09.09.2013

The ocean isn't the only place to find giant fish that might make you want to take your rod on vacation for the long haul. Hippo fish can be found hiding in muddy waters our freshwater rivers and lakes. While the typical freshwater fish are smaller than their counterparts in the salty waters of the oceans, some of them can grow to enormous sizes. Getting to know these freshwater giants can make you look at freshwater a little differently. This is the top 10 The largest freshwater fish.

No. 10. Siberian taimen

Also known as chum salmon, the Siberian taimen is a species big fish belonging to the salmon family. This fish is found in various colors depending on the geographical location, but, as a rule, it has an olive-green head, gradually turning into a reddish-brown hue on the tail. Some of their fins are dark red, and their belly is usually white, but can sometimes appear dark grey. Taimen is the largest salmon in the world. The weight of the fish caught varies between 15 and 30 kg depending on their age. The largest Siberian salmon that has been reliably reported reached 104 kg. It was caught on the Kotui River in Russia.

No. 9. Carp

Carp are found throughout the world in many freshwater bodies of water. Carp can grow to gigantic sizes. This is one of various kinds freshwater fish that belong to the carp family, the largest group that originated in Europe and Asia. The carp-shaped katlya (also known as the Indian carp) is the largest and reaches a length of 182 centimeters. It is followed by the White Amur carp, which has a maximum length of 150 centimeters.

No. 8. Nile Perch

Nile perch - on the eighth line in the top 10 largest freshwater fish in the world, this is a type of freshwater fish that belongs to the perch family. Its homeland is the Nile, Congo, Senegal and Niger rivers (also other river basins that I have not mentioned). This perch is silver in color, but it has a unique blue hue. You will notice its distinct black eyes with bright yellow rings on the outer rim. The Nile perch is one of the largest freshwater fish in the world, reaching in some cases over 1.8 meters in length. The largest of these fish weigh over 182 kg.

No. 7. Catfish

Catfish feed on the bottom. They are the best as far as the bottom of the lake is concerned. Some of the largest catfish reached the mass over 227 kg. You may encounter catfish in freshwater environments, usually with running water and colorful rocky bottom.

No. 6. Paddlefish

It was once believed that paddlefish with their muzzles pull out vegetation at the bottom of rivers and lakes. There was a time when paddlefish were widespread in the river systems of the United States. But due to increased exploitation of water resources, their population has declined significantly. One of the main reasons for the decline was a large number of dams we build on our rivers. These dams block their migratory routes, which are very important for paddlefish during spawning and healthy growth.

No. 5. Bull shark

You can encounter bull sharks in warm oceans and coastal areas. They can also be found in freshwater streams if they are deep enough. Female bull sharks are larger than males. At birth, they can reach 3 meters in length. Adults average about 2.5 meters in length. largest recorded the weight of the bull shark was 312 kg . It is one of the largest freshwater fish species. The bull shark is said to be considered a super-aggressive species. They often hide in the shallow waters of beaches and exhibit aggressive behavior.

No. 4. White sturgeon

The White Sturgeon is a freshwater fish species that plays an important role in the social heritage and culture of British Columbia. It is the largest of the sturgeons in North America, and in addition, the largest of the freshwater fish species in North America. A recently caught white sturgeon in British Columbia was almost 4 meters long and weighed almost half a ton . The white sturgeon has an extremely long lifespan. Some of them live over 100 years. This means that they were alive even when British Columbia was not yet part of Canada. The white sturgeon is able to spawn many times throughout its life. Due to their long lifespan, white sturgeons grow slowly and are not able to breed until males are 14 years old and females 18.

No. 3. Alligator garfish

Alligator Sargan is a streamlined fish with a head that at first glance resembles an alligator. The alligator garfish is the largest fish of its kind. It can grow to over 3 meters in length and weigh more than 136 kg . Despite the aggressive appearance, there are no reports of attacks on humans yet.

