The largest predator in the ocean. Dangerous and bloodthirsty predators of the oceans. The largest land predators
photo: John ‘K’
sharks
Perhaps the most dangerous predator of the ocean can be called the white shark: this animal brings great fear to people. Sharks lived in the ocean many years before the appearance of man. About 400 species of these animals are known, but the white shark is considered the most dangerous predator. Its powerful teeth, huge weight - about 3 tons and a length of about 6 meters can terrify anyone. The predator has a spindle-shaped body, large fins and a crescent-shaped tail, lives for about 27 years. There are 300 sharp teeth in the oral cavity, the upper jaw is equipped with triangular teeth, and on the lower jaw they acquire a curved shape.
photo: corwinconnect
However, a person is not a "delicacy" for these animals, they prefer to attack those inhabitants who have good fat reserves, for example, fur seals and lions. People are not too interesting for white sharks: they have a lot of muscle tissue and tendons. Sharks attack people for two reasons:
a man flounders in the water, and the predator takes him for easy prey - a sick animal;
the silhouette of a person floating on a surfboard resembles the outlines of other inhabitants of the ocean. Since sharks have poor eyesight, they can make a mistake and mistake the swimmer for simple prey. To make sure the prey is edible, the predator makes a test bite or is limited to a powerful push, but it can also tear the prey to pieces.
photo: Venson Kuchipudi
How the white shark will behave is difficult to predict. Having caught the prey, the shark shakes its head in different directions, which helps it tear the prey to pieces.
Scientists believe that thanks to this animal, the Pacific Ocean is the cleanest, since the shark eats the weakest creatures.
sea anemones
These organisms belong to the class Cnidaria, distinctive feature which is the presence of stinging cells used to protect against predators and for the purpose of attack. Anemones lead a sedentary lifestyle, their length reaches 1 meter in height.
photo:Achim
These predators are attached to the bottom with a special foot called the basal disc or sole. The tentacles of sea anemones, which vary in number from ten to hundreds, contain special cells called cnidocytes. These cells secrete a venom composed of a mixture of toxins designed for hunting and self-defense. The venom contains substances that act on nervous system: paralyze the prey, which allows the predator to pull it closer to the mouth. With the help of venom, anemones immobilize fish and crustaceans, which make up their main diet.
For humans, the poison of stinging cells is not life-threatening, but can cause soreness and burns.
killer whales
These predators belong to the dolphin family, but do not have all the friendly features of these animals. Their nickname is the killer whale, they eat almost all the inhabitants of the oceans: mollusks, fish, mammals. If they have enough food, then killer whales exist quite peacefully with other cetaceans. But if the killer whale gets hungry, a whale, and, and a penguin can become her food.
photo: Nick Johnson
The size of the victim is not special significance: if it is a large animal, killer whales can attack the whole herd. But, when it is not possible to kill the victim in one fell swoop, killer whales can starve it out, biting off a small piece from the body. No one will be protected from the attack of killer whales - neither a small herring, nor a large dolphin.
A flock of these animals works in a strictly debugged mode: when they notice a victim, they become very “silent”.
photo: Sean
They move in even ranks, like soldiers, and each individual has its own task. If a flock of killer whales leads sedentary life, that fish or crustaceans are quite suitable for them to feed. A migrating flock of killer whales may feed on large mammals such as seals and sea lions. They fully justify their nickname - "killer whales".
These are the members of the squad. cephalopods. Octopuses have excellent sense of smell, sight and touch, but they do not hear very well. Octopuses are mobile animals that, with the help of tentacles, capture the victim and immobilize it with the help of a paralyzing poison. Most often, crabs and lobsters become their prey: with the help of their tools, they split their shell and reach the body of the victim. For humans, octopus venom is also dangerous, there are problems with speech, breathing and swallowing. If help does not arrive in time, it can lead to death.
Photo: Neptune Canada
Octopuses are pretty cunning creatures: when the enemy attacks, they seem to throw off their tentacles. The reclined organ wriggles frantically, and the predator focuses directly on it. At this time, the octopus safely crawls away.
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Some deep dwellers would love to feast on us, but most are only dangerous if you attack them first. You can call it the principle of "accidentally stepped, poisoned and died." Who should not be attacked in this case?
Portuguese boat - a whole colony of jellyfish hunting others marine life with long venomous tentacles. The base of the "ship" at this time floats on the surface of the water, but it is easy to miss. Every year they poison several thousand people.
Box jellyfish have long been famous as one of the most dangerous creatures off the coast of Australia. Their tentacles, up to 60 pieces, reach a length of four meters. The poison in some of their species can paralyze a person at one touch and make them choke.
