Like
most animals, fishes have to find food to eat and at the same
time avoid being eaten by other animals. Fishes defend
themselves in many ways, including swimming away from predators
or blending into the background. Some puff up their bodies so
they can’t be swallowed. Many fishes are also protected by
pointy spines and hard, scaly skin.
Escape
When approached by a predator or some other threat, the first
reaction of most fishes is to swim away. Some try to escape into
open water, others swim to shelter among weeds, or around
submerged rocks or logs.
Camouflage Color
One way fishes hide from their enemies is by camouflage (blending into
the background of their habitat). Sometimes a fish can remain prefectly
still, and if it is the right color and shape, its predator may not see
it, even when they are looking right at it. Camouflage also works the
other way: It makes a predator hard to see as it stalks its prey.
Bottom Feeder
Winter Flounder live on the bottom in saltwater bays and oceans,
blending into the soft mud and sand. Bigger fishes swim by and
don’t notice them at all.
Seaweed Fish
Sargassumfish are colored to match the seaweed that floats where
they live. It protects them from hungry predators, but it also
makes them nearly invisible to prey.
Silent but Deadly
Muskellunge are big fish with enormous appetites. They hide
quietly in grassy areas of fresh water, ready to attack and eat
fishes and frogs that swim by.
Body Armor
Scales are a kind of armor. Some fishes have extremely hard, bony scales
that provide excellent protection. The Longnose Gar has tough
diamond-shaped scales all over its body that protect it from predators.
Pointy Spines
Many fishes have spines to protect them from their enemies.
Spines are sharp bones usually located near the fins or on the
head. Some species have spines that are flat against the body
and can be pointed outward to discourage predators. When
threatened by a predator, the Porcupinefish fills itself with
water and puffs up like a spiky ball. The predator usually swims
away, discouraged and hungry.