No. 2. Giant freshwater stingray

This is one of the fish species that can scare you just at the mere mention of it. The giant freshwater stingray is one of the largest freshwater fish in the world. weighing from 495 to 590 kg . Unfortunately, the number of these fish is rapidly declining due to overfishing and rapid habitat loss. They are in danger of extinction. In Thailand, the giant freshwater stingray is an endangered species. If you try to catch a giant freshwater stingray, it can sink the boat. They are known for burrowing into mud when caught in a net.

No. 1. Beluga

The largest freshwater fish in the world , beluga- this representative of the sturgeon family is the first number in the list of the largest freshwater fish. Despite the same names, freshwater beluga whales have nothing in common with beluga whales. Belugas can grow to monstrous sizes, in part because they can be up to 118 years old, during which time they never stop growing. The largest beluga reached 7.4 meters in length and weighed 1570 kg . The sad fact is that these large individuals are becoming rarer and rarer. This is due to the increase in the intensity of fishing. Beluga is a type of fish that produces black caviar, considered a delicacy throughout the world. Beluga caviar is scarce and expensive. Due to the fact that the existence of this fish is now in a critical state, beluga caviar is even more expensive than before.

I also suggest you watch an interesting and informative video about huge carps:

The ocean isn't the only place you can find giant fish. Freshwater inhabitants are smaller than their counterparts in marine waters, there are a select few that can grow to enormous sizes.

website compiled for you a list of the 10 largest freshwater fish in the world:

Siberian taimen, also known as Siberian salmon, is a species of fish that belongs to the Salmoniformes family of salmon.

This fish is getting different color, depending on the geographical direction, but usually have olive-green heads that blend with a reddish-brown tint on the tail. Some of their fins are dark red in color and their belly is usually white but sometimes dark grey.

Taimen are the largest salmon in the world and reach a weight of 13.5 to 27 kg. The largest representative of the Siberian salmon was caught in the Kotui River in Russia - 105 kg. and 2.5 m in length.

Carp are a number of different species of freshwater fish belonging to the Cyprinidae family, which is a very large group.

Indian carp, which had the largest maximum length, reached 182 centimeters.

Native to the rivers Nile, Congo, Senegal and Niger. Perch is silver, but it has a unique blue hue. You will notice his distinct black eyes which have a bright yellow ring on the outer rim.

The Nile perch is one of the largest freshwater fish in the world, in some cases reaching a length of more than 180 cm. The largest of these fish weighed more than 180 kg.

Catfish is a bottom inhabitant of lakes. Some of the largest catfish have been recorded in excess of 220 kg. They live in freshwater environments, usually in shallow running water.

Paddlefish feed on plankton and swim with their mouths open all the time. They reach a length of more than 2 meters and a mass of 90 kilograms. They were found in abundant numbers in the river systems of the United States, but due to over-harvesting, their population has been greatly reduced. The main reason for the decline in the number of paddlefish is the number of dams that block their migration routes, which is very important for their reproduction and health.

Bull shark or bull shark

You can find the bull shark in warm oceans, coastal areas and freshwater streams if they are deep enough.

Female bull sharks are larger than males. At birth, they can be up to 91 centimeters long. Adults average about 2.5 meters in length. The largest recorded weight of a bull shark was 320 kg.

The bull shark is considered a super-aggressive species. They often hide on shallow beaches and show their completely unscrupulous behavior at the slightest danger.

The white sturgeon is a species of freshwater fish that plays an important role in the social heritage and culture of British Columbia. This is the most large view sturgeons and the largest freshwater representative of all of North America. Recently, a white sturgeon was caught in British Columbia, almost 4 meters long and weighing half a ton.

The white sturgeon has an extremely long life. Some of them have lived for over 100 years. They are able to reproduce many times during their life. Due to their long lifespan, white sturgeon grow slowly and do not breed until males are 14 years old and females are over 18 years old.