Blue-ringed octopuses are as legendary among mollusks as box jellyfish are among cnidarians. These are the most poisonous creatures in all the oceans of the world, the attack of which leads to paralysis and death.
Great white sharks are much scarier on screen than in real life, but that doesn't make them any less formidable predators. At least 74 unprovoked attacks on people have been recorded, including attacks on fishing boats.
Sea snakes are equipped with stronger toxic poison than their terrestrial relatives - simply because fish are not as sensitive to poison. Their venom, like all asps, has a paralyzing effect. Luckily for humans, they use their weapons mostly for hunting purposes, and when handled carefully, they don't bite.
Lionfish do not waste time on spikes, generously exposing them all over the body. They are quite successful in preying on other fish, capturing even territories that are not needed for the survival of their species. Due to their toxicity and prevalence, lionfish are a real headache for fishermen.
Crocodiles mostly prefer rivers, but their largest representative, the combed crocodile, is not averse to swimming in salt water. Males of this species grow up to seven meters in length and two tons in weight. Aggressive specimens often attack people.
Large barracudas are impressive predators, growing up to two meters in length. Their teeth are considered to be among the sharpest and most painful of all the marine world. Barracudas often follow divers out of sheer curiosity, but rarely attack. Indeed, if this happens, then death guaranteed.
Millepores, aka fire corals, are extremely venomous cnidarians with a deceptively harmless appearance. One touch to them will provide a person with a severe burn, which subsequently develops into an ulcer. It is not fatal, but contact can cause pain shock and loss of consciousness.
Warts, they are stone fish, can boast not only an outstanding appearance, but also a terrible deadly poison! Extremely painful, too. Their back fin contains 12 sharp spines, each of which is equipped with a separate poison sac. Given the habit of warts to rest in shallow water, step on them and get a dose of poison - just spit.
Original taken from billfish561 in Beautiful, but dangerous inhabitants of the seas and oceans.
A lot of creatures live in the sea and ocean waters, meeting with which can cause trouble to a person in the form of injury or even lead to disability or death.
Here I tried to describe the most common inhabitants of the sea, which should be wary of meeting in the water, relaxing and swimming on the beach of some resort or diving.
If you ask any person "... What is the most dangerous inhabitant of the seas and oceans?", then almost always we will hear the answer "... shark.... But is it so? Who is more dangerous, a shark or a seemingly harmless shell?
moray eels
Reaches a length of 3 m and weight - up to 10 kg, but as a rule, individuals are found about a meter long. The skin of the fish is naked, without scales. They are found in the Atlantic and Indian Oceans, are widespread in the Mediterranean and Red Seas. Moray eels live in the bottom layer of water, one might say at the bottom. During the day, moray eels sit in crevices of rocks or corals, sticking their heads out and usually moving them from side to side, looking out for passing prey, at night they get out of their shelters to hunt. Usually moray eels feed on fish, but they attack both crustaceans and octopuses, which are caught from ambush.
Moray eel meat after processing can be eaten. It was especially valued by the ancient Romans.
Moray eels are potentially dangerous to humans. A diver who has become a victim of an moray eel attack always somehow provokes this attack - sticks his hand or foot into the crevice where the moray eel is hiding, or pursues it. The moray eel, attacking a person, inflicts a wound that looks like a barracuda bite mark, but unlike the barracuda, the moray eel does not immediately swim away, but hangs on its victim, like a bulldog. She can cling to the arm with a bulldog death grip, from which the diver cannot be freed, and then he may die.
It is not poisonous, but since moray eels do not disdain carrion, the wounds are very painful, do not heal for a long time and often become inflamed. Hiding among underwater rocks and coral reefs in crevices and caves.
When moray eels begin to feel hungry, they jump out of their shelters with an arrow and grab a victim floating by. Very voracious. Very strong jaws and sharp teeth.
In appearance, moray eels are not very pretty. But they do not attack scuba divers, as some believe, they do not differ in aggressiveness. Isolated cases occur only when moray eels mating season. If the moray eel mistakenly takes a person for a food source or he invades her territory, then she can still attack.
barracudas
All barracuda live in tropical and subtropical waters of the oceans near the surface. There are 8 species in the Red Sea, including the great barracuda. There are not so many species in the Mediterranean Sea - only 4, of which 2 moved there from the Red Sea along Suez Canal. The so-called "malita", which has settled in the Mediterranean Sea, provides the bulk of the entire Israeli catch of barracudas. The most sinister feature of barracudas is the powerful lower jaw, which protrudes far beyond the upper one. The jaws are equipped with formidable teeth: a row of small, razor-sharp teeth dot the jaw on the outside, and inside there is a row of large dagger-like teeth.
