A little over half a meter long fish living in fresh water looks very large, but among freshwater fish there are a variety of species, so large in length and weight that it is difficult to imagine.

Of course, the inhabitants of the deep sea are distinguished by 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 be very careful, especially when fishing in unfamiliar waters. It is not known to what size a catfish or perch could grow in the deep waters of an unvisited lake. So not for long and become the prey of some two-meter pike. 🙂

10. Carp (Cyprinus carpio)

Carp (carp)- a large omnivorous fish that lives in fresh water with stagnant water and a muddy bottom. The body is covered with large scales and has a golden hue. A very voracious fish that can eat almost all day long. Carp eat young shoots of reeds and other aquatic plants, as well as molluscs, aquatic insects, and even eggs of other fish and frogs. Since the average size of this fish is small, it ranks last in the ten largest freshwater fish in the world. The largest carp was caught in 2015 in Hungary. His weight was 48 kg.

9.

paddlefish- a large freshwater fish that inhabits reservoirs in the eastern United States, in particular, rivers that flow into the Gulf of Mexico. Most common in the 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 sturgeons that feed on zoo-, phytoplankton, as well as the remains (detritus) and secretions of invertebrates.

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 considered the largest salmon in the world for a reason: such a fish can be 1 m long and weigh 50-60 kg. In the choice of food, the taimen is not whimsical; it preys on all types of fish that are smaller than it. It has different color, but you can recognize it by its olive-green head, reddish-brown tail and 8-10 transverse stripes on the sides. The life expectancy of taimen is much 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.

armored pike- ray-finned fish of the armored family. Swims in fresh and brackish waters 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 intimidating appearance: the long body is covered with scales as thick as a shell, and the sharp muzzle has powerful jaws with four rows of teeth. In length, armored freshwater pikes can reach 3 m 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. It is found in water bodies of Africa (Nile, Senegal, Congo, etc.). We are used to catching perches "on the palm of your hand" 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- Tropical freshwater fish from the Aravan family. Widespread in lakes and rivers South America. The body of this fish has a greenish color in front, with a smooth transition to red in the tail and incredibly strong scales. Thanks to reliable protection, the arapaima coexists with such ferocious predators as piranhas. It feeds mainly on fish, and occasionally on 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 (shilb catfish)- ray-finned fish of the pangasia catfish family. Inhabits the rivers of Thailand: Mekong and Tonle Sap. The largest specimen was 2.7 m long and weighed 293 kg. These freshwater fish eat phytoplankton and algae and also prey on fish and small animals. Due to exorbitant fishing, there is a possibility of complete extinction of this species. According to some reports, over the past 14 years, its population in the world has decreased by 80%. Therefore, the shilba catfish is included in the international Red Book.

3.

common catfish- a large bottom fish without scales, living in deep fresh waters of lakes and rivers, Europe, Asia and part of Russia. This fish is a real giant among aquatic creatures. Therefore, it is included in one list with the largest freshwater fish in the world. With great depth and sufficient 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 this size, you need a lot of food. Some sources say that catfish feed exclusively on carrion. In fact, these fish prefer to prey on small fish, crustaceans, waterfowl, aquatic insects, small mammals, and even their relatives.

Catfish are very large predatory fish with an aggressive nature that live in fresh water, including in places where people bathe. In this regard, they pose a danger to humans, because. can cause enough serious injury. There is official evidence of the attack of 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 of British Columbia. The sturgeon loves to live in the quiet waters of the west coast, it is distinguished by its large 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, they can breed 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 that lives in the Caspian, Black and Azov seas. This fish grows to huge 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. Eats different types fish, shellfish, but prefers sprat, gobies, 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.

Also, another large commercial fish belongs to the beluga genus - kaluga (Huso dauricus). We have not included it in the ranking of the largest freshwater fish in the world in order 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 "Amur Queen" is 600 kg. This giant was caught by a Chinese fisherman in 2012. There is an assumption that earlier there were fish weighing up to a ton. It is 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 (blunt-nosed) lives in tropical and subtropical waters of all oceans. It 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 living species of sharks, it has the greatest force bite - up to 6000 Newton. According to some reports, 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 fresh water 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 pygmy 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 most big fish in the world, among the inhabitants of both fresh and salt water bodies - whale shark (Rhincodon typus).

