What happens to fish that are swallowed whole?

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DavidPT40

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I know this is kind of a strange question, but it is marine related. When a whale or large fish swallows a small fish whole (and alive), what actually kills the fish?

I remember watching a show about either electric eels or electric catfish, and I could see the live fish thrashing around in the stomach of the electic eel/catfish. Morbid but interesting.
 
Think of the poor goldfish that used to be swallowed whole by sub-humans.
 
drbill:
Think of the poor goldfish that used to be swallowed whole by sub-humans.

Gulpies?

Apparently easier to swallow when immersed in Tequila.

The horror. The humanity. The hangovers.
 
RoatanMan:
Gulpies?

Apparently easier to swallow when immersed in Tequila.

The horror. The humanity. The hangovers.

That's a real fish friendly thing to do. He's got a worm to eat upon arrival in your stomach.
 
DavidPT40:
I know this is kind of a strange question, but it is marine related. When a whale or large fish swallows a small fish whole (and alive), what actually kills the fish?

I remember watching a show about either electric eels or electric catfish, and I could see the live fish thrashing around in the stomach of the electic eel/catfish. Morbid but interesting.


If it is a quick swimmer, nothing. It just swims to the other end and swims on. :D
 
He just swims and swims and swims like crazy until he is all pooped out.

Joe
 
Well, I'm not toos sure about other fish, but I keep cichlids and feed them live food often. It's basically the same as non-live. Cichlids (unlike some other fish) have no teeth in the front of their mouth, but rather, rough bony ridges to grip things if necessary. They have traingular plates in the back of their mouth which have their "teeth" proper. The rub these together over the food to grind it up between them. Any unwanted portions of the food is swept out of their gills via small "rakes" on the interior portion of their gills.

As far as catching the food, cichlids possess a powerful muscle on the "chest" which runs up to the lower hinge of their jaw. They approach live prey from behind, that muscle contracts, and their jaws pop open (and gills slap shut) at lightning speed, doubling or tripling the volume of their mouth. This creates a massive vaccuum which sucks the prey into their mouth.

Hope that helps.

--'Goose
 
So basically its a combination of stomach acid, stomach muscles, and asphyxiation. Someone needs to slip a tiny camera in with a school of baitfish as humpbacks are feeding.
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/swift/

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