How fishes try to avoid predators

Fishes are delicious. At least herons, kingfishers, mergansers, and all marine birds seem to think so. Marine mammals seem to think so. Minks and bears seem to think so. The big fishes themselves concur. As a taxonomic group, fishes face one of the most diverse arrays of predators imaginable. Threat comes from below and from above, during the day and at night, and at almost all stages of life. Is it any wonder that most fishes – certainly all the small ones – are skittish creatures? When placed in a new environment, most wild fishes cower in nooks and crannies and don’t dare raise a fin. They don’t want to draw the attention of predators.