Food to Attract Tropical Fish in the Ocean

Approximately 70 percent of the world is covered by ocean. There are between 20,000 and 40,000 different species of fish that call the oceans their home. Just as land animals, including humans, have different types of food they enjoy, the same is true of fish. Whether you're snorkeling, scuba diving or fishing, understanding which food attracts which types of fish can enhance your experience.

  1. Three Basic Categories of Fish

    • Fish, like many other types of animals, fall into three basic categories regarding the type of food on which they primarily subsist. These categories are herbivores, carnivores and omnivores. The complex ocean ecosystem offers a diverse array of natural food sources that attract fish. You can better predict in which areas different types of fish will be located, depending on the type of food to which the fish is attracted.

    Natural Food that Attracts Herbivore Fish

    • Herbivore fish are those fish that primarily eat plant material. These fish are attracted to food sources that include algae and other underwater plants. These ocean grazers are attracted to underwater plant material that can be attached to undersea rocks, corals, sandy patches of ocean floor or even free-floating in the water column. This microscopic, free-floating food is known as phytoplankton. As this food source requires sunlight to facilitate the photosynthesis process, these foods are typically found in shallower depths of water, although some seaweeds can grow at depths of 100 meters.

    Natural Food that Attracts Carnivore Fish

    • Carnivore fish are those fish who primarily eat other animals. These meat-eating ocean dwellers are attracted to a wide range of food sources, from the microscopic zooplankton to other carnivore fish. Some species are carrion eaters and therefore are attracted to dead animals, while others serve as cleaner fish, cleaning fish of parasites. However, many species are attracted to the smaller herbivore fish. For this reason, carnivore fish are often attracted to areas where herbivore fish congregate, such as reefs, as are their omnivore cousins who will eat both plants and animals.

    Human-Introduced Food to Attract Herbivores

    • You can attract herbivore fish to an area with a variety of different types of food. In shallower waters, bread crumbs tossed into the water will often produce a variety of hungry fish eagerly nipping at the surface of the water to gobble up the floating bits of bread. There are also commercially prepared foods, many very similar to the saltwater fish foods available for aquarium enthusiasts, that attract plant eaters. There are even packages of these foods designed for underwater feeding of fish for snorkelers and divers.

    Human-Introduced Food to Attract Carnivore Fish

    • Chum will often produce a feeding frenzy in aggressive, carnivorous fish. Chum can be made from several different items and be effective in attracting fish. Chopped up fish is a common chum component. Other items, including canned cat food and canned dog food, which are often mixed with breads or pastas, are also used to attract carnivorous ocean fish.