Mississippi shellfish, alligator gar

The Mississippi shellfish is a streamlined fish with a flat head and at first glance might look like an alligator. The alligator gar is the largest of the gar species. It can grow up to 3 meters in length and weigh over 165 kg. They are an aggressive species, but no attacks on humans have been recorded.

The giant freshwater stingray is one of the largest freshwater fish in the world, weighing between 500 and 590 kg.

Unfortunately, the number of these fish is rapidly declining due to overfishing and constant habitat loss. In Thailand, the giant freshwater stingray is considered endangered.

A giant freshwater stingray is able to pull the boat under water if it gets caught in a net or on a spinning hook.

Beluga (not to be confused with bulukha) is a member of the sturgeon family. And rightfully takes first place in the list of the largest freshwater fish. They can grow to monstrous sizes, partly because they have a lifespan of 180 years, and during that time they never stop growing.

The largest recorded beluga was 7 in length and weighed 1569 kg.

Beluga black caviar is considered a delicacy all over the world. Due to the fact that this fish is endangered, caviar is very expensive.

05/11/2015 at 16:22 · Johnny · 33 450

Top 10 largest freshwater fish in the world

Once in the oceans and seas were discovered big fish people began to fear them. Everyone was afraid of how the big freshwater inhabitants satisfy their hunger. After all, the larger a fish, the more food it needs to feed. Therefore, in order to satisfy the needs of their growing body for food, freshwater giants begin to eat their smaller relatives of different species. Typically, fish are classified according to features such as genus, species, and the like. We tried to do it based on their size. Here is the list of top 10 largest freshwater fish in the world.

10.

Taimen - big fish from the genus salmon, therefore it is often called nothing more than “Russian salmon”. Its habitat is major rivers and lakes of Siberia, Far East and Altai. The predator is able to reach 1 m or more in length and up to 55-60 kg in weight. This species is famous for its aggressive and merciless character. It is believed that the taimen is able to feed on its own cubs. For this freshwater species there are no food restrictions. Russian salmon eats literally everything that comes in its way.

9. Catfish

Catfish is a large freshwater scaleless fish. It lives in lakes, rivers of the European part of Russia, as well as in Europe and the Aral Sea basin. IN good conditions this species grows up to 5 m in length and at the same time gains weight up to 300-400 kg. Despite their large size, the body of catfish is extremely flexible. This allows an active nocturnal predator to quickly get their own food. There is a misconception that this species feeds only on carrion or spoiled food. But it's not. In fact, the main food for catfish are fry, small crustaceans and aquatic insects. And then, such a diet in freshwater fish is only early stage development. Later, it is replenished with live fish, various shellfish and other freshwater animals. There are even cases when the largest catfish attacked small domestic animals and waterfowl.

8.

Nile perch can be found in rivers, lakes and ponds tropical Africa. It is especially common in the Ethiopian region. The body of a restive predator reaches a length of 1-2 meters and a weight of 200 or more kg. The Nile perch eats crustaceans and different types fish.

7.

Beluga belongs to the sturgeon family. This large fish lives in the depths of the Azov, Black and Caspian seas. Beluga can reach a whole ton in weight. At the same time, its body length will be more than 4 meters. Real long-livers belong to this species. The predator can live up to 100 years. In food, the beluga prefers such types of fish as herring, gobies, sprat, etc. Also, the fish likes to eat shellfish, and sometimes it hunts seal cubs - pups.

6.

The white sturgeon is the largest fish found in North America and is ranked sixth in our ranking. biggest fish in the world. It is distributed in fresh waters from the Aleutian Islands to central California. The predator grows up to 6 m in length and can gain weight of 800 kg. This species of large fish is extremely aggressive. Mostly white sturgeon lives at the bottom. The predator feeds on mollusks, worms, and fish.

5.

