If you ask yourself what is the biggest fish in the world, you may not find an exact answer. After all, sometimes they disagree with the information that fishermen have. If we take into account the general statistics, we can confidently identify the main contenders for this position. It would probably be wrong to classify all the inhabitants of the underwater bottom according to one characteristic, so it is also worth deciding which is the largest freshwater fish lives in the world.
The largest fish in the ocean
According to official data, the largest fish living in the ocean depths is the whale shark.
Appearance
What does the largest fish in the world look like? The average size of a whale shark is 9.7 meters. The weight of individuals is 9 tons. Larger specimens are also found; in particular, a case of a whale shark was caught weighing 22 tons and measuring 12.6 meters in size.
Externally, the whale shark is very different from representatives of this species. The thick skin with placoid scales on the back is dark gray-brown in color, and on the belly it is gray-white. Her back is painted with a pattern of light stripes and spots, which create a unique individual pattern that does not change throughout life, like a person’s fingerprints.
The huge mouth of a whale shark reaches 1.5 meters in width. There are 300-350 small teeth in the mouth.
Habitat
This large fish lives throughout the world's oceans, but its population varies in different areas. Individuals prefer warm temperate and tropical waters. You can find representatives of the species in Florida and California. It lives in the Indian Ocean and swims to the coast of Africa. Not found in Japan, south of Brazil and northern Australia, does not swim in the Mediterranean Sea.
Whale sharks move in small groups; individuals rarely stay alone. If the habitat is rich in food, then they can form colonies of hundreds of representatives.
Nutrition
Despite its status as the largest fish in the world, the whale shark is not a hunter big catch. Her diet consists of:
- krill;
- shrimps;
- small fish;
- jellyfish;
- plankton, etc.
Basically, she eats everything she can suck into her huge mouth.
During feeding, the shark moves very slowly, often positioned almost vertically to the surface of the water. After taking a sip, the fish closes its mouth and lets water through the gill slits. The filtered food enters the stomach, and water exits through the gills. The shark makes about 10-16 gulps per minute. It takes quite a long time for her to get enough – about 7 hours a day.
Reproduction
Whale sharks reach sexual maturity at 30 years of age. Moreover, females become ready to reproduce earlier than males.
This large fish is ovoviviparous. The fry, about half a meter in size, hatch immediately from the shell. The number of babies can reach up to 300 individuals. The first couple of weeks they eat internal reserves of your body.
The whale shark is long-lived - its average age is about 80 years old.
The ocean is not the only habitat for huge fish. Now we will try to find out what the world's largest fish that lives in fresh water looks like. Based on statistical data, this is the beluga.
Appearance
This fish belongs to the sturgeon family and is listed in the Red Book. Beluga is considered an endangered species as it is hunted for its meat and black caviar.
Externally, it differs from other sturgeons with its large mouth. The fish has flattened antennae growing on its face. Her body is thick, cylindrical, with growths on her back, which are called bugs. Like most freshwater fish, the beluga is dark gray on its back, but its belly is much lighter.
The weight of an adult individual reaches 1500 kg or more, with a total length of about 6 meters.
Habitat
Beluga is not only a freshwater fish, as adults also live in sea water. Only there big beluga can find enough food. Migratory fish spawning is underway into fresh water bodies of rivers, where it gets from depths of the sea Caspian, Black and Azov seas. She also lives in the Adriatic and Mediterranean seas. Fish from the Caspian Sea most often breed in the Volga, Azov fish return to spawn in the Don River, and Black Sea individuals visit the Dnieper, Danube, and Dniester.
Nutrition
Due to its large size, the beluga consumes a lot of food. It is for this purpose that adults go to sea. There, its diet consists of animal food - beluga - a predator. Most often it feeds on herring, sprat, goby and small fish. In addition to fish, beluga can catch ducklings and seal pups (whites).
