• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to footer
Zippy Facts Logo

Zippy Facts

Interesting Random Facts

  • Animals
  • Culture
  • Firsts
  • Food
  • Geography
  • Health
  • History
  • Inventions
  • Language
  • Mythology
  • Odds
  • People
  • Religion
  • Science
  • Space
  • Universe
  • World
You are here: Home / Universe / What Plant “Fishes” for Food?

What Plant “Fishes” for Food?

March 25, 2020 by Karen Hill

A tiny fungus that scientists call Zoophagus insidians has a most unusual way of catching the microscopic animals that form its diet.

This fungus, which lives in the water, has short branches, called hyphae, along its main stem. When tiny water animals, called rotifers, bite into these hyphae, the rotifers swell up inside the fungus’s body and cannot escape.

The rotifer is “hooked” on the hyphae, like a fish snared on a line. The fungus then throws a “net” of sticky liquid over its prey and begins to digest the captured rotifer!

Related Facts

  • Where do Germs, Bacteria, and Viruses come from and How do they make us sick?
  • Why Does Warm Air Hold More Moisture Than Cold Air?
  • Why do Leaf-Cutter Ants Cut Up and Transport Fresh Leaves back to their Nests if they Don’t Eat them?
  • The Best 20 Inventions Ever Invented
  • Why is it Better to make Stock with Cold Water first?
  • How Does Hot Water Freeze Faster Than Cold Water?

Filed Under: Universe

About Karen Hill

Karen Hill is a freelance writer, editor, and columnist. Born in New York, her work has appeared in the Examiner, Yahoo News, Buzzfeed, among others.

Previous Post: « Are All Carrots Orange?
Next Post: What Plant Has the Biggest Leaves? »

Footer

Follow

  • Facebook
  • Flickr
  • GitHub
  • Google+
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Medium
  • Pinterest
  • StumbleUpon
  • Tumblr
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Categories

Accomplishments Animals Culture Firsts Food Geography Health History Inventions Language Mythology Odds People Religion Science Space Universe World Your Body

About

Zippy Facts empowers the world by serving educational content that is accessible to everyone.

A tribute to growing up, zippyfacts.com showcases interesting and unusual facts about the world.

Our mission is to use technology to facilitate knowledge transfer and sharing.

Copyright © 2020 Zippy Facts

  • About Us
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy