Top 10 Prehistoric Fish Alive Today

This list looks at fish that were around in remote, prehistoric times and have survived to our time, still keeping their “prehistoric” looks to prove it. Feel free to mention those I have excluded in the comments.

10. Hagfish

According to the fossil record, hagfish have existed for over 300 million years, which means they were already old when dinosaurs took over the world! Found in relatively deep waters, these animals are sometimes called slime eels, but they are not really eels, and actually, they may not even be fish at all, according to some scientists. They are very bizarre animals in all regards; they have a skull but lack a spine, and they have two brains. Almost blind, they feed at night on the carcasses of large animals (fish, cetaceans etc) which fall to the sea bottom. They owe their “slime eel” nickname to the fact that they produce a slimey substance to damage the gills of predatory fish; as a result, they have virtually no natural enemies.

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More On Patin Fish @ Pangasius

The dory meat from Patin.

Since they are omnivorous, the Patin will generally eat all kinds of live, fresh, and flake foods. To keep a good balance give them a high quality flake food or pellet everyday. Feed brine shrimp (either live or frozen) or blood worms. As they get older they loose their teeth and become more and more vegetarian. These catfish get up to 39 inches (100 cm). Yes, over 3 feet long! When they are young they like to school up, but will become more and more solitary as the get older. They are generally a good community fish and can be kept with most size tanks. About their sexuality, you will note that the males are more slender than the females and have darker striping.

The Pangasius catfish are a beautiful fish to watch as they are very grateful and elegant swimmers. Yes. They do looks like a shark. They also need a lot of room to swim and are best kept in a group or school in a pond. They don't thrive as well if kept singly when small. These catfish does not possess the bottom dwelling habit we usually identify with most catfishes, but rather occupies the middle of the aquarium. They are constantly on the move and will occasionally go to the surface for air. These fish are also diurnal, meaning they are active during the day. Be cautious though, these catfish have bad eyesight and they are a nervous fish that can be easily spooked! (Mine got used to it and stop freaking out). If you put these catfish in an aquarium, don't tap on the glass or startle the fish as it is likely to injure itself in its' mindless flight. They can get hysterical when frightened and dash madly around the aquarium. They will often bash into the sides of the aquarium, ornaments or other fish. After such a flight, you may see the fish sink to the bottom of the aquarium and lie on its side or back until it recovers.

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