Reproduction
Like other long-lived fish, belugas become sexually mature at quite an adult age - at 12-14 years old for males, and at 16-18 years old for females. The fish, ready for reproduction, returns from the sea to the river. Migration occurs upstream. One individual can spawn once every few years. For spawning, beluga chooses a rocky bottom at depth. The eggs glued to stones and pebbles are fertilized by males swimming nearby. If for some reason the female fails to lay eggs, they dissolve inside her.
About 90% of the eggs die; after a week, the rest hatch into fry, which behave like predators from birth. Gradually they go downstream to the sea.
By nature, the beluga is destined to live a long life - up to 100 years or more. But rare individuals survive to this age, since the beluga, listed in the Red Book, is continuously hunted.
So, the answer to the question of what is the largest fish in the world is the whale shark. Beluga is rightfully the first among freshwater fish.
Photos of the largest river fish often show catfish. And this is most likely connected with the same question: do real cannibal catfish exist in reality? These huge fish are too mysterious and there are so many fables about them. But there is still evidence of catfish attacks on people in our time, given that giant individuals are still found. According to US zoology specialist David Wheeler, there are catfish weighing half a ton and measuring more than six meters. Such facts are given in his book about catfish of unprecedented sizes that still live in large bodies of water.
And in our time, catfish attacks on animals occur, the victims of which are usually pets and young cows, sheep, goats, as well as adults. People also became targets of attacks by underwater predators, and most often these were children. In the middle of the summer of 1982, researchers and rangers of the Khopyorsky Nature Reserve witnessed a catfish attack on a young deer and its death when a huge fish pulled it under water. Bears crossing the river also became victims of catfish. This is still talked about in the Siberian region.
So, the largest freshwater fish is the catfish? Among other things, and a cannibal? Quite possible. Here are some more facts, moreover, from very recent history. This happened in the Voronezh region at the end summer season, in the 90s. Near the village of Kulakovo, a boy and a woman became victims of an attack by a huge killer catfish. They swam in the evening in hunting areas of man-eating catfish.
Similar cases of people disappearing in the evening were recorded in China at a large reservoir. People went swimming and did not return from the water. The mystery of their disappearances was solved when a giant catfish measuring three meters in size was caught with human remains in its stomach. One head of this catfish was a meter in size.
It is difficult to judge whether this is true or not, but according to some sources, a five-meter catfish was found on the side of the vessel in a tug boat that sank on the river, which had made a hole in the hull. The remains of three were found in the monster's stomach. Polish tourists who, after the tugboat accident, moved to a small rescue vessel, but never made it to the shore. It was on the Dnieper.
Beluga
The list that includes the largest freshwater fish or river monsters should include the beluga. It would, of course, be in first place in size among the fish of Russia. But this huge fish is not a permanent and typical river inhabitant, since it is a migratory fish species and enters rivers only to spawn. Meanwhile, in the local history museum of the Republic of Mari El, among the exhibits there is a beluga weighing a ton, once caught in the Volga. But this is not the limit of the weight and size of the beluga. According to unspecified and unofficial data, not long ago individuals weighing up to 2 tons and up to 7-8 meters in length were encountered. Confirmed data indicate the capture of the largest specimen of this fish, weighing one and a half tons and 4.2 meters long. Some of the largest belugas are truly long-livers, as their age can be 100 years.
The biggest river fish in Russia, even if they do not constantly live in rivers, they nevertheless spend a very large part of their life there. This is due to the characteristics of reproduction. Being inhabitants of the Caspian, Black, Azov and, according to some information, the Adriatic seas, belugas come to spawn mostly in the Volga, as well as in the rivers: Ural, Terek and Kura. But if earlier these powerful and ancient fossil fish rose quite high along the Volga, to the middle reaches and higher, then with the emergence of the Volga cascade of dams and hydroelectric stations, the rise of the beluga stopped, at least to the previous levels.
The fish passages didn't help either. In addition, some dams either did not have them at all or did not work at full capacity. For example, at the Cheboksary hydroelectric power station in the first years, instead of fish passage structures, only an 8 cm grid was installed, on which passing large fish were cut and died, falling to the bottom under the release of water from the dam.