The paddlefish is a huge freshwater fish that lives primarily in the Mississippi River. Representatives of this species can also be found in a number of big rivers that flow into the Gulf of Mexico. The predatory paddlefish does not pose a threat to humans. However, he likes to feed on individuals of his own species or other fish. And yet most of those who belong to this species are herbivores. They prefer to eat only herbs and plants that usually grow in the depths of fresh water. The maximum recorded body length of the paddlefish is 221 cm. The largest fish can gain weight up to 90 kg. The average life expectancy of a paddlefish is 55 years.

4.

Carp is a very large omnivorous fish. This species lives in almost all freshwater rates, reservoirs, rivers and lakes. At the same time, carp prefers to populate quiet, stagnant waters with a hard clay and slightly silted bottom. It is believed that the largest individuals live in Thailand. Carp can reach a weight of more than one hundred kilograms. Typically, fish of this species live for about 15-20 years. The diet of carp includes small fish. Also, predators like to feast on caviar of other fish, crustaceans, worms, insect larvae. During the hunt, it is typical for this species to kill a large number of small fish, because the carp needs food all the time, as it belongs to such fish as stomachless.

3. Skat

Third place on our list of ten most largest freshwater fish in the world occupies a ramp. Skat is beautiful predatory fish, which can be found both in tropical seas, in the waters of the Arctic and Antarctica, as well as in fresh water. Most of all fish of this species are common in Asia. Inhabit slopes and shallow water, and depth. The most gigantic individuals reach up to 7-8 m in length. In this case, the slope can gain weight up to 600 kg. Large fish feed mainly on echinoderms, crayfish, mollusks and small fish.

2. Giant Mekong catfish

The giant Mekong catfish lives in the fresh waters of Thailand. It is considered the largest member of its species and therefore is often considered and studied separately from its congeners. The body width of the giant Mekong catfish sometimes reaches more than 2.5 m. The maximum weight of this fish species is 600 kg. Giant Mekong catfish feed on live fish and small freshwater animals.

1. Alligator Gar

Alligator Gar (armored pike) is considered a real monster. This exotic looking giant fish has been living in the freshwater rivers of the southeastern United States of America for over 100 million years. This species is named for its elongated snout and double row of fangs. Alligator Gar has the ability to spend time on land, but not more than 2 hours. The weight of the fish can reach 166 kg. Three meters is the usual length for individuals of this species. Alligator Gar is known for his ferocious and bloodthirsty nature. Feeds over small fish, but repeated cases of predator attacks on people have been recorded.

Catching the largest freshwater fish in the world: video

Readers' Choice:

Asking the question, what is the largest fish in the world, you can not find an exact answer to it. After all, sometimes they diverge from the information that fishermen own. If we take into account the overall statistics, we can confidently identify the main contenders for this position. Perhaps it would be wrong to classify all the inhabitants of the underwater bottom according to the same characteristics, so you should also decide which is the largest freshwater fish that lives in the world.

The biggest fish in the ocean

According to official data, the whale shark is the largest fish living in the ocean depths.

Appearance

What does the biggest fish in the world look like? The average size of a whale shark is 9.7 meters. The weight of individuals is 9 tons. There are also larger individuals, in particular, a case of catching a whale shark weighing 22 tons and measuring 12.6 meters was recorded.

Outwardly, the whale shark is very different from representatives of this species. The thick skin in placoid scales on the back has a dark gray-brown 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 human fingerprints.

The huge mouth of the whale shark is 1.5 meters wide. There are 300-350 small teeth in the mouth.

Habitat

This large fish lives throughout the oceans, but its population is not the same in different areas. Individuals prefer warm temperate and tropical waters. You can meet representatives of the species in Florida, 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.

Whale sharks move in a small group, rarely individuals stay alone. If the habitat is rich in food, then they can form colonies of hundreds of representatives.

Nutrition

Despite the status of the largest fish in the world, the whale shark is not a hunter of large prey. Her diet is:

• krill;
• shrimps;
• small fish;
• jellyfish;
• plankton, etc.

In general, she eats everything that she can suck into her huge mouth.