The maximum recorded size of a barracuda is 200 cm, weight - 50 kg, but usually the length of a barracuda does not exceed 1-2 m.
She is aggressive and fast. Barracudas are also called "live torpedoes" because they attack their prey with great speed.
Despite such a formidable name and ferocious appearance, these predators are practically harmless to humans. It should be remembered that all attacks on people happened in muddy or dark water, where the moving arms or legs of the swimmer were taken by the barracuda for swimming fish. (It was in this situation that the author of the blog got into in February 2014, when he was vacationing in Egypt, the Oriental Bay Resort Marsa Alam 4 + * (now called Aurora Oriental Bay Marsa Alam Resort 5*) Marsa Gabel el Rosas Bay . Medium-sized barracuda, 60-70 cm, almost bit off the 1st f alangu index finger on the right hand. A piece of a finger dangled on a 5mm piece of skin (dive gloves saved from complete amputation). At the Marsa Alam clinic, the surgeon put 4 stitches and saved the finger, but the rest was completely ruined ). In Cuba, the reason for attacking a person was shiny objects such as watches, jewelry, knives. It will not be superfluous if the shiny parts of the equipment are painted in a dark color.
The sharp teeth of the barracuda can damage the arteries and veins of the limbs; in this case, the bleeding must be stopped immediately, since the loss of blood can be significant. In the Antilles, barracudas are more feared than sharks.
Jellyfish
Every year, millions of people are exposed to "burns" from contact with jellyfish while swimming.
There are no especially dangerous jellyfish in the waters of the seas washing the Russian coast, the main thing is to prevent contact of these jellyfish with mucous membranes. In the Black Sea, it is easiest to meet such jellyfish as Aurelia and Cornerot. They are not very dangerous, and their "burns" are not very strong.
Aurelia "butterflies" (Aurelia aurita)
Medusa Cornerot (Rhizostoma pulmo)
Only in the Far Eastern seas lives enough dangerous for humans jellyfish "cross", the poison of which can even lead to the death of a person. This small jellyfish with a pattern in the form of a cross on an umbrella causes severe burns at the point of contact with it, and after a while causes other disorders in the human body - difficulty breathing, numbness of the limbs.
Jellyfish-cross (Gonionemus vertens)
the consequences of the burn of the jellyfish-cross
The farther south, the more dangerous the jellyfish. In coastal waters canary islands careless bathers are waiting for a pirate - "Portuguese boat" - very beautiful jellyfish with red crest and multi-colour bubble sail.
portuguese boat (Physalia physalis)
The "Portuguese boat" looks so harmless and beautiful in the sea ... 
And so, the leg looks like after contact with the "Portuguese boat" ....
Many jellyfish live in the coastal waters of Thailand.
But the real scourge for bathers is the Australian "sea wasp". She kills with a light touch of multi-meter tentacles, which, by the way, can wander on their own without losing their deadly qualities. You can pay for your acquaintance with the "sea wasp" in best case severe "burns" and lacerations, at worst - life. From the jellyfish "sea wasp" died more people than from sharks. This jellyfish lives in the warm waters of the Indian and Pacific Oceans, especially numerous off the coast of Northern Australia. The diameter of her umbrella is only 20-25 mm, but the tentacles reach a length of 7-8 m and they contain poison, similar in composition to cobra venom, but much stronger. A person touched by a "sea wasp" with its tentacles usually dies within 5 minutes.
Australian cubic (box) jellyfish or "sea wasp"
(Chironex fleckeri)
sting from jellyfish "sea wasp"
Aggressive jellyfish also live in the Mediterranean and other waters of the Atlantic - the "burns" caused by them are stronger than the "burns" of the Black Sea jellyfish, and they cause allergic reactions more often. These include cyanide ("hairy jellyfish"), pelagia ("little lilac sting"), chrysaora (" sea nettle") and some others.
jellyfish Atlantic cyanide (Cyanea capillata)
Pelagia (Noctiluca), known in Europe under the name "purple sting"
Pacific sea nettle (Chrysaora fuscescens)
Medusa "Compass"
(coronatae)
Jellyfish "Compass" have chosen their place of residence coastal waters the Mediterranean Sea and one of the oceans - the Atlantic. They live off the coast of Turkey and the United Kingdom. These are quite large jellyfish, their diameter reaches thirty centimeters. They have twenty-four tentacles, which are arranged in groups of three each. The color of the body is yellowish-white with a brown tint, and its shape resembles a saucer-bell, in which thirty-two lobes are defined, which are colored brown along the edges.