The largest river fish in the world hardly reached the size of the Russian beluga, at least those individuals that entered our rivers in the 18th and 19th centuries. Meanwhile, in our time, these valuable sturgeon fish, which once supplied a lot of tasty meat and delicious black caviar, are on the verge of extinction, despite the bans. And in the good old days, even a simple peasant could afford to taste the delicious beluga meat and the same delicious black caviar, and in large quantities. This happened one fine day in the year one thousand eight hundred and ninety-one, when a strong wind from the shore unexpectedly and quickly drove water from the bay of the Azov Sea near Taganrog. In a shallow puddle in the bay, this lucky guy found a beluga weighing 20 pounds (327 kg). There was almost 50 kilograms of black caviar in it. This is where you could eat plenty of real fish and black caviar, even with a tablespoon, simply!..
Siberian taimen
The largest freshwater fish in Russia are also found in Siberian rivers. And the largest and most beautiful predator of icy waters is taimen. This is the most ancient fish of all salmonids, since taimen lived about 18 million years ago. Most species and subspecies of taimen, including lenok and char, are predominantly freshwater, with the exception of the Sakhalin taimen, which at certain times adheres to river mouths and the desalinated part of the sea.
In our country, taimen live in the rivers of Siberia, as well as in the rivers of the Amur basin. These powerful and incredibly beautiful fish are the object of sport fishing according to the “catch and release” principle. This strict principle is a vital necessity, since the Siberian taimen is already an endangered fish species.
Among Russian fish, taimen stand out for their size and weight. The largest specimens recently reached a weight of a hundredweight and a length of two meters and a hook. Since 1993, the record has been held for the largest taimen caught on sports gear and released back into the waters of the river. The weight of this trophy fish was 41.95 kg. However, no, no, and the information will get out, they say, they caught a taimen weighing 50 kg, or even 80 kilograms, somewhere in a mountain river. In a word, taimen is the largest freshwater fish in our country beyond the Ural ridge.
Taimen are true predators, capable of swallowing large fish. Outwardly, this large fish looks like a living torpedo, for which strong currents and rapids of mountain rivers are no obstacle. The usual coloring of taimen consists of brown tones on the back and silver on the sides with dark spots. IN mating season these fish become even more beautiful. They are distinguished and bright by their red, almost orange ventral fins, as well as their juicy red anal and caudal fins with a copper tint.
The element of taimen is icy mountain rivers and the same lakes. The hunting grounds are pits immediately beyond the rapids, where tired small fish roll down and become prey for a predator. Taimen also stay in small groups and in places with an uneven bottom on stretches and even in river bays. If only there was depth in such a bay.
Pike
The category of the largest freshwater fish also includes pike. According to Leonid Pavlovich Sabaneev, pike weighing 48-64 kg were found not so long ago in northern and Siberian rivers. And predators weighing 100 pounds and weighing 20 kg are not particularly rare in Russian waters, especially in the expanses of the Volga reservoirs. The pike caught during the reign of the German Emperor Barbarossa, which was 5.7 meters long and weighed 140 kg, is considered legendary. She was ringed and thrown into the lake. The pike lived for more than 200 years in this lake and, when caught, was whitish in color, as if faded with age. The skeleton and ring of this pike are still kept in one of the museums in Germany. True, there are doubts about the authenticity of these artifacts, since the maximum age of pike is estimated by leading ichthyologists at 33 years.
Even in forest peat lakes there were giant pikes. The 30-kilogram pikes of Lake Luzhier were written about in the pre-war newspapers of the Mari Volga region. Large in area, but only 2-3 meters deep, this peat interdune lake still remains a haven for large pike. The lake's tenants, who set themselves the goal of completely catching predators and releasing cultivated fish species, failed to cope with this task. The lake seemed to have a second bottom where predators were hiding. And in the process of seine fishing, fishermen saw giant fish exiting and jumping through the net, and also observed live logs in shallow areas. Log pikes came out onto the shallows to escape the net. And the fishermen simply did not dare to catch them, despite the reach of the prey. A similar giant pike, which can be judged not only by descriptions and stories, was caught in Lake Ilmen. She weighed 34 kilograms. And the authenticity of the capture of a large predator is confirmed by a black and white photograph, which can easily be attributed to the series - photographs of the largest river fish.
