Do Turtles Eat Fish?

By Staff WriterLast Updated March 27, 2020

Turtles including painted turtles and snapping turtles eat fish, but other smaller turtles with weaker jaws tend to eat insects or eggs. Almost all turtles eat plants on a regular basis.

Different types of turtles tend to eat different foods depending on their environment, size and strength.

Sea turtles: Most sea turtles will eat soft sea creatures such as jellyfish and sponges, but the stronger ones also eat shellfish. A small percentage of sea turtles, including green sea turtles, only eat algae and other plants.
Painted turtles: A common fresh water breed in North America that eats a lot of aquatic and land plants, worms, crickets, small shellfish and fish.
Snapping turtles: These turtles have strong jaws and like live food. They eat mostly small fish and insects.