The upper surface of the bell has sixteen V-shaped brown rays. The lower part of the bell is the location of the mouth opening, surrounded by four tentacles. These jellyfish are poisonous. Their venom is potent and often results in wounds that are very painful and take a long time to heal..
And yet the most dangerous jellyfish live in Australia and adjacent waters. Box jellyfish burns and " Portuguese boat are very serious and often fatal.
stingrays
Trouble can be delivered by rays of the stingray family and electric rays. It should be noted that the stingrays themselves do not attack a person, you can get injured if you step on him when this fish is hiding at the bottom.
stingray "stingray" (Dasyatidae)
Electric Stingray (torpediniformes)
Stingrays live in almost all seas and oceans. In our (Russian) waters you can meet a stingray or otherwise it is called a sea cat. It is found in the Black Sea and in the seas of the Pacific coast. If you step on a slope buried in the sand or resting at the bottom, it can inflict a serious wound on the offender, and, in addition, inject poison into it. He has a thorn on his tail, or rather a real sword - up to 20 centimeters in length. Its edges are very sharp, and besides, jagged, along the blade, on the underside there is a groove in which dark poison from the poisonous gland on the tail is visible. If you hit a stingray lying at the bottom, it will hit with its tail like a whip; at the same time, he sticks out his thorn and can inflict a deep chopped wound. A stingray wound is treated like any other.
The stingray also lives in the Black Sea sea fox Raja clavata - large, it can be up to one and a half meters from the tip of the nose to the tip of the tail, it is not dangerous for a person - unless, of course, you try to grab it by the tail, covered with long sharp spines. Electric rays are not found in the waters of the seas of Russia.
Sea anemones (anemones)
Sea anemones inhabit almost all seas the globe, but like the rest coral polyps, they are especially numerous and diverse in warm waters. Most species live in shallow coastal waters, but are often found on maximum depths World Ocean. Sea anemones Usually, hungry sea anemones sit completely still, with tentacles widely spaced. At the slightest change in the water, the tentacles begin to oscillate, not only they stretch out to prey, but often the whole body of the sea anemone leans. Having grasped the prey, the tentacles contract and bend towards the mouth.
Anemones are well armed. The stinging cells are especially numerous in predatory species. A volley of fired stinging cells kills small organisms, often causing severe burns in larger animals, even humans. They can cause burns, just like some types of jellyfish.
Octopuses
Octopuses (Octopoda) - the most famous representatives cephalopods. "Typical" octopuses are representatives of the suborder Incirrina, demersal animals. But some representatives of this suborder and all species of the second suborder, Cirrina, are pelagic animals that live in the water column, and many of them are found only at great depths.
They live in all tropical and subtropical seas and oceans, from shallow water to a depth of 100-150 m. They prefer rocky coastal zones, looking for caves and crevices in the rocks. In the waters of the seas of Russia they live only in the Pacific region.
The common octopus has the ability to change color to adapt to its environment. This is due to the presence in his skin of cells with various pigments, capable of stretching or contracting under the influence of impulses from the central nervous system, depending on the perception of the sense organs. The usual color is brown. If the octopus is scared, it turns white, if angry, it turns red.
When approaching enemies (including divers or scuba divers), they flee, hiding in crevices of rocks and under stones.
The real danger is the bite of an octopus with careless handling. The secret of poisonous salivary glands. In this case, acute pain and itching are felt in the area of the bite.
When bitten common octopus a local inflammatory reaction occurs. Excessive bleeding indicates a slowdown in the clotting process. Usually after two or three days recovery occurs. However, cases of severe poisoning are known, in which symptoms of damage to the central nervous system occur. Wounds inflicted by octopuses are treated in the same way as injections poisonous fish.
blue-ringed octopus (Blue-ringed Octopus)
One of the contenders for the title of the most dangerous marine animal for humans - octopus maculosus, which is found along the coast of the Australian province of Queensland and near Sydney, is found in the Indian Ocean and occasionally in the Far East. Although the size of this octopus rarely exceeds 10 cm, it contains enough poison to kill ten people.
Lionfish
Lionfish (Pterois) of the Scorpaenidae family are of great danger to humans. They are easily recognizable by their rich and bright colors, which warns of effective means defenses of these fish. Even marine predators prefer to leave this fish alone. The fins of this fish look like brightly colored feathers. Physical contact with such fish can be fatal.
Lionfish
(Pterois)
Despite its name, it cannot fly. The fish got this nickname because of the large pectoral fins, a bit like wings. Other names for lionfish are zebra fish or lion fish. She got the first because of the wide gray, brown and red stripes located throughout the body, and the second - she owes long fins, which make her look like a predatory lion.