Interesting facts about the largest freshwater fish in the world.

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.

Seeing them only once, you can forever lose all desire to even approach the river. But to grey-haired Jeremy Wade, who hosts Animal Planet's River Monsters, they're just fish. And yes, he really releases everything that he has caught.

1. Two-meter 50-pound armored pike caught in the Trinity River in Texas.

2. 68-pound arapaima caught in Lake Rio Maderia in Brazil.

3. A huge sixgill shark caught in the southern part of the African Zambezi River.

4. electric eel from the Amazon River, which can grow up to 2.4 m in length and weigh up to 19 kg.

5. Freshwater sawfish that grows up to 6 meters in length and weighs up to 180 kg.

6. Huge Siamese carp from the Mekong River. And it's not an adult yet. It can grow up to 3 meters and weigh up to 300 kg, making it one of the largest freshwater fish on our planet.

7. Large freshwater stingray. This 180-pound fish was the largest that Jeremy Wade managed to catch.

8. Therapon goliath is a distant relative of the piranha, found in the Congo River in the heart of Africa.

9. 73-kilogram catfish from North India. This fish was 1.5 m from head to tail, 1 meter in girth and with a tail span of 1.1 m.

10. Protopter. The largest individual can reach 2 meters in length.

15. Catfish from the Orinoco River, which looks like some kind of prehistoric fish, is known in these places as kuyu-kuyu. It can reach a meter in length and 18 kg of weight. At the back of the fish's body, there are processes that support the caudal fin, which is why it looks like an armadillo fish from another era.

16. The red-bellied pacu belongs to the genus piranha, but unlike its counterparts, it feeds mainly on insects and vegetation. Uses its large, human-like teeth to crack nuts, seeds, and chop sea grasses and other food sources.

19. White sturgeon is the largest and most primitive freshwater fish in North America. The largest sturgeon in history was over 6 m long and weighed almost 800 kg.

21. A close relative of the piranha is the mackerel hydrolic, often referred to as the vampire fish because of its long fangs, which can be up to 15 cm long. This beautiful fish lives in the Orinoco River in Venezuela.

Our planet has been inhabited by many different animals for millions of years. Among them, a special type stands out - fish. They filled rivers, lakes, seas and oceans. These animals play a large role in the natural food chain as well as in the human habitat. Both marine and river fish serve as a source of food for people, medicines and fertilizers for Agriculture, as well as raw materials for light industry. What are these inhabitants of the rivers of our country, how do they survive and what do they eat? This issue deserves due attention, because all living organisms on Earth are essential parts of nature.

Fish of the rivers of Russia

The most common fish living in the rivers of Russia are beluga, pike, burbot, catfish, sturgeon, stickleback, crucian carp, salmon, carp, perch, carp, rudd. And this is not a complete list of them. The fastest river fish include salmon, dace, podust, asp and sabrefish, and the most nimble - rudd, bream, roach, scavenger, tench and crucian carp. These aquatic vertebrates are divided into predatory and peaceful inhabitants. What river fish eat directly depends on this division. The former feed on smaller representatives of this class, while the latter spend most of their time looking for plankton and plant foods. In especially in summer, various algae grow rapidly, which are a haven for crustaceans and mollusks. And this is not just food, but a kind of delicacy for fish. Predators (for example, pike, pike perch, perch), in turn, feed on smaller fish.

The largest representatives of river fish

Nowadays, any river fish with a length of more than 1.80 meters and a weight of at least 90 kg is considered a large individual. Record holders in size are several species of these aquatic vertebrates. One of them is a beluga. Its weight reaches 1400 kg, and its length is about five meters. Not far behind the size of the beluga and pike. Its largest representatives are found in the northern rivers of Russia.

European (ordinary) catfish weighs about 350 kg and is up to 4.5 meters long. It lives in almost all big rivers both Russia and the CIS. The catfish is unusual in that its body consists of a huge head and a huge tail.

The most valuable freshwater fish

River fish of Russia have their most valuable specimens. The most expensive of them is the Russian beluga. So, for example, caught in a female, whose weight is 1227 kg, gave 240 kg of very high quality caviar. Its value today is about two hundred thousand dollars.

The second most expensive is carp. It belongs to the category of especially valuable. For example, in the seventies in the Volga River Delta, the catch of carp was at least ten thousand tons per year.