While feeding, the shark moves very slowly, often positioning itself almost vertically to the surface of the water. After taking a sip, the fish closes its mouth and passes water through the gill slits. Filtered food enters the stomach, and water exits through the gills. The shark takes about 10-16 sips per minute. It takes quite a long time to get enough - about 7 hours a day.

reproduction

Whale sharks reach sexual maturity at 30 years of age. Moreover, females become ready for breeding earlier than males.

This large fish is ovoviviparous. Fry about half a meter in size hatch immediately from the shell. The number of babies can reach up to 300 individuals. For the first couple of weeks, they feed on the internal reserves of their body.

The long-lived whale shark is her 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 statistics, 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 caviar.

Outwardly, it differs from other sturgeons in its large mouth. Flattened antennae grow on the face of the fish. Her body is thick, cylindrical, with growths on the back, which are called bugs. Like most freshwater fish, the color of the beluga on the back is dark gray, while the 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. Anadromous fish for spawning goes to fresh water bodies of rivers, where they get from the sea depths of the Caspian, Black and Azov seas. It also lives in the Adriatic and mediterranean seas. Fish from the Caspian Sea most often breed in the Volga, Azov returns 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 that adults go to sea. There, her diet is animal food - the beluga is a predator. Most often, she eats herring, sprat, goby and juveniles. In addition to fish, the beluga can catch ducklings and seal pups (white seals).

reproduction

Like other long-lived fish, beluga become sexually mature at a fairly adult age - at 12-14 years old males, and at 16-18 years old females. The fish, ready for breeding, returns from the sea to the river. Migration takes place upstream. One individual can spawn once every few years. For spawning, the beluga chooses a rocky bottom at a depth. Caviar glued to stones and pebbles is fertilized by males swimming nearby. If, for some reason, the female failed to lay eggs, then it resolves inside her.

About 90% of the eggs die, the rest hatch into fry in a week, which behave like predators from birth. Gradually they descend downstream to the sea.

The nature of the beluga is intended for 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 constantly hunted.

So, the answer to the question, what is the largest fish in the world, will be the whale shark. Beluga is rightfully the first among freshwater fish.

Fish, or the edible part of fish, is not inferior to meat in terms of protein content. It also contains fats, 86% of which are omega-3 polyunsaturated acids necessary for brain function, vitamins A, D, E, and trace elements. The composition of the product is determined by its type: there are freshwater and sea fish, white, red and brown fish are distinguished by color. The taste of different fish is also different.

Scientists are constantly researching the effects of this product on the human body, thanks to which it has been found that fish protects against cardiovascular diseases, and if they already exist, alleviates symptoms. People who regularly eat it have good eyesight, good physical and mental health: scientists who conducted a study in Mauritius proved that children whose diet constantly contains fish are less likely to go to prison (by 64%, as they feel calmer and happier). Fish lovers rarely find tumors, osteoporosis, they stay active and young longer (according to nutritionists, the low life expectancy in the country is precisely due to the fact that people rarely eat fish).

Pike is a genus of freshwater fish, the only one in the pike family. In length, a pike can reach 1.5 m, and weigh up to 35 kg (usually up to 1 m and 8 kg). The body is torpedo-shaped, the head is large, the mouth is wide. The coloration is variable, depending on the environment: depending on the nature and degree of development of the vegetation, it can be gray-greenish, gray-yellowish, gray-brown, the back is darker, the sides with large brown or olive spots that form transverse stripes. Unpaired fins are yellowish-gray, brown with dark spots; paired - orange. Silver pikes are found in some lakes. The life expectancy of individual individuals can reach up to 30 years.

Ide

Fish of the carp family, has an external resemblance to roach. Ide, a rather large fish, reaches a length of 70 cm, weighing 2-3 kg; although there are also larger individuals. Color - gray-silver, darker on the back than on the belly. The fins are pink-orange. The ide is a freshwater fish, but it can also live in the semi-fresh water of sea bays. The ide diet consists of plant and animal food (insects, molluscs, worms). Spawning occurs in the second half of spring.