Predators weighing 12-16 kg even now often become prey for winter pike fishermen.
Carp and carp
According to the information presented in the books of L.P. Sabaneeva, carp and its cultivated variety, carp, were in ancient times truly gigantic in size and weight. The record holder of that time can be called a carp weighing more than three pounds, or more precisely, 55.6 kg. This fish was caught with hooks, gear that is now used by poachers. There were rumors of a 68.5 kg carp caught in a net. Nowadays, these fish also come in large sizes and heavy weight. At least, carp weighing 20-30 kg are considered not very rare prey, especially in the lower reaches of the Volga, and are called trophy fish that every angler dreams of catching.
These powerful and large fish, encased in strong silver-golden scales, are also included in the category of the largest freshwater fish, only among the relatively peaceful underwater inhabitants. Why - conditionally? Any, even the most herbivorous and peaceful-looking fish, having reached a certain age and size, becomes to some extent a predator and is not averse to swallowing fry.
In addition to the Volga delta, large carp are found in paid reservoirs, where, with proper feeding and regulated fishing, they quickly reach large sizes and weights, since the peculiarity of these fish is their rapid growth.
The largest river fish in the world
The largest freshwater fish or river monsters are also widely represented in the rivers of other continents. Moreover, some of them are related to our Russian predators, for example, the American musky pike. It is also called the giant pike.
musky pike
The Muskinong is almost no different in appearance from our pike, but in size this predator is comparable to our pikes of previous centuries and long ago. External differences Only a specialist or a person who knows these differences in advance will find it. Firstly, the musky has no scales on the lower part of the gill covers and the edges of the caudal fin are sharper than those of our common pike. The muskie is distinguished by the sensory points that the lower jaw of the fish has. This pike has more of them than the Russian predator, most often over seven. Pike in our waters have no more than six. The color and stripes that turn into spots often coincide, especially if the conditions, that is, when the color of the water and soil also coincide in the American predator with the living conditions of our pikes.
Maskinongs can be up to 1.8 meters long and sometimes weigh 30-32 kg. But most often fishermen come across them using sports gear, so to speak, in the middle weight categories - 2.5 m long and weighing 16 kg.
Like our pikes, muskies prefer river bays with weak currents or standing water. The hunting objects of these predatory fish are also similar. Like the pikes of our rivers and lakes, muskellunges hunt fish and all living things that fit into their mouths: chicks, birds, frogs, crayfish, snakes, mice, muskrats.
The armored pike is also a relative of the pikes mentioned above, but rather a distant relative. It is also a serious fish that falls under the definition of being the largest freshwater fish.
Bull shark
But this is a real monster, which cannot be called a good fish, because, like all sharks, this predator is a real aggressor. The bull shark is found both in the vast expanses of the ocean and in the coastal zone. But this same shark can also be found in the most ordinary freshwater body of water: a river or even a stream, as long as the depth of this stream allows this powerful fish, which often reaches a size of more than 2.5 meters and a weight of 312 kilograms, to accommodate it. The insidious feature of such a shark is that it often stays in the shallow coastal waters of beaches and can be dangerous, as it is an aggressive and ruthless predator. This shark easily falls into the category of one of the largest fish in the world and can often be found in a series of photos of the largest river fish.
White sturgeon
White sturgeon is also giant fish and among the sturgeon family North America- this is its largest representative. Moreover, this fish can be called the largest among freshwater fish of this continent. The largest individuals of this species reach a length of about 4 meters and these sturgeons weigh almost half a ton. These fish also differ in their life expectancy, which is 100 years or even more. Therefore, old fish, one can say without exaggeration, have seen a lot in their lifetime.
