There are over 60 species of fish within the family Loricarioidea, also known as armored catfish. This catfish belong to the Loricarioidea family of catfish that are all scavengers. Many people know catfish from their aquarium where some Plecostomus species (also known as pleco fish) like the Suckermouth catfish are kept as pets. Catfish are important members of the aquatic food web because they help clean up these habitats by consuming decomposing matter. They use their sensitive barbels (whiskers) to detect food in the water and then vacuum it up with their mouths. Whereas most fish species do not eat dead animals as a major part of their diet, there are a few groups of fish scavengers that get most of their nutrients through fish carrion or detritus.īut keep in mind that these scavengers are just a small portion of all the decomposers and scavenger animals found in the ocean! CatfishĬatfish are scavengers that feed on dead and decaying matter at the bottom of primarily lakes, rivers, and other freshwater habitats. Their exact diet of scavenger fish changes between seasons, as different food types become more abundant and animals die more or less frequently.īut also during their lifetime as they grow bigger and can handle larger food items and are able to deter other scavengers like crabs or lobsters from a popular carcass that was not available to them as juvenile scavengers. Depending on the type of scavenger fish, they primarily eat other fish, small aquatic invertebrates such as molluscs (like squids and octopuses) and crustaceans (crabs and lobsters for example), and even whales and sea birds!ĭead crustaceans including crabs and lobsters.ĭead mammals (seals, whales, sea lions, polar bears). Scavenger fish are mostly carnivores but they may eat a wide variety of organisms, from plankton to plants and animals. Catfish are good examples of fish that are mostly freshwater scavengers. Some opportunistic scavenger fish are also filter feeders, which means that they strain small organisms and dead or decaying plant and animal matter out of the water to eat them. Scavenger fish are mostly carrion eaters, which means that they eat the carcasses of other animals. Like all fish, scavenger fish are cold-blooded, meaning that their internal temperature changes with the surrounding water temperature, but scavenger fish tend to be found in the warmer, tropical waters of the world. Conclusion Habitat and Diet of Scavenger Fishįish that feed as scavengers are found in both freshwater and saltwater habitats. What are some fish that are not scavengers?.
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