Carnivorous Fish

Almost all water bodies across the world consist different types of fish and amongst them, there are more than 25,000 species of fish which are identified by the scientists. According to their eating habits, these fish can be further classified in three groups as herbivorous fish, carnivorous fish and omnivorous fish. The herbivorous fish eat algae, plants and plant-based substances which grow inside the water; the carnivorous fish, on the other hand relies entirely upon the flesh or meat of a living organism. While the omnivorous fish can survive on flesh as well as the plants.

Carnivorous Fish List

Most types of fish fall under the category of carnivorous fish. Their diet consists of meat of a live or a dead living organism.These fish have very small feeding quotient of meat, but as they are meat eaters, they are considered as carnivorous fish. Some of the most famous types we recognize are the sharks, the barracudas and moray eels, which are saltwater fish. We are also aware about the infamous piranha which is a carnivorous fish that lives in the amazon. But apart from these, there are many other types living in various water bodies across the world! Not all of them are as deadly as the mentioned above, but they are surely come in the list of carnivorous fish!

• Arowana fish
• Aacara fish
• Angler fish
• Apistogramma fish
• Archerfish
• Banjo Catfish
• Bass fish
• Betta fish
• Black knife fish
• Bichir fish
• Cardinal fish
• Carp fish
• Electric Catfish
• Dottybacks
• Frontosa
• Gramma fish
• Guppies
• Grouper fish
• Halfbeak fish
• Hatchet fish
• Hamlet fish
• Hawkfish
• Killifish
• Marlin fish
• Oscar fish
• Pencilfish
• Piranha fish
• Rosy Red Minnows
• Salmon fish
• Scorpionfish
• Puffer fish
• Porcupinefish
• Pipefish
• Sea Basses
• Sharks
• Snapper fish
• Soldierfish
• Squirrelfish
• Tilapia fish
• Trigger fish
• Tuna fish
• Weather Loach

Freshwater Carnivorous Fish as Pet

Many people are crazy about having these fish types in their freshwater aquariums too. Well, there can be a lot of debate about doing this. As a result, there a lot of restrictions regarding this concept as well. As they are carnivorous, they create a potential threat to the life of their owner as well as their fish tank mates. But as I said earlier, most of the carnivorous fish are not 'that' dangerous. Hence, some smaller types can definitely be added into your freshwater aquarium fish wishlist. A few of the above mentioned fish types like the Betta fish, Dwarf Puffer fish, Rosy Red Minnows, Black Knife fish, Oscar fish, Arowana fish, etc. are good options for the smaller aquariums. There are fish tank enthusiasts, who prefer the other bigger types of carnivorous fish like the barracudas and the smaller species of the moray eels. But these kinds of fish require larger aquariums and adopting them may also require permissions from the local authorities.

Carnivorous Fish Food

One should take a lot of precautions when it comes to the food. They are opportunist predators and hence as a rule of thumb, avoid tank mates that are on the menu of your carnivorous fish. Don't worry! Your pet carnivorous won't hurt his tank mates if you take proper care of its feeding time. There are two types of foods which can be given to these fish - live food and the frozen food. Providing the fish with live food can really excite them as they are natural hunters. Give kelp and/or daphnia to the medium-sized fish while the larger carnivorous fish may require some larger 'trash fish'.

Carnivorous fish types are also a game for the meat items that we humans tend to consume! After you are well aware about the eating habits of your carnivorous fish, you can feed it with cooked meats like beef, ham, lamb, venison, poultry, etc. Make sure these meats are only cooked and are not treated with sauces and other such culinary ingredients! It is very important for you to understand the eating habits of your fish and then adjust the fish food accordingly. If you are not able to provide them with the live food, then you can always go for the frozen fish food, which mainly contains shellfish, various types of shrimp and bloodworm, etc.

If you are aiming for a carnivorous fish aquarium, make sure that you gather all the adequate knowledge about the fish diseases. Along with tracking the normal habits of your fish, you must take all the adequate measures to keep the fish tank clean and hygienic.