, such as
around the French Gironde
estuary and the mouth of the
Guadalquivir River in Spain.
Right: Sturgeons now rarely
reach the size of specimens found
in the days before overfishing.
Left: The
mouth of the
common
sturgeon can
project
outward to
form a sucking
tube that
scoops up prey
from the sea-
or riverbed.
The touch-
sensitive
barbels under
its snout help
it to detect the
prey.
DID YOU KNOW?
In some areas, such as the
Gironde estuary in France,
young sturgeons grow faster
than average. There, the
young fish reach about 15
l
inChes in their first year.
Sturgeons were once so
plentiful in North America
that dishes of caviar were
~ BREEDING
In March or April, adult com-
mon sturgeons enter river
mouths and begin swimming
upstream. Some fish remain in
the lower sections of the rivers,
but others make their way 300
or more miles inland. In the
past, when the rivers were
more habitable, the common
sturgeon spawned as far as
600 miles from the sea.
Spawning occurs in May and
June. Each female produces a
vast number of eggs-up to
2.5 million. The sticky roe
provided free in bars.
In the Black and Caspian
seas the beluga have been
known to reach 16 feet in
length.
More than 12,000 tons
of sturgeon are caught
every year in the Black and
Caspian seas.
(eggs) adhere to stones or
plants on the river bed, and
the adult returns to the sea.
The eggs hatch in three to
seven days, depending on
water temperature. The
larvae, abou,t a third of an
inch long at first, grow stead-
ily-to about four inches in
the first year. They continue
to develop in fresh water for
up to three years before
leaving for the sea, where
they remain until mature
enough to spawn.
~ FOOD &: FEEDING
The sturgeon forages for food
on the seabed, using its long,
shovel-shaped snout to root
around in the mud and sand.
Four sensitive barbels (feelers)
under its snout feel for edible
morsels.
For its size, the common
sturgeon feeds on fairly small
prey: mainly invertebrates
~ STURGEON &: MAN
Commercial fishing increas-
ingly threatens the common
sturgeon. Fishermen hunt the
sturgeon for both its flesh
and its roe, which is proc-
essed to become caviar.
After the roe is taken from
the body of a mature female,
it is soaked in brine, then
pressed, packed in contain-
ers, and exported as a lUXUry
food. Commercial fishing is
still a major industry in the
Soviet Union and around the
Black and Caspian seas.
such as mollusks, worms, and
shrimp. A larger adult will also
eat small fish such as gobies
and sand eels. During its
spawning trips up rivers, the
sturgeon does not eat at all.
The fry (young fish) devel-
oping in the rivers feed on
freshwater prey, such as insect
larvae and aquatic worms.
CARP
ORDER
Cypriniformes
FAMILY
Cyprinidae
CARD 18
K
GROUP 4: .; ..
GENUS &: SPECIES
Cyprinus carpio
The carp is a highly adaptable freshwater fish. It was once found
only in Asia, but it is now common throughout much of the world.
KEY FACTS
SIZES
Length: Average 30 in.
Weight: Average 20 lb., but in
rare instances females can reach
90 lb.
BREEDING
Sexual maturity: 2-3 years.
Spawning: April to July.
No. of eggs: Up to 2,000,000
from a 20-lb. fish.
Hatching period: 6-10 days.
LIFESTYLE
Habit: Extremely cautious; lives
in small schools.
Diet: Worms, shrimps, water
snails, freshwater mussels, aquatic
insects, nymphs, some vegetable
matter.
lifespan: 20-25 years in the wild.
RELATED SPECIES
There are about 2,500 species of
Cypriniformes. Goldfish and roach
are in the same order.
FEATURES OF THE CARP
Carp avoid clear, fast-flowing
waters and shady or cold areas.
Instead, they prefer shallow, sun-
lit waters with plentiful mu and
plant growth on the botto .
MCMXCI IMP BV/I MP INC WILDLIFE FACT FILETM
Range of the carp.
DISTRIBUTION
Originally native to Japan, China, and Central Asia, the carp
has been introduced into most of Europe and North America,
as well as in parts of Africa, Australia, and New Zealand.
CONSERVATION
Carp breed so successfully wherever they have been intro-
duced that they have reached plaguelike proportions in some
countries, destroying stocks of pike and trout.
PRINTFn IN II S A PAr.KFT 14
Most carp are plain colored
and have greenish brown sides and
blue backs. But the valued and
exotic koi carp that are bred in Japan are
brilliantly colored in contrast to their
common carp relatives.

