What sort of critter eats fish heads only?

[optichamp]

In the big sheme of things this event ain't no big deal, but it still puzzled the heck out of me.

I'm working a bank near Frank's yesterday, when I find a 2 lb catfish floating in a patch of weeds, apparently just killed, its head bitten off, but the rest of the body intact. The fins were still wiggling. I didn't see any animals around, nor any birds. A week ago I did see an otter in the area.

It seems bizarre that the predator should take the least edible part, and leave the meaty part of the fish. What did it? a swimming Chupacabra? A goofy sea lion? A fugitive pike from Lake Davis? A rabid otter?

[ScottyJ]

Alligator or croc tried to grab the whole thing but only got the head. Theres a lot more of em in the delta than people realize. Careful where you swim

Scott

[Grant]

It was probably the aftermath of a feeding sea lion. I have seen them come up with a fish in their mouth and shake their upper body and head so violently that the fish is snapped in half. The sea lion probably could not find that half and swam off in search of other food.

[bruizer343]

sealions eat the bodies of the catfish and leave the heads.
I watch this show from my living room every year in the fall. Big sealions into disco and hold my lagoon all day, eating cats and stripers.

[Bill K]

Also, those pesky little otter's eat the head first, then work down the body. You may have scared some off just after the kill and meal began. Bill K

[Phil]

RIVER OTTERS