Nile perch
This is another relative of our domestic fish, or rather, perch, familiar to all “sailors”. Only the size of the overseas brother is impressive and awe-inspiring. As the name suggests, this “perch,” reaching a length of 1.8 meters and a weight of more than 180 kg, lives in the always muddy Nile River, and also in the rivers of Niger, Congo, and Senegal. Like our perches, the Nile perch has yellow eyes with black pupils. But the coloring of this perch is somewhat different, without stripes, instead of which the sides shine with silver with some bluish tints, which makes this seasoned predator very beautiful.
Alligator garfish
The largest river fish in the world are represented by another species that is truly a monster. This is an alligator garfish. The appearance of this monster is almost a copy of the alligator crocodile, at least that’s what the fish’s head looks like. But, despite such a picturesque and fiercely aggressive appearance, these fish have never attacked people before, in any case, no such information has been received. These inhabitants of the deep waters are also not offended by their size. Garfish alligators can weigh up to 140 kilograms with a length of 3 meters.
Arapaima gigantea
This is a fish that really deserves to be on the list - the largest freshwater fish. Specimens 3 meters long and weighing more than 68 kilograms are not uncommon in the waters of the Amazon. Confirmed data speak of arapaima weighing up to 200 kg. This is a fast and furious predator that not only manages to catch up and swallow fish, but also jumps to reach birds and small animals sitting in trees.
Arapaima can live in the most impassable swamps, where the water is very poor in oxygen. But this cunning fish has adapted to breathe and atmospheric air, for which it needs to rise to the surface of the reservoir at certain intervals, which are about 20 minutes. The giant arapaima is protected by very dense and strong scales, but this did not save it from extermination by local native tribes, who from time immemorial caught this fish for food. These fish are now protected and are likely to be farmed.
Goliath Tigerfish
The largest freshwater fish will be horrified by the appearance of another real monster, which will frighten even any predator with the sight of its terrible teeth, since the Goliath tiger fish is a giant piranha. In addition to the fact that it is one of the largest fish and reaches a length of 180 cm and weighs 50 kilograms, this fish is also the most dangerous among all types of predatory fish.
And this danger threatens both a weak person and an equally bloodthirsty strong crocodile. And the teeth of the goliath fish even bite through metal leashes if the metal chosen for them is not the most durable. Apart from the Congo River, these fish are not found anywhere else.
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Fish a little more than half a meter long, living in fresh water, look very large, but among freshwater fish there are a variety of species that are so large in length and weight that it is difficult to imagine.
Of course, the inhabitants of the deep sea have a wider variety of shapes and sizes, but some rivers and lakes are home to unique species of the largest freshwater fish in the world.
Fishing enthusiasts should always exercise great caution, especially when fishing in unfamiliar water bodies. It is unknown to what size a catfish or perch could grow in the deep waters of an unvisited lake. So it won’t be long before you yourself become the prey of some two-meter pike. 🙂
10. Carp (Cyprinus carpio)
Carp (carp)- a large omnivorous fish that lives in fresh water bodies with stagnant water and a muddy bottom. The body is covered with large scales and has a golden hue. A very voracious fish, capable of eating almost the whole day. Carps eat young shoots of reeds and others aquatic plants, as well as mollusks, aquatic insects and even the eggs of other fish and frogs. Since the average size of this fish is small, it ranks last among the ten largest freshwater fish in the world. The largest carp was caught in 2015 in Hungary. His weight was 48 kg.
9.
paddlefish is a large freshwater fish that inhabits bodies of water in the eastern United States, particularly the rivers flowing into the Gulf of Mexico. Most common in Mississippi and its associated lakes. On average, adults reach a size of 221 cm and a weight of 90.7 kg. They live long, up to 55 years. These freshwater fish are the only sturgeon species that feed on zooplankton, phytoplankton, as well as the remains (detritus) and secretions of invertebrate animals.
8.