Carp mate in shallow water
from April to june. A single
20-pound female can lay up
to 2,000,000 eggs. She us-
ually places them on the
leaves of aquatic plants.
The fry (young fish) hatch
FOOD &: FEEDING
Carp use the four barbels
(threadlike growths that
function as organs of touch)
located around their mouths
to find food in the soft mud
of the riverbed. They eat
worms, shrimp, water snails,
freshwater mussels, aquatic
insects, nymphs, and water
lilies and other plant matter.
Occasionally carp rise to
the water's surface to feed on
aquatic insects. Carp make a
characteristic slurping noise
Right: A
bottom-feeding
fish, the carp
uses the four
barbels, or
touch organs,
around its
mouth to feel
in the mud for
worms and
other prey.
within 6 tol 0 days, and they
tend to remain in shallow
water near the riverbank. At
this stage the young are ex-
tremely vulnerable to attack
from most other fish, includ-
ing their parents.
as they ingest air and water
along with their prey.
Carp do not have true
teeth. Instead, they use their
throats like grinders to crush
the shells of water snails and
mussels. The carp then eject
the shell fragments and
swallow the flesh.
Right: Carp prefer the food-rich,
muddy shallows of slow-moving
waters and lay their eggs there
in early summer after mating
near the surface.

Carp live mainly in large riv-
ers, although they can also be
found in most fresh waterways.
They prefer shallow, slow-
moving water in areas that
have an abundance of aquatic
plant life.
Carp live in small groups
DID YOU KNOW?
The age of a carp can be
determined by counting the
rings on its scales; each ring
indicates a spawning year.
In the Soviet Union, carp
have been selectively cross-
bred to grow at a faster rate;
they gain 9 pounds a year.
japanese carp breeders
claim that some koi, a type of
carp, are 200 years old.
rather than in schools. They
spend much of the time
lurking in the weeds at the
bottom of riverbeds. On hot
afternoons they rise to the
surface to bask in the sun. At
night they emerge from the
weeds to search for food.
Carp were introduced into
central Africa to provide food
for European expatriates.
In Eastern Europe, carp are
often served as the traditional
main course at Christmas
dinner.
At the palace of Versailles in
France, carp have been
taught to pull bell ropes to
indicate that they are hungry.
CARP&:MAN
Of all fish, the carp has had
the longest association with
man. It has long been used
for food, as an ornament, and
as sport for fishermen. Aris-
totle made the earliest known
reference to them in 550 B.C.
Since that time carp have
been introduced to countries
throughout the world.
Carp have been selectively
bred as ornamental fish for
Left: On a hot
day, carp may
be seen at the
surface of the
water, basking
in the sunlight.
thousands of years. The
japanese have bred the carp
most successfully. They pro-
duce a variety known as the
koi carp. The koi are brilliantly
colored fish and may be black
and red, pure white, white
with a red mark on the head,
black and white, black and
orange, or blue. They are con-
sidered to be extremely
valuable.
ANGLER
""'--------- ... ORDER ... FAMILY
"1IIIIIIII Lophiiformes "1IIIIIIII Lophiidae
GROUP 4: FISH
GENUS &: SPECIES
Lophius piscatorius
The angler is one of the ugliest fish in the sea, and
one of the most efficient predators, since it relies on
its victim's curiosity to lure it to its doom.
KEY FACTS
- - ~ - - - - - ~ - - - - - - - - ~ . - - - ~ - - ~ ~ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
SIZES
Length: Up to 6 ft.
Weight: Up to 90 lb.
BREEDING
Spawning: Spring and early
summer.
No. of eggs: Unknown, but
probably over a million, enclosed
in a single egg mass.
LIFESTYLE
Habit: Solitary, bottom-dwelling.
Diet: Smaller fish that feed near
the seabed.
Lifespan: Unknown.
RELATED SPECIES
There are 215 species of angler,
found mostly in warm waters and
including deep-sea anglers such
as the Atlantic football fish,
Himant%phus groen/andicus.
FEATURES OF THE ANGLER
Range of the angler.
DISTRIBUTION
Coastal waters off Europe and northwest Africa (including
the Mediterranean) from six feet to a quarter mile below the
low tide line.
CONSERVATION
Although occasionally caught and sold in fish markets, the
angler is not regarded as an important commercial species,
and is in no danger of extinction.
Fish lure:
Tipped with a
flap of skin and
wiggled to make
it look like a
small fish. The
lure has evolved
from the dorsal
Camouflage: Irregular fleshy flaps
break the outline of the angler and ?
help hide the fish when it is lying ,on
the bottom. Its coloring also hetps it
blend in with the seabed.
