Fish have been known to catch birds that are sitting still, but jumping out of the water to grab their prey while its still in flight? That’s new.
Fish have been known to both catch birds floating on the water and drag them off the shoreline, but jumping out of the water to grab their prey while it’s still in flight? That's new.
Scientists in South Africa say they have recorded the first video evidence of such behavior, and it comes from the African tigerfish.
The species has already been a source of much fascination as it is earned a quite a reputation for being an insatiable predator.
It’s also regarded as one of the more striking freshwater fish, with its markings, vivid red fins, and large, sharp teeth.
Researchers had heard rumors about its hunting habits in the past, but until recently there existed no proof of what sounded like just another fish tale.
In fact, even when they did catch a glimpse of it for themselves, they could barely believe it.
Said one of the scientists, “The whole action of jumping and catching the swallow in flight happened so incredibly quickly that after we first saw it, it took all of us a while to really fully comprehend what we had just seen.”
Their discovery has made them curious about how many other bird-eating fish may be out there in the wild.