Fish of the rivers of Primorye

Russia has a huge territory, in the waters of which there are many various kinds fish. So, considering the inhabitants of fresh water bodies of the Primorsky Territory, one can count about one hundred and fifty of their varieties. Some, such as the Sakhalin taimen, are even listed in the Red Book. Other river fish of Primorye can boast the most unusual names - for example, snake catcher, gubar horse, yellow-cheeked and skygazer. In addition to the mentioned fish, Amur pike, catfish, crucian carp, carp, salmon, lenok, kuzhda and grayling live in the local area. One of the most unpretentious and common fish of the Primorsky Territory is the rudd. And although many locals consider it too bony, but in terms of taste, it is magnificent. There are two types of rudd: small-scaled and large-scaled. Usually this fish grows up to half a meter in length and weighs up to one and a half kilograms.

Fishing in the suburbs

For those who like to go fishing for many years, the Moscow region has been a favorite place for a relaxing holiday. Amazing nature, quiet evenings, fresh air and plenty of fish in the reservoirs - all that is needed for Russian fishing. Severka, Ruza, Istra, Nerskaya, Protva, Nara, Besputa, Dubna, Sestra and others hide various popular and tasty fish in their waters. These are perch, and carp, and crucian, and roach, and pike, and gudgeon, and bream, and chub, and bream, and asp, and bleak. River fish of the Moscow region are caught both with the help of fishing rods and with the help of spinning, fly fishing, boat and bale.

Pike - the queen of Russian rivers

Speaking about the fish that are found on the territory of Russia, one cannot fail to mention the heroine of Russian fairy tales - the pike. It lives not only in the reservoirs of our country, but also in the rivers of Europe, as well as Asia and the United States of America. The size of the pike is predetermined by the food base: the larger the average size of the fish in the river, the larger the pike can grow. It is rightfully considered one of the most predatory freshwater fish. Her appearance fully testifies to this: a long flattened head with a huge mouth and a large number of sharp teeth looks intimidating. Many river fish have become prey for this agile predator. The color of pike is mostly gray-green, with speckles. Thanks to the slippery cylindrical body, they move quickly and swiftly. Pike feed mainly on smaller perch and others), but there are often cases of eating individuals of their own species. In addition, the diet of these predators includes amphibians, reptiles, and large insects, and various garbage, and small mammals, and even chicks of waterfowl.

Rare and endangered fish

Today, on the territory of Russia, many river fish need human participation and care, the list of which is increasing every year. These include the Azov beluga, sterlet, Volga herring, Volkhov whitefish, black carp, Baikal grayling, Baikal sturgeon, sculpin, Kamchatka salmon and others. All these fish are on the verge of extinction. Take, for example, the Volkhov whitefish, which earlier, before its construction (1925), played a large role in the fishery and was found in huge quantities in the Volkhov, Syaz, Svir rivers.

The catch of the Baikal sturgeon in the nineteenth century reached three thousand centners, and in the nineties of the twentieth century it was reduced to two hundred centners. Today, most often these river fish are found in Lake Baikal and the rivers flowing into it - the Angara, Kitoy, Belaya, Selenga, Barguzin and Khamar-Daban. A similar fate befell the Baikal grayling, also previously widespread in these waters.

Another endangered species is the black carp. Due to a sharp decrease in the number of this fish in the seventies of the last century, a ban on its catch was established. Today it is found in and also in Ussuri.

Impact of the environmental situation

Unfortunately, today the ecological situation affects many river systems. Quite often there are cases of river pollution by emissions from factories and industrial enterprises, storm sewage, which include various hazardous chemical substances. River fish, crayfish, turtles and other inhabitants under such circumstances not only change their habitual way of life, but also become victims of mutations or disappear altogether. And it's not a secret for anyone that an insufficient amount of attention from the human society can lead to an irreparable ecological disaster.

Carp is the common name for freshwater fish of the carp family. They are widely distributed in various water bodies around the world. They prefer quiet, stagnant or slow-flowing waters with a hard clay and slightly silty bottom. Able to grow up to 1.2 meters in length and weigh more than 100 kg. They feed on mollusks, crustaceans, worms and insect larvae. The largest carp caught by a British angler in 2013 weighed 45.59 kg.