,Body: The rear part of the body is
almost never used and thus has
atrophied (shrunk in size). The huge
head and mouth replace the need '
for the fish to move at great speed
when catching its prey.
MCMXCIIMP BV/I MP INC WILDLIFE FACT FILETM PRINTED IN U.S.A. 0160200221 PACKET 22
The angler has perfected the art of ambush.
It lies motionless on the seabed, half-buried
in mud and sand, and lures passing fish
into its cavernous mouth with the aid of
a specially adapted fin on top of its head,
which it uses like a fishing rod.
~ HABITS
Unlike other fish, the angler
does not expend a lot of
energy chasing its prey.
Instead, this fish lurks in am-
bush, without twitching a
muscle, and gulps down its
victims when they swim too
close. Its success at catching
prey depends upon its good
camouflage as well as its
perfect timing.
The angler's body is perfect-
Iy adapted to life on the
seabed, where it spends
nearly all its time waiting for
prey. It is fringed and flat-
tened, with small flaps of skin
that look like strands of sea-
weed. These mask its outline
and make the angler almost
invisible as it lies motionless
and half-buried in the sand.
The angler spends much of
its life immobile and requires
~ BREEDING
In spring and early summer
anglers stir from the seabed
and swim into deep water. In
the north Atlantic they move
into waters over a mile deep,
but instead of following the
ocean floor they stay near the
surface to spawn (breed).
The eggs are laid in great
little oxygen, so it has relatively
small gills and gill openings.
It also has little need for pow-
erful swimming muscles; as a
result, the hind part of the
angler's body is shrunken-
the fish is little more than a
vast mouth with fins. The
largest of the angler's fins are
the fleshy pectorals, which the
angler uses to propel itself
across the ocean floor.
numbers, encased within a
huge ribbonlike sheet of jelly,
which may be as much as 30
feet in length and six feet in
width. The sheet drifts on sur-
face currents until the young
are ready to hatch.
When the angler fish larvae
first hatch, they swim near
Left: The angler
consumes
virtually
anything that
comes close.
Right: The
angler's enor-
mous mouth
gives it maxi-
mum suction
when capturing
its prey.
~ FOOD & FEEDING
The angler owes its name to its
technique of "fishing" for its
prey. Just above its mouth is a
lure, a long rod tipped with a
fleshy flap of skin. It uses this
lure as bait to attract its prey.
As the angler moves the rod
slowly through the water, the
flap of skin on the end wriggles
like a worm.
Mesmerized by the twitching
DID YOU KNOW?
Anglers are greedy fish,
and those caught in trawl
nets usually have full stom-
achs because they have
gorged themselves on other
fish in the net before being
hauled out of the water.
The flesh of the angler
the surface, feeding on tiny
sea life; when they reach two
to three inches long they
drift down to the seabed to
live.
Male and female anglers
look alike, but in some deep-
sea species, the male is tiny
compared to the female.
lure, the fish swims closer, un-
aware of the well-camouflaged
angler. The angler manipulates
the lure to maneuver its victim
into position directly above its
mouth. Then, with a snap, the
fish is gone.
The angler's strike is faster
than the eye can follow. It
does not leap at its prey, but
simply opens its cavernous
tastes like shrimp. Fish mar-
kets often sell the tail of the
angler, and cut off the head
to avoid scaring customers.
Although anglers usually
feed on the bottom, they oc-
casionally surface, as evi-
denced by an angler that
Anglers breed in a very
unusual way. Instead of fertil -
izing the eggs after they are
laid, the male attaches him-
self to the female's body and
becomes fused to her. He is
nourished by her blood-
stream while she uses his
sperm to fertilize her eggs.
mouth so rapidly that a great
volume of water floods in,
taking the victim with it.
Needle-sharp teeth inside the
angler's mouth make escape
impossible. As the water
clears, the angler swallows its
meal and settles down to wait
for another unwary fish to
swim close to its hiding place
on the seabed.
was once found choked to
death on a seagull.
Deep-sea anglers attract
their prey in the same way
as their shallow-water
relatives, but because the
ocean depths are dark, they
have luminous lures.
NORTHERN PIKE
The pike's drab coloring and good vision are adaptations to life as
an underwater predator. It is well camouflaged as it hides in the
weeds, and it can spot prey as for as SO feet away.
KEY FACTS
SIZES
Length: Females, up to 5 ft. Males
are smaller.
