Category: Fish
Also called the suckermouth catfish, the common pleco is an armored catfish native tropical northeastern South America and has been introduced to several other countries. The sucker-like structure of their mouth allows them to adhere to surfaces and rasp at food such as algae – this feature endears them to aquarists, who value them as a way to control algal growth in their tanks.
The Oldest Fish in the Sea?
The Greenland Sleeper Shark, the only living species of sub-Arctic shark, is an apex predator only slightly smaller than the great white shark, with an estimated lifespan of 200 years - one of the longest-living vertebrates on the planet. While the Greenland Shark is a slow swimmer, it will eat just about anything: eels, flounders, other sharks, seals - and those are just animals who live in the water! Polar bear remains and even an entire reindeer body have been found inside these sharks! Fortunately, while there are Inuit legends of Greenland sharks attacking kayaks, there have been no reports of human predation. There have been, however many cases of people eating Greenland sharks! Their meat is highly toxic - it will produce effects in your body similar to being extremely drunk, but a fermented version that has been hung out to dry for several weeks is considered a delicacy in Iceland.
Learn more >>
Discover Animals is a web-based educational resource offered by the NAIA