Common taimen is a species of large freshwater fish, the largest representative of the salmon family. They live in the fast-flowing coldish rivers of Siberia and in the Amur River basin. Common taimen can grow up to 1.5–2 m long and weigh 60–80 kg. However, most of the mature fish caught averaged 70 to 120 cm in length and weighed 15 to 30 kg. Largest specimen ever caught International Association sport fishing (International Game Fish Association) weighed 41.95 kg with a length of 156 cm. The species is listed in the Red Book.

The common catfish is a large freshwater scaleless bottom fish that lives in deep sections of rivers, deep channels, lakes and reservoirs throughout Europe and Asia. The body length of catfish can reach 5 m, weight - 100 kg. There is a lot of information about giant catfish, reaching 250–300 kg, but there is no documentary evidence of the existence of such catfish. Is typical predator and feeds on fish, large benthic invertebrates, amphibians, reptiles, waterfowl, small mammals and even relatives. Like pike, catfish is an excellent orderly of reservoirs; it eats sick and weakened fish. Cases of attacks on people are also described.

Nile perch - a species of large freshwater predatory fish living in the basins of the Congo, Nile, Senegal, Niger, as well as in the lakes of Chad, Volta, Turkana and other reservoirs. Found in Lake Maryut in Egypt. Able to grow up to 2 meters in length, and weigh up to 200 kg. However, adults usually reach a length of 121-137 cm. The Nile perch is a predator that dominates in the waters of residence. It feeds mainly on fish, crustaceans and insects. Where food resources are limited, relatives can also be eaten.

Beluga is a species of fish from the sturgeon family. It lives in the White, Caspian, Azov, Black, Adriatic seas, from where it enters the rivers for spawning. Their body length can reach 5 m, weight - 1000 kg (usually they catch individuals up to 2.5 m and weighing up to 200–300 kg). As an exception, according to unconfirmed reports, there were individuals 9 m long and weighing up to 2 tons, if this information is correct, then the beluga can be considered the largest freshwater fish globe. It feeds mainly on fish, but does not neglect shellfish.

The fifth place in the list of the largest freshwater fish on the planet is occupied by the White sturgeon - a species of fish of the sturgeon family, the largest freshwater fish in North America. It lives at the bottom of slow-moving rivers and bays along the western coast of North America. White sturgeon can grow up to 6.1 m long and weigh 816 kg. It feeds mainly on fish, crustaceans and molluscs.

The Chinese paddlefish or psephur is a freshwater fish that lives only in the Yangtze River, sometimes swims in large lakes and the Yellow Sea. Their body length can exceed 3 meters, weight 300 kilograms. There is information that in the 1950s, fishermen caught a paddlefish 7 meters long and weighing about 500 kg, although the reliability of this story is unconfirmed. Feeds on fish and crustaceans. Its meat and caviar are highly valued in China.

The giant freshwater stingray (Himantura polylepis) is a species of freshwater stingray that lives in tropical waters of several major rivers Indochina and Kalimantan. Able to grow up to 1.9 m wide and weigh 600 kg. They feed mainly on crustaceans and mollusks, possibly earthworms. The giant freshwater stingray is not aggressive, although they must be handled with care as their venomous long spike can easily pierce human bone. This species is endangered.

Mississippi cuirass

The Mississippi shell or alligator pike is a species of large freshwater fish common in the valley of the lower reaches of the Mississippi River and its tributaries in the North and Central America. This is a very fast and strong, but shy fish. According to experts, the Mississippian shell can grow up to 3 m in length and weigh more than 130 kg. In 2011, the largest carapace caught was officially registered, its length was 2.572 m, weight 148 kg. It feeds mainly on fish, small mammals, birds, turtles, etc. There are known cases of attacks on children, fortunately, they never ended fatally. Included in the list of prehistoric fish that were considered extinct.

The giant shilb catfish is the largest endangered freshwater fish. It is found only in the lower reaches of the Mekong River, as well as in the Tonle Sap River and Tonle Sap Lake in Cambodia. Fish of this species can grow up to 3 meters in length and weigh 150–200 kg. They are herbivores - they feed mainly on algae and phytoplankton. The largest specimen caught in 2005 reached a length of 2.7 m and weighed 293 kg, it was he who was recognized as the largest freshwater fish caught by man.