Weight: Males, rarely more than
11 lb. Females, up to 55 lb.
BREEDING
Spawning season: March and
April.
No. of eggs: 40,000-500,000.
Hatching time: 2-3 weeks.
LIFESTYLE
Habit: Predatory; ambushes prey
rather than hunting actively.
Diet: Mainly other small fish. Will
also eat young coots and ducks.
Lifespan: Average 7-10 years.
RELATED SPECIES
Relatives of the pike include the
muskellunge, Esox masquinongy;
grass pickerel, E. americanus; and
chain pickerel, E. niger, from North
Americai and black-spotted pike, E.
reicherti, from the Soviet Union.
THE PIKE'S TEETH
The pike's long jaw houses a
mouthful of sharp teeth, designed
to grip the most slippery of fish.
the upper jaw, there are
umerous small teeth-found
even on the roof of the mouth
-which point backwards and
make escape impossible. The
strong teeth in the lower jaw
grow straight.
MCMXCI IMP BV/ IMP INC WILDLIFE FACT FILETM
"Range of the northern pike.
DISTRIBUTION
Throughout Great Britain, except for Hebrides, Orkney, and
Shetland, and throughout Europe except for Spain and
Portugal. Related species are found in the United States and
parts of Asia and the Soviet Union.
CONSERVATION
Pike have few natural enemies, but numbers are kept
balanced by sport fishing and their own cannibalism.
lower jaw teeth
are longer and
strai ghter than the
/ top teeth.
PRINTED IN U.S.A
Upper jaw teeth
slope backwards
so prey cannot
escape.
0160200111 PACKET 11
Although it is one of Europe's most predatory fish,
the pike is not an active hunter. Instead it prefers to hide
in the weeds at the bottom of a lake or stream,
waiting for prey to swim by.
FOOD &: HUNTING
The pike preys mainly on
different types of carp,
although it will eat most
other fish as well, including
roach, rudd, and bream. It
also eats frogs, swimming
voles, rats, and small water
birds such as mallard duck-
lings, moorhens, and coots.
A young pike differs from a
mature pike in that it actively
pursues its prey. It feeds on
water fleas, worms, and young
fish. As it gets older, it catches
prey by remaining motionless,
waiting for an unsuspecting
victim to swim within range.
Its dorsal and anal fins are

Pike are found primarily in
lakes, rivers, and reservoirs.
They prefer deep, calm, or
slow-moving water where the
weeds are fairly dense. They
positioned far back on its
body, which makes it capable
of rapid acceleration.
Prey is detected by sight and
a northern pike can spot a po-
tential meal 50 feet away. It is
thought that vibrations in the
water may also help lead the
pike to its prey.
usually hide in these weeds,
away from the main current.
The fish's coloration varies
according to the waters it
inhabits. The most vividly
Far right: Fins
placed far
back on the
body help the
pike to mo\'e;
quickly.
Below: Shoals
of smaller fish
are common
victims of the
pike.
DID YOU KNOW?
A pike can swallow large
fish because its mouth is
wide and because the prey
passes directly into its long,
straight intestine. Still, it takes
three to five days for its di-
gestion to be completed.
A pike's brain accounts for
colored specimens are found
in clear water. Their mottled
green scales allow them to
blend in with weeds and reed
stems.
Left: Pike wait
on the river
bottom to
ambush prey.
Below: The
pike's eyes are
well placed for
hunting.
less than one thousandth of
its total body weight.
Although the pike is a fairly
indiscriminate feeder, it does
not prey on sticklebacks be-
cause of their sharp spines.
The pike has highly acidic
digest ive juices which can

Pike generally spawn in late
March or early April in reed
beds or in shallow streams.
The number of eggs pro-
duced depends on the size of
the fish. The larger the fish,
the more eggs it produces.
The eggs remain on or just
aboye the bottom of the lake
or stream until they hatch two
to three weeks later. Larvae
feed off the yolk sac for 10
days, until it is completely ab-
sorbed. The young pike are
then ready to hunt for prey.
The pike's voracious appetite
has long put it at odds with
man. Fish farmers net it be-
cause it eats trout and salmon;
gamekeepers kill it because it
eats ducklings. Anglers regard
it as a prize, however, and pike
cc
fishing is now a major sport.
even corrode metal.
A pike said t o have been
caught in 1497 was alleged
to have been 270 years old.
This was proven false when it
was discovered that the skele-
ton was assembled from the
vertebrae of other fish.
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