Siberian taimen (Russian salmon)- a species of predatory freshwater fish belonging to the salmon family. These fish inhabit the fast and cold waters of Siberia, Altai and Far East. It is not in vain that it is considered the largest salmon in the world: such a fish can be 1 m in length and weigh 50-60 kg. The taimen is not whimsical in its choice of food; it preys on all types of fish that are smaller in size. It has different colors, but you can recognize it by its olive-green head, reddish-brown tail and 8-10 transverse stripes on the sides. The lifespan of taimen is significantly longer than that of other salmon. Thanks to this, fish can grow to above average sizes.
The largest taimen in the world was caught in the Krasnoyarsk Territory on the Kotui River in 1943. The weight of this fish was 105 kg and the length was 210 cm.
7.
Shelled pike- ray-finned fish of the armored family. Swims in fresh and brackish waters of Central and North America. This is not only one of the largest freshwater fish on the planet, but also one of the most ancient - the ancestors of this species lived on Earth more than 100 million years ago. It got its name for its truly terrifying appearance: its long body is covered with thick, shell-like scales, and its sharp muzzle has powerful jaws with four rows of teeth. Armored freshwater pikes can reach 3 m in length and weigh up to 136 kg. It mainly eats small fish, but can also attack humans.
6. Nile perch (Lates niloticus)
Nile perch- the largest freshwater fish in the world from the genus Perciformes. Found in water bodies of Africa (Nile, Senegal, Congo, etc.). We are used to catching perches “on the palm” and more, but this species grows up to 2 m in length and weighs up to 200 kg. The average length of the African freshwater perch will be 120-140 cm. The fish has a silver color with a blue tint. It feeds on smaller fish, insects, crayfish, and also does not disdain its relatives.
5.
Brazilian arapaima is a tropical freshwater fish from the Aravan family. Distributed in lakes and rivers South America. The body of this fish has a greenish color in the front, with a smooth transition to red in the tail, and incredibly durable scales. Thanks to its reliable protection, the arapaima coexists with such ferocious predators as piranhas. It mainly feeds on fish, and on occasion birds and small animals. The average length is 2 meters, but there are individuals up to 3 meters and weighing 200 kg.
The Brazilian arapaima has a unique feature - it is able to breathe atmospheric air.
4.
Mekong catfish (shilbo catfish)- ray-finned fish of the pangasian catfish family. Inhabits the rivers of Thailand: Mekong and Tonle Sap. The largest specimen was 2.7 m in length and weighed 293 kg. These freshwater fish eat phytoplankton and algae and also prey on fish and small animals. Due to excessive fishing, there is a possibility of complete extinction of this species. According to some data, over the past 14 years its population in the world has decreased by 80%. Therefore, the Shilbo catfish is included in the International Red Book.
3.
Common catfish- a large bottom-dwelling fish without scales that lives in deep fresh waters lakes and rivers, Europe, Asia and parts of Russia. This fish is a real giant among aquatic creatures. Therefore, it is included in the same list with the largest freshwater fish in the world. At great depth and sufficient quantity food, it can grow up to 5 m long and weigh up to 400 kg. There is no official confirmation of the second figure, but there are many eyewitness accounts. For such sizes, you need a lot of food. Some sources say that catfish feed exclusively on carrion. In fact, these fish prefer to hunt small fish, crustaceans, waterfowl, aquatic insects, small mammals and even their relatives.
Catfish are very large predatory fish with an aggressive character, living in fresh water, including in places where people bathe. In this regard, they pose a danger to humans, because may cause quite serious injuries. There is official evidence of attacks by two-meter catfish on people.
2.
White sturgeon is the third largest in the sturgeon family. Inhabits the fresh waters of North America and is considered the largest cultural heritage British Columbia. The sturgeon loves to live in the calm waters of the west coast and is large in size: up to 6 m long and weighing up to 816 kg. The fish is very aggressive, has a characteristic gray color with white spots and diamonds on the sides and back. Sturgeons live for a very long time, longer than humans, up to 100-110 years, and can reproduce only from the age of 14 (males) and 18 (females). The predator eats mollusks, crustaceans, worms and fish.