The lionfish belongs to the scorpion family. Body length reaches 30 cm, and weight - 1 kg. The coloration is bright, which makes the lionfish noticeable even at great depths. The main decoration of the lionfish is the long ribbons of the dorsal and pectoral fins, it is they that resemble lion's mane. These luxurious fins hide sharp poisonous needles that make the lionfish one of the most dangerous inhabitants of the seas.
Lionfish is widespread in tropical parts Indian and Pacific Oceans off the coast of China, Japan and Australia. It lives mainly among coral reefs. lionfish Because it lives in surface waters reef, therefore it poses a great danger to bathers who can step on it and injure themselves on sharp poisonous needles. The excruciating pain that occurs in this case is accompanied by the formation of a tumor, breathing becomes difficult, and in some cases, the injury leads to death.
The fish itself is very voracious and eats all kinds of crustaceans and small fish. The most dangerous are pufferfish, boxfish, sea Dragon, hedgehog fish, ball fish, etc. We must remember only one rule: the more colorful the coloring of the fish and the more unusual its shape, the more poisonous it is.
Cube body or box fish (Ostraction cubicus)
hedgehog fish (Diodontidae)
fish ball (Diodontidae)
In the Black Sea, there are relatives of the lionfish - the noticeable scorpionfish (Scorpaena notata), it is no more than 15 centimeters in length, and the Black Sea scorpionfish (Scorpaena porcus) - up to half a meter - but such large ones are found deeper, further from the coast. Main difference Black Sea scorpionfish- long, similar to rag patches, supraorbital tentacles. In the conspicuous scorpion, these outgrowths are short.
conspicuous scorpionfish
(Scorpaena notata) 
black sea scorpionfish
(Scorpaena porcus)
The body of these fish is covered with spikes and outgrowths, the spikes are covered with poisonous mucus. And although the poison of the scorpionfish is not as dangerous as the poison of the lionfish, it is better not to disturb it.
Among the dangerous Black Sea fish of note is the sea dragon (Trachinus draco). Elongated, snake-like, with an angular large head, bottom fish. Like other bottom predators, the dragon has bulging eyes on the top of its head and a huge, greedy mouth.
sea dragon
(Trachinus draco)
The consequences of a poisonous injection of a dragon are much more serious than in the case of a scorpionfish, but not fatal.
Wounds from the thorns of a scorpion or dragon cause burning pain, the area around the injections turns red and swells, then - general malaise, fever, and your rest is interrupted for a day or two. If you have suffered from the thorns of a ruff, consult a doctor. Wounds should be treated like normal scratches.
The "stone fish" or Wartyfish (Synanceia verrucosa) also belongs to the scorpion family - no less, and in some cases more dangerous than lionfish. 
"fish stone" or warty
(Synanceia verrucosa) 
sea urchins
Often in shallow waters there is a risk of stepping on a sea urchin.
Sea urchins are one of the most common and very dangerous inhabitants of coral reefs. The body of a hedgehog the size of an apple is studded with 30-centimeter needles sticking out in all directions, similar to knitting needles. They are very mobile, sensitive and instantly react to irritation.
If a shadow suddenly falls on the hedgehog, he immediately directs the needles in the direction of danger and puts them together in several pieces into a sharp, hard pike. Even gloves and wetsuits do not guarantee complete protection against the formidable peaks of the sea urchin. The needles are so sharp and fragile that, having penetrated deep into the skin, they immediately break off and it is extremely difficult to remove them from the wound. In addition to needles, hedgehogs are armed with small grasping organs - pedicillaria, scattered at the base of the needles.
The venom of sea urchins is not dangerous, but causes burning pain at the injection site, shortness of breath, rapid heartbeat, transient paralysis. And soon redness, swelling appear, sometimes there is a loss of sensitivity and a secondary infection. The wound must be cleaned of needles, disinfected, to neutralize the poison, hold the damaged part of the body in a very hot water 30-90 minutes or apply pressure bandage.
After meeting with the black "long-needle" sea urchin black dots may remain on the skin - this is a trace of pigment, it is harmless, but it can make it difficult to find needles stuck in you. Seek medical advice after first aid.
Shells (clams)
Often on the reef among the corals there are wavy wings of bright blue.
clam tridacna
(Tridacna gigas)
According to some reports, divers sometimes fall between its wings, like in a trap, which leads to their death. The danger of tridacna, however, is greatly exaggerated. These mollusks live in shallow reef areas in clear tropical waters, so they are easy to spot due to their large sizes, brightly colored mantle and the ability to splash water at low tide. A diver captured by a shell can easily free himself, you just need to stick a knife between the valves and cut the two muscles that compress the valves.
