Millions of years of evolution have left them largely unchanged, mostly because of how well-adapted and successful biological sharks have become.Īt the pinnacle of the shark food chain is the great white. In nearly any marine environment in the world, you’ve going to find species of sharks. This does bring us to our next apex predator though.

The former top predator of the oceans was the great white shark, however, it’s been documented that orcas specifically prey on them and will eat their livers. Aside from human hunting activity and pollution, there are basically no threats to orcas from predation. Recently, a pod of whales was videoed hunting and preying on the world’s largest animal, a blue whale. Some groups may almost entirely eat fish, while others feed mostly on marine mammals like seals.Īfter more study and observation, killer whales have essentially become the undisputed apex predator of the oceans. They use their intelligence to form both highly complicated hunting strategies and complex social structures.Īn orca’s diet varies depending on where they live regionally, as well as learned behaviors of the pod. Scientists believe orcas communicate with each other to the extent of nearly having their own language. Orcas are one of the most intelligent species on the planet.

These groups can number from just a few to over twenty individuals, and pods have been seen to group together for mating or hunting large prey. Orcas live, hunt, and play in familial groups called pods. In the wild, these animals can live anywhere from 30 to 90 years, reach lengths of over 30 feet (10 meters), and weigh as much as 11 tons (9,979 kilograms). They can be found nearly worldwide, with higher populations in the southern oceans near Antarctica, but also in the Arctic, off the coasts of Alaska and New England, and in African waters. Killer whales are the largest species in the dolphin family. Most predation of apex predator species occurs when individuals are still juveniles and therefore vulnerable.ġ2 of the World’s Top Apex Predators 1. For the most part, the only threat to an apex predator is a larger individual of the same species or larger, hostile herbivores.Īn apex predator does not have to be the largest animal in its environment, but in many cases, they are larger animals. There are some exceptions in the animal kingdom when apex predators become prey, and some of them will be noted in this article. They prey on multiple other species in their ecosystem, while (normally) having no other organisms that prey on them. Are Humans Considered Apex Predators? What is an Apex Predator?Īn apex predator is defined as an organism that sits at the top of the food chain in an ecosystem.

Apex legends top predator list