Examples of animals that eat fish include alligators, minks, eagles, tuna, storks, and tigers.
Fish is a type of food that has been eaten by humans for centuries. The consumption of fish goes back to the Stone Age when people used them as an easy source of protein and fat.
There are many animals that eat fish, but not all of them find it as a primary food source. The ones that do typically have some other diet component to go with it, such as insects or other small prey items.
What Eats Fish?
1. Alligators
| Scientific Name | Alligator |
| Type of Animal | Reptile |
| Range | United States |
| Diet | Carnivore |
Alligators, for example, are known to eat fish and will often do so when other prey items are not readily available. They’ll typically go after smaller fish that they can swallow whole, but they have also been known to take down larger ones on occasion..
2. American Minks
| Scientific Name | Neovison vison |
| Type of Animal | Mammal |
| Range | North America |
| Diet | Carnivore |
American Minks, are known to eat fish and will do so when available. However, they also consume a wide variety of other food sources, such as crayfish, mussels, frogs, and small rodents.
3. Apes
| Scientific Name | Hominoidea |
| Type of Animal | Mammal |
| Range | Worldwide |
| Diet | Omnivore |
Apes like the gorilla or chimpanzee kill other mammals to eat but they will also catch small fish for food if needed.
4. Bald Eagles
| Scientific Name | Haliaeetus leucocephalus |
| Type of Animal | Bird |
| Range | North America |
| Diet | Carnivore |
Bald Eagles are a great example of animals that eat fish. If you’ve ever seen one fly overhead, then you will know just how fast they can get going.
These birds also have some awesome eyesight and hearing which helps them to locate fish from high up in the air or on land without even getting wet.
They usually eat fish that exceed 40 cm (16 inches) in length, but they have also been known to feast on other animals such as ducks, herons, and even small mammals.
5. Bobcat
| Scientific Name | Lynx rufus |
| Type of Animal | Mammal |
| Range | Canada |
| Diet | Carnivore |
The bobcat is a North American fish-eating mammal of the cat family, Felidae. The bobcat is usually solitary and territorial, though some males form small groups during the breeding season.
The bobcat prefers to live in dense forests and swamps but can also be found in scrublands, deserts, and agricultural areas.
6. Bluefin Tuna
| Scientific Name | Thunnus thynnus |
| Type of Animal | Fish |
| Range | Worldwide |
| Diet | Omnivore |
Bluefin Tuna are large fish that are found in the Atlantic, Pacific, and Mediterranean Seas. They can grow up to 13 feet long and weigh more than 2,000 pounds.
Bluefin Tuna eat other small fish for food. The biggest threat to Bluefish is humans because they overfished them due to their popularity at sushi restaurants around the world.
7. Common Tern
| Scientific Name | Sterna hirundo |
| Type of Animal | Bird |
| Range | Europe, Asia and North America |
| Diet | Carnivore |
Common Terns are a type of seabird that can be found near the coast. They have a diet that consists mostly of fish, and they are known to dive into the water to catch their prey.
8. Crocodiles
| Scientific Name | Crocodylidae |
| Type of Animal | Reptile |
| Range | Worldwide |
| Diet | Carnivore |
Crocodiles are one of the animals that eat fish. They are mainly found in Africa and Asia. Crocodiles live near water and eat a variety of prey, including fish.
The Nile crocodile is Africa’s largest crocodile. It can grow to be up to 16 feet long and weigh over 500 pounds!
This crocodile eats mostly large mammals, fish, and birds.
9. Dolphins
| Scientific Name | Delphinidae |
| Type of Animal | Mammal |
| Range | Worldwide |
| Diet | Carnivore |
Dolphins are carnivores and eat a variety of fish, including tuna, mackerel, and herring. They also consume squid and octopus. Some dolphins have even been known to eat small sharks.
Dolphins typically hunt in packs, using their intelligence to confuse their prey before attacking. A single dolphin can eat up to 25 to 50 pounds of fish in a day.
10. Eels
| Scientific Name | Anguilliformes |
| Type of Animal | Fish |
| Range | Worldwide |
| Diet | Carnivore |
Eels are also animals that eat fish. These predators have sharp teeth that help them catch their prey. They also have a strong sense of smell that allows them to find fish in the water. Some eels that eat fish live in the ocean while others live in freshwater habitats.
11. Emperor Penguin
| Scientific Name | Aptenodytes forsteri |
| Type of Animal | Bird |
| Range | Antarctica |
| Diet | Carnivore |
The Emperor Penguin is found in Antarctica and feeds mainly on small fish, crustaceans, and cephalopods.
They must consume almost half of their body weight each day because they live in such a harsh climate.