Poison Clam Cone
(Conidae)
Do not touch beautiful shells (especially large ones). Here it is worth remembering one rule: all mollusks that have a long, thin and pointed ovipositor are poisonous. These are representatives of the cone genus of the gastropod class, having a brightly colored conical shell. Its length in most species does not exceed 15-20 cm. The cone inflicts a prick as sharp as a needle with a spike that protrudes from the narrow end of the shell. Inside the spike passes the duct of the poisonous gland, through which a very strong poison is injected into the wound. 
Various species of the cone genus are common in coastal shallows and coral reefs of warm seas.
At the moment of injection, a sharp pain is felt. At the injection site of the spike, a reddish dot is visible against the background of pale skin.
Local inflammatory reaction is insignificant. There is a feeling of acute pain or burning, numbness of the affected limb may occur. In severe cases, there is difficulty in speech, flaccid paralysis quickly develops, and knee jerks disappear. In a few hours, death may occur.
With mild poisoning, all symptoms disappear within a day.
First aid is to remove fragments of the thorn from the skin. The affected area is wiped with alcohol. The affected limb is immobilized. The patient in the supine position is taken to the medical center.
corals
Corals, both living and dead, can cause painful cuts (be careful when walking on coral islands). And the so-called "fire" corals are armed with poisonous needles that dig into the human body in case of physical contact with them.
The basis of the coral is polyps - marine invertebrates 1-1.5 mm in size or slightly larger (depending on the species).
Barely born, the baby polyp begins to build a cell house, in which he spends his entire life. Microhouses of polyps are grouped into colonies from which a coral reef eventually appears.
Hungry, the polyp sticks out tentacles with many stinging cells from the "house". The smallest animals that make up plankton encounter the tentacles of a polyp, which paralyzes the victim and sends it into the mouth opening. Despite their microscopic size, the stinging cells of polyps have a very complex structure. Inside the cell is a capsule filled with poison. The outer end of the capsule is concave and looks like a thin tube twisted in a spiral, which is called a stinging thread. This tube, covered with the smallest spikes pointing backwards, resembles a miniature harpoon. When touched, the stinging thread straightens, the "harpoon" pierces the body of the victim, and the poison passing through it paralyzes the prey.
Poisoned "harpoons" of corals can also injure a person. Among the dangerous ones is, for example, fire coral. Its colonies in the form of "trees" made of thin plates have chosen the shallow waters of tropical seas.
The most dangerous stinging corals of the Millepore genus are so beautiful that scuba divers cannot resist the temptation to break off a piece as a keepsake. This can be done without "burns" and cuts only in canvas or leather gloves.
fire coral (Millepora dichotoma)
Talking about such passive animals as coral polyps, it is worth mentioning one more thing. interesting type marine animals - sponges. Usually sponges are not classified as dangerous inhabitants seas, however, there are some species in Caribbean waters that can cause severe skin irritation in swimmers upon contact. It is believed that the pain can be relieved with a weak solution of vinegar, but the unpleasant effects from contact with the sponge can last for several days. These primitive animals belong to the genus Fibula and are often referred to as touchy sponges.
Sea snakes (Hydrophidae)
Little is known about sea snakes. This is strange, since they live in all the seas of the Pacific and Indian Oceans and are not among the rare inhabitants sea depths. Maybe it's because people just don't want to deal with them.
And there are serious reasons for this. After all, sea snakes are dangerous and unpredictable.
There are about 48 species of sea snakes. This family once left the land and completely switched to an aquatic lifestyle. Because of this, sea snakes have acquired some features in the structure of the body, and outwardly they are somewhat different from their terrestrial counterparts. The body is flattened from the sides, the tail is in the form of a flat ribbon (for flat-tailed representatives) or slightly elongated (for dovetails). The nostrils are not located on the sides, but at the top, so it is more convenient for them to breathe, sticking the tip of the muzzle out of the water. The lung stretches throughout the body, but these snakes absorb up to a third of all oxygen from the water with the help of the skin, which is densely penetrated by blood capillaries. Under water, a sea snake can stay for more than an hour. 
The venom of a sea snake is dangerous to humans. Their poison is dominated by an enzyme that paralyzes the nervous system. When attacking, the snake quickly strikes with two short teeth, slightly bent back. The bite is almost painless, there is no swelling or hemorrhage.
But after some time, weakness appears, coordination is disturbed, convulsions begin. Death occurs from paralysis of the lungs in a few hours.