1. Beluga (Huso huso)
Beluga- a large freshwater fish from the sturgeon family, living in the Caspian, Black and Azov seas. This fish grows to enormous sizes: 4-5 meters in length and weighs up to one and a half tons. According to unconfirmed reports, there were individuals 9 m long and weighing up to 2 tons. That is why the beluga is the largest freshwater fish in the world. Feeds different types fish, shellfish, but prefers sprat, gobies, and herring. Beluga is a valuable commercial fish because... it contains the most expensive caviar in the world – black. The cost of a kilogram of black caviar in Europe can exceed 7,000 euros. Beluga is listed in the Red Book.
Another large one also belongs to the beluga genus commercial fish – kaluga (Huso dauricus). We did not include it in the ranking of the largest freshwater fish in the world to make our TOP 10 more diverse. Lives in the Amur River. Grown-up individuals feed on minnows and other small fish, and later they eat silver carp, carp, salmon, grass carp, and sometimes their relatives. It can grow up to 5-6 meters long, and the maximum recorded weight of the “Queen of Amur” is 600 kg. This giant was caught by a Chinese fisherman in 2012. There is an assumption that previously there were fish weighing up to a ton. Included in the international and Russian Red Book. Kaluga is a freshwater fish, but is able to adapt to life in salty sea water.
Gray bull shark (bluntnose) lives in tropical and subtropical waters of all oceans. Belongs to the family of gray sharks, whose representatives can live in both salt and fresh water and is the largest of them. Among all species of living sharks, it has the greatest bite force - up to 6000 Newton. According to some data, it reaches a length of 3.5-4 m and a weight of up to 400 kg. Females are larger than males, aggressive and merciless. The bull shark hunts in the shallowest freshwater bodies near sandy beaches. Although this is a large fish, we did not include it in the rating, since freshwater rivers and lakes are not its main habitat.
- The smallest freshwater fish in the world is dwarf pandaka (Pandaka pygmaea). It has an almost transparent colorless body. Found in the lakes of the Philippine island of Luzon. It grows no more than 1 centimeter and weighs 4-5 mg.
- The largest fish in the world, among the inhabitants of both fresh and salt waters - whale shark (Rhincodon typus).
Interesting facts about the largest freshwater fish in the world.
Reading time: 9 min.
The water expanses of our planet hide huge monsters - fish that frighten with their size. Some of them pose no danger to humans and are hunted, others are ferocious predators that can easily fend for themselves. The Big Rating portal would like to present to your attention a list of the largest fish in the world. Giants are considered to be those individuals that reach a length of more than two meters and their weight is more than one hundredweight.
Giant grouper or guasa
Average length - more than 2.5 meters
The giant grouper or guasa occupied the last line of the rating. Its distribution area is tropical shallow waters in the Caribbean Sea, and it is also sometimes found in the coastal waters of Brazil. Its length is two and a half meters, this is the average for this species. The food for grouper is sea turtle and octopus. Giant groupers are listed in the Red Book, and catching them is punishable by law. Entry into the book rare species has borne fruit - the fish population is gradually increasing. This species is dangerous to humans; if anyone swims into the territory of an individual, it will immediately defend it.
Psephur or Chinese dragonfish
Average length - 3 meters
This fish is found in the waters of the Yangtze River, it is the largest representative of the ray-finned class, which is found in fresh water. The length of the Chinese billfish is 3 meters, and its weight sometimes reaches three hundred kilograms. According to unconfirmed reports, 7-meter psefurs were also caught, but there is no evidence other than the words of fishermen. The food for the Chinese bullfish is crustaceans and small fish. This is an endangered species that has not been seen anywhere other than the waters of the Yangtze River.
Average length - 2 meters
is the largest and most unusual bony fish, it is found in warm waters all the seas of the Earth. Its habitat is very wide - you can observe it in the waters of the Kuril Islands and you might as well see it off the coast of Iceland. This fish has a very strange body structure: it is compressed on the sides and looks similar to the halo of the moon's disk. Instead of scales, the fish has small bony tubercles. With a length of more than two meters, the fish can weigh about one and a half tons. According to official data, a three-meter specimen was spotted, and there are also rumors that a four-meter-long sunfish was seen in Sydney. This fish is not dangerous to humans; on the contrary, it is an object of hunting and fishing for fishermen.