12. Fishing Cats
| Scientific Name | Prionailurus viverrinus |
| Type of Animal | Mammal |
| Range | West Bengal and Odisha |
| Diet | Carnivore |
The Fishing Cat is a wild cat that lives in Southeast Asia. They are the only members of the genus Prionailurus. These cats are expert fishermen, and their diet consists mostly of fish.
They can often be seen crouching on branches overhanging water, waiting for fish to swim by.
13. Fishing Spiders
| Scientific Name | Dolomedes |
| Type of Animal | Insect |
| Range | Canada and the United States |
| Diet | Carnivore |
The fishing spider is a large and robust spider that can be found near water. It hunts its prey by swimming under the surface of the water and grabbing fish with its powerful front legs.
Some fishermen have even reported spiders catching small frogs and mice. Fishing spiders are not aggressive towards humans, but they will bite if threatened.
14. Flamingos
| Scientific Name | Phoenicopterus roseus |
| Type of Animal | Bird |
| Range | Worldwide |
| Diet | Omnivore |
Flamingos are a great example of an animal that eats fish. They are able to filter out the small fish from the water with their specially adapted beaks.
Related Article: 9 Birds that Look Like Flamingos
15. Great Blue Herons
| Scientific Name | Ardea herodias |
| Type of Animal | Bird |
| Range | North America |
| Diet | Carnivore |
Great Blue Herons are the largest of all North American herons. They are between 3.2 to 4.5 feet tall with a wingspan just over six feet wide.
Their beaks are pretty long too–almost three feet, which is longer than their entire body length.
16. Great Cormorant
| Scientific Name | Phalacrocorax carbo |
| Type of Animal | Bird |
| Range | Atlantic waters and nearby inland areas |
| Diet | Carnivore |
The great cormorant is a large waterbird that can be found all over the world. This bird prefers to live near coasts and open water, where it can feed on fish.
The great cormorant has a long neck and bill, which it uses to dive down into the water in search of prey.
17. Grizzly Bears
| Scientific Name | Ursus arctos horribilis |
| Type of Animal | Mammal |
| Range | Alaska, Wyoming, Montana, Idaho, Washington |
| Diet | Omnivore |
Grizzly bears are one of the animals that eat fish. They live in North America and can weigh up to 1700 pounds.
Grizzly bears are omnivores and usually eat plants, but they will also eat fish if they can find them. They catch the fish by swimming in the water and grabbing them with their paws.
Some grizzly bears have been seen catching the fish in shallow water, but most of them catch their prey when it is swimming around deep water.
18. Jaguars
| Scientific Name | Panthera onca |
| Type of Animal | Mammal |
| Range | Amazon of South America |
| Diet | Carnivore |
Jaguars are strong swimmers, but they are also terrestrial animals. They will eat almost any meat they can get their paws on.
19. North American River Otters
| Scientific Name | Lontra canadensis |
| Type of Animal | Mammal |
| Range | North America |
| Diet | Carnivore |
North American River Otters are carnivores and their diet consists of fish, amphibians, crustaceans, and insects.
They are also known to eat small mammals and birds. Sea otters are the only marine mammal that is strictly a carnivore.
20. Orcas
| Scientific Name | Orcinus orca |
| Type of Animal | Mammal |
| Range | Worldwide |
| Diet | Carnivore |
The biggest animal to eat fish is the Orca or Killer Whale. This large whale lives in all of
Earth’s oceans and eats a wide assortment of prey including seals, sea lions, other whales such as dolphins and porpoises (small whales), sharks, squid, octopus, birds like seagulls and penguins, and fish like salmon, cod, halibut, herring, mackerel tuna.
21. Ospreys
| Scientific Name | Pandion haliaetus |
| Type of Animal | Bird |
| Range | Worldwide |
| Diet | Carnivore |
A large fish-eating bird is the Osprey. It lives in many parts of the world but is most common in North America and Europe.
The osprey’s wingspan is over five feet wide. This bird eats mostly small fish, which it catches by diving into water from high above the surface of the water.
22. Piranhas
| Scientific Name | Pygocentrus nattereri |
| Type of Animal | Fish |
| Range | South America |
| Diet | Omnivore |
Piranhas are a species of freshwater fish that live in South America. They have extremely sharp teeth and often eat larger animals when they are available, such as turtles or other piranhas.
23. Polar Bears
| Scientific Name | Ursus maritimus |
| Type of Animal | Mammal |
| Range | Arctic |
| Diet | Carnivore |
Polar bears are one of the animals that eat fish. They live in the Arctic and eat mainly seals, but they will also eat fish if they can catch them.
Polar bears have very sharp teeth which helps them to catch their prey. They are also able to swim very well, which helps them to get close to their prey before attacking.