The great toxicity of these snakes' venom is a direct result aquatic habitat: so that the prey does not run away, it must be instantly paralyzed. True, the poison of sea snakes is not as dangerous as the poison of snakes that live with us on land. When bitten by flattails, 1 mg of poison is released, and when bitten by a dovetail, 16 mg. So, a person has a chance to survive. Out of 10 bitten sea snakes 7 people remain alive, of course, if they receive medical assistance on time.
True, there is no guarantee that you will be among the latter.
Among other dangerous aquatic animals, especially dangerous freshwater inhabitants should be mentioned - crocodiles living in the tropics and subtropics, piranha fish living in the Amazon River basin, freshwater electric rays, as well as fish whose meat or some organs are poisonous and can cause acute poisoning.
If you are interested in more detailed information about dangerous species jellyfish and corals, you can find it at http://medusy.ru/
A huge number of different predators live in the ocean. Some marine predators attack swiftly, while others sit in shelter for a long time, waiting for their prey.
Each inhabitant of the ocean is eaten by other marine life, only killer whales and sharks have no enemies.
sharks
White shark, most likely, is the most dangerous predator of the deep sea. People tremble at the very idea of a great white shark.
The white shark - in terms of strength and power, it has no equal among predators in the ocean.
Sharks appeared in the ocean long before humans began to dominate the Earth. There are about 400 species of sharks. But the most dangerous shark is the white shark. Individuals of this species in length can reach 6 meters, they weigh about 3 tons and have a powerful toothy mouth. There are about 300 sharp teeth in the mouth. The teeth on the upper jaw are triangular, while those on the lower jaw are recurved. The body shape of the white shark is spindle-shaped, the tail looks like a crescent, the fins are large. White sharks live for about 27 years.
But people are not the target. These predators prefer prey with more serious fat reserves. For example, their favorite treats are sea lions and seals. White sharks do not show too much interest in people, because in human body too many tendons and muscles.
As a rule, white sharks attack people for two reasons. The first is that a person, swimming in the water, is associated with a shark with a sick animal that cannot develop sufficient speed, and it is easy to catch it. The second reason is that surfers floating on a board look like other inhabitants of the ocean from the water. And since the shark has rather poor eyesight, it can easily be mistaken. To understand if the prey is edible, the shark bites it, but sometimes sharks tear people to pieces. It is difficult to predict how this predator will behave. When a shark grabs a prey, it shakes its head in all directions, thus snatching pieces from it.
Anemone is a predatory animal, more like a plant. Scientists say sharks are ocean orderlies as they eat dying animals.
sea anemones
Anemone is a predator veiled in beauty. Anemones are representatives of the cnidarians. Anemones have stinging cells that they use as weapons. Anemones reach a height of about 1 meter. These creatures lead a sedentary life. They are attached to the bottom with a foot called the sole or basal disc.
The sea anemone has from ten to hundreds of tentacles with special cells - cnidocytes. In these cells, poison is formed, which is a mixture of toxins. Anemones use this poison during hunting and for protection from predators.
The poison contains substances that affect the nervous system of the victim. Prey under the influence of poison is paralyzed and the predator eats it calmly.
The basis of the diet of sea anemones are fish and crustaceans. For humans, actinium poison is not dangerous, it does not lead to death, but it can cause quite severe burns.
killer whales
- predators of the dolphin family, but they are not at all as friendly as dolphins. They are called killer whales. Killer whales attack almost all marine inhabitants: mammals, fish and mollusks. If there is enough food, then killer whales behave quite friendly with the rest of the cetaceans, but if there is little food, then killer whales attack their own kind: dolphins and whales.
Killer whales are one of the formidable oceanic hunters. For these predators, the size of the prey does not matter. of great importance, killer whales hunt together for large animals. If the victim cannot be killed immediately, the killer whale harasses it by biting off small pieces from it. No one manages to stay alive after a collision with killer whales - not a small fish, not a large whale.
A flock of killer whales during the hunt acts very harmoniously. Predators move in even ranks, like soldiers, while each killer whale has a clearly defined task.
When killer whales lead a sedentary life, they feed mainly on crustaceans and fish. And migrating killer whales prefer large mammals such as sea lions and seals. Killer whales justify the name of killer whales in the best possible way.
Octopuses
Octopuses are part of the order of cephalopods. These creatures have excellently developed sight, smell, and touch, but they do not hear very well.
What predatory animals are the largest and most dangerous? Lions and tigers will probably come to most of you first, but these predators are just babies compared to the really big predators that live on our planet. So, in this post - about the largest and most dangerous predatory animals.
