Do Fish Eat Humans?
Many people around the globe depend on fishes or products that are made from fishes for food and economic value. More than 30,000 different species can be found in Earth’s ocean and bodies of water. Some people kept on wondering if one day fish will hunt down humans the way we hunt them out of that different species.
Do fish eat humans? A single fish eating an entire human being is highly unlikely. But a Great White Shark or a Tiger Shark can eat a person in just several bites. It is also possible that a group of sharks can eat a person or a corpse in the water.
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In this short read, you will find different aquatic species that can possibly eat humans and the science behind it.
Sharks
In a general sense, fish does not eat humans. Even if we are talking about sharks, you will find it shocking despite their scary reputation. They rather feed on fish and other marine mammals. Only a dozen of more than 300 species are involved in attacking humans.
Fish had evolved million years before humans existed, which is why humans are not part of their normal diet. Some predator fish are opportunistic feeders, but most of the time, they feed on smaller fish and invertebrates.
Some even larger ones prey on seals, sea lions, and other marine mammals but not on humans.
For instance, sharks have been known to attack humans when they are curious or confused. If they see people in the water, they will go near and investigate. It can lead to an accidental attack, but sharks have more fear from humans than we do of them.
Piranha
Piranhas are known for their sharp teeth and aggressive appetites, and they inhabit several of the major river basins in South America. They are most commonly known for their taste of meat, and you will find it surprising that they attack humans pretty rare.
Piranhas are essential scavengers and predators in rivers, and they resort to cannibalism if food gets scarce. They also attack local fishers, which is why you can visibly notice some of them have bite scars in their hands.
For the most part, piranhas never kill large animals, and they do avoid people as much as possible. It is a common knowledge that piranhas are attracted to the smell of blood, but they scavenge more than they kill.
Conclusion
Overall, many marine biologist think that it is unlikely for fish to eat humans. The first reason is that a single fish incapable of doing it, though it is a possibility if there are many of them.
Most fish are natural scavengers, and a human body could eventually be consumed by the. If a human body sinks into the deep sea, it will meet the same fate as some whale carcasses.
Contrary to beliefs, they try to eat their kind more than people. They don’t find satisfaction. After all, it was not meant to be in their diet in the first place.