24. Puffins
| Scientific Name | Fratercula |
| Type of Animal | Bird |
| Range | North Atlantic Ocean |
| Diet | Omnivore |
Penguins are one of the most well-known animals that eat fish. They live in cold climates and can be found on every continent except Antarctica. Penguins mainly eat fish, but they will also eat other animals such as squid and krill.
25. River Dolphins
| Scientific Name | Inia geoffrensis |
| Type of Animal | Mammal |
| Range | Asia, China, and South America |
| Diet | Carnivore |
The river dolphin is a freshwater mammal that inhabits the Amazon and Orinoco River basins in South America. They are gray or light brown in color and have a long, thin beak.
These dolphins consume mostly fish, but they will also eat other animals, such as crabs and turtles. In fact, river dolphins are so adapted to hunting that they can even consume piranhas.
26. Sea Lions
| Scientific Name | Otariinae |
| Type of Animal | Mammal |
| Range | Japan and Korea, western North America |
| Diet | Carnivore |
Sea lions are marine mammals that belong to the family Otariidae. These animals can be found in coastal areas all over the world and they feed mainly on fish.
Some of the sea lions’ favorite prey items include anchovies, herring, mackerel, and salmon. They also eat squid and octopus.
27. Seagulls
| Scientific Name | Larus Linnaeus |
| Type of Animal | Bird |
| Range | Worldwide |
| Diet | Omnivore |
Seagulls are found in many waterways around the world including oceans, rivers and lakes. They can fly long distances but tend to be lazy when it comes to hunting for food. Seagulls will often drop shellfish on rocks just so they have an easier meal to obtain.
28. Sharks
| Scientific Name | Selachimorpha |
| Type of Animal | Fish |
| Range | Worldwide |
| Diet | Carnivore |
These animals have sharp teeth and strong jaws that help them catch their prey. They also have a keen sense of smell and sight that allows them to find fish in the water.
Sharks can swim up to speeds of 31 miles per hour, which makes it hard for prey to escape.
29. Shoebill Stork
| Scientific Name | Balaeniceps rex |
| Type of Animal | Bird |
| Range | Africa |
| Diet | Carnivore |
The shoebill stork is a large bird that lives in Africa. It eats fish and other small animals. The shoebill stork has a long, sharp beak that it uses to catch its prey.
30. Squids
| Scientific Name | Cephalopoda |
| Type of Animal | Fish |
| Range | Worldwide |
| Diet | Carnivore |
Squids and octopuses are both cephalopods and they belong to the order Teuthida. They’re carnivores that eat fish, crustaceans, and mollusks; while some may also feed on various other types of prey such as worms or planktonic organisms like jellyfish.
31. Tigers
| Scientific Name | Panthera tigris |
| Type of Animal | Mammal |
| Range | North Korea, China, India, and Southwest Asia |
| Diet | Carnivore |
Tigers, lions, and leopards are some of the animals that eat fish. These big cats live in Africa and Asia. They like to eat fresh water fish from rivers and lakes.
32. Turtles
| Scientific Name | Testudines |
| Type of Animal | Reptile |
| Range | Worldwide |
| Diet | Omnivore |
Turtles are reptiles that can be found in both salt and fresh water. They have a hard shell that helps protect them from predators. Turtles eat fish, insects, and other small animals. Some turtles will also eat plants.
33. Walleye
| Scientific Name | Sander vitreus |
| Type of Animal | Fish |
| Range | the Arctic south to the Great Lakes |
| Diet | Carnivore |
Walleye are found widely on all continents, except Antarctica and Australia. They live mainly in freshwater habitats.
Their diet consists of a wide range of prey items, including fish, crustaceans, and insects
34. Whales
| Scientific Name | Cetacea |
| Type of Animal | Mammal |
| Range | Worldwide |
| Diet | Carnivore |
The blue whale is the largest animal on Earth. It can weigh up to 200 tons and grow to be over 100 feet long.
Despite their size, these animals are filter feeders, meaning they eat tiny plankton and other small creatures. The baleen in their mouths helps them strain food from the water.
35. Wolves
| Scientific Name | Canis lupus |
| Type of Animal | Mammal |
| Range | Worldwide excluding Asia-Pacific |
| Diet | Carnivore |
Wolves and other animals that live in the wild around the Great Lakes region rely on fish as a main source of food.
Fish are an important part of their diet because they are high in protein and low in fat. This makes them a healthy and nutritious meal for these predators.
Hi, I’m Garreth. Living in South Africa I’ve had the pleasure of seeing most of these animals up close and personal. When I was younger I always wanted to be a game ranger but unfortunately, life happens and now at least I get to write about them and tell you my experiences.