First of all, it is worth dividing predators by habitat. It is clear that marine predators living in the water can grow larger than their terrestrial competitors. But a clear distinction cannot be made here. For example, sharks can attack not only the inhabitants of the sea, but also completely land animals such as deer, horses and bears. On the other hand, many terrestrial predators prey on the inhabitants of the sea. Finally, there are many predators that lead a semi-aquatic lifestyle, they can be found both at sea and on land.
The largest marine predators
Record holder among marine predators and generally the most large predator in the world is a sperm whale. Sperm whales are huge marine mammals from the order of cetaceans. Modern sperm whales reach 20 m in length and weigh up to 50 tons.
The sperm whale is the largest predator on Earth
Sperm whales live in all regions of the world's oceans and feed mainly on fish and cephalopods. Despite the fact that sperm whales breathe air, they can dive to a depth of 3 km, remaining under water for up to an hour and a half.
How dangerous are sperm whales? The sperm whale is the only predator that can swallow a person whole without even chewing. Nevertheless, sperm whales do not attack people first, a scuba diver can swim next to huge sperm whale fearlessly. Unfortunately, the man himself, as soon as he mastered navigation, began to exterminate marine life, hunting including sperm whales. And the whalers showed the sperm whales that they are by no means helpless victims. They themselves responded by attacking whaling ships, ramming and even sinking them. Even for modern sea vessels sperm whales are dangerous.
Another big, smart and efficient marine predator from the order of cetaceans is killer whale. Killer whales are not dangerous to humans and do not attack them, but many marine life is not left with a single chance.
Killer whales reach a length of 10 m and can weigh up to 8 tons. They live throughout the world's oceans and mainly hunt fish and seals. Killer whales often hunt in packs, they surround and drive the victims, pressing them to the shore or the surface of the water. You can understand how dangerous killer whales are from the fact that they attack even large whales and sharks.
The most dangerous and largest predatory fish, of course, White shark. Large white sharks reach a length of 6 m and a weight of about 2 tons. The white shark is a dangerous and aggressive predator, it often attacks everything that moves, trying buoys, boards and other floating objects on its teeth. Dozens of swimmers and surfers have been attacked by great white sharks.
Over hundreds of millions of years of evolution, these dangerous predators developed many unique devices. For example, sharks have a unique sense of smell, smelling blood for miles, feel the slightest temperature changes and even electromagnetic fields. Sharks are not threatened with caries - in addition to the fact that their teeth (of which there are about 300) are very strong, they grow and renew themselves throughout their lives.
The largest semi-aquatic predators
There are many animals that can stay both on land and in the sea for a long time. Among them there are also large predators, the largest of which are southern sea elephants . The southern elephant seal lives in the seas southern hemisphere mainly in Antarctica.
Southern elephant seals reach a length of 6 m and weigh up to 5 tons. They hunt mainly on marine life, eating fish and squid. Despite their size, these predators are usually not dangerous to humans.
Another thing - combed crocodiles . Saltwater crocodile, also known as saltwater crocodile, is the world's largest crocodile species and a very dangerous and aggressive predator.
These crocodiles can reach a length of 7 m and weigh up to 2 tons. They are able to spend a lot of time at sea, swimming thousands of kilometers. Salted crocodiles hunt both land and sea animals, not being very discriminating. They even attack sharks and elephants.
How dangerous combed crocodiles are can be judged from an episode that occurred in February 1945. At this time, the British were trying to capture the Japanese base on an island off the coast of Burma. But for the defense of the island, the Japanese deployed a detachment of 1215 selected soldiers. Then the English proposed to lure the Japanese detachment into the mangrove swamps, where combed crocodiles lived. The plan worked brilliantly - the crocodiles attacked the Japanese, who had imprudently entered the swamp, and almost the entire detachment was soon exterminated. Only 20 soldiers managed to escape.
The largest land predators
Of the predators living on land, the largest are bears. The largest of all bears - polar bear living in the Arctic.
Polar bears reach a length of 3 m and weight up to 1000 kg. Basically, these predators prey on seals and fish. For humans, polar bears pose a moderate danger, although they usually do not attack first.
Most large view brown bears — kodiak- lives in Alaska and is almost as large as a polar bear.
These bears are omnivorous, feeding on both plant and animal food, especially preferring fish caught in rivers during the spawning season.
Large predators, of course, sometimes attack people, but these are by no means the most dangerous among animals. Rather, the large predators themselves need protection from humans today. The scariest and most dangerous animal that you really need to be afraid of actually looks different. Here it is:
malarial mosquito has a size of only about 6 mm and weighs approximately 2 milligrams. But these dangerous insects kill many times more people than all sharks, crocodiles and others big predators, taken together. WHO estimates that these mosquitoes infect more than 300 million people with malaria every year, and more than a million of them die.