Average length – 3 meters
This fish is found in fresh waters and today this species is on the verge of extinction. Its habitat is the Azov, Caspian and Black Seas. Fish has been a commercial commodity for a long time; beluga caviar was one of the most expensive delicacies. In 1989, a fish 4.2 meters long was caught on the Volga River, its weight was a thousand kilograms. Now a stuffed animal of this fish is housed in the Astrakhan museum. Beluga can live up to a hundred years; this unique fish lays up to 50 thousand eggs during spawning. It feeds on small fish and poses no danger to humans.
Average length - 4.5 meters
In sixth place in our ranking is a giant freshwater stingray. The sea stingray is very popular, but much fewer people know about its huge freshwater brothers. It lives in the waters of rivers in Indonesia, Thailand and Malaysia. The average specimen is 4.5 meters long and weighs 450–500 kilograms. The giant freshwater stingray is also found in the coastal waters of Australia, New Guinea and the island of Borneo. Stingrays are not dangerous to people if handled with care. The freshwater stingray has two huge spines on its tail, which perform different functions: one spine holds prey, and the second injects a toxic substance. When catching stingrays, you need to be as careful as possible; they swing their tail so intensely that they can injure you.
Average length - 5 meters
The common catfish is one of the largest freshwater fish and is in fifth position on our list. The length of this giant sometimes reaches up to five meters, and it can weigh up to 500 kilograms. This fish is a predator that hunts at night and rests during the day. Its diet consists of fish, shellfish and crustaceans.
The largest specimens attack birds and small animals. There are many legends associated with these fish, allegedly they can hunt people, but there is no official confirmation of this. But purely theoretically, a large catfish can drag down a person who is entangled in a net.
Average length - 5 meters
Blue marlin
In appearance, this fish is very beautiful, even with its enormous size. The huge length of 5 meters is truly daunting, with one fifth of the length being the spear. The difference in size between females and males is clearly expressed; females are much larger. The habitat of this giant is the Atlantic Ocean. Marlins are the most favorite fish among professional fishermen. If you manage to catch a blue marlin, consider yourself very lucky. Ernest Hemingway, in his legendary story “The Old Man and the Sea,” described the confrontation between an old fisherman and a blue marlin.
Average length -11 meters This is a very unusual-looking fish and its length is especially striking - 11 meters. Its habitat is Pacific, Atlantic and Indian Ocean . In appearance, the herring king looks like a huge sea snake
. With a body thickness of 5 cm, this fish can reach up to 5.5 m in length. According to unconfirmed reports, specimens up to 17 meters have been found. The belt fish is called the herring king, which is not at all accidental. This fish is often seen swimming in a school of herring, and the elongated rays of the dorsal fin look like a kind of “crown”.
The largest and most dangerous sea predator - White shark. The average size of this cartilaginous fish is 4.6 meters, but it is documented that individuals were caught that exceeded 6 meters in length. The weight of a great white shark can reach several thousand kilograms. This fish poses a great danger to humans. It can hunt in coastal waters and is quite capable of attacking humans. This is explained by the fact that this fish has very poor eyesight, and it can confuse a person with a huge turtle, or something that can threaten. Cases have been recorded of white sharks attacking fishermen's boats. Its diet includes large fish, dolphins, pinnipeds, sea turtles and birds. This is an endangered species; the white shark population is 3.5 thousand individuals.
Average length - 10 meters
At the top of our list, without a doubt, is the whale shark - the largest fish in the world. The average individual reaches 10 meters in length, but specimens of 12 meters have also been recorded. Science does not deny the existence of larger whale sharks, which reach 19-20 meters in length. This fish is not dangerous for humans, even with such monstrous sizes, since its main diet is plankton. This is one of the calmest fish - scuba divers can touch it without any fear, you can even ride on its back.