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 a long time. Fish - hippos can be found hiding in the murky waters of our freshwater rivers and lakes. Although the typical freshwater fish are smaller than their brothers in the salty oceans, some of them can grow to enormous sizes. Getting to know these freshwater giants may make you look at freshwater in a slightly different way. This is the top 10 The largest freshwater fish.

No. 10. Siberian taimen

Also known as chum salmon, Siberian taimen is a large fish species that belongs to the salmon family. This fish is found in various colors depending on the geographic location, but, as a rule, it has an olive green head, smoothly turning into a reddish brown tint on the tail. Some of their fins are dark red, and their belly is usually white, but sometimes it can appear dark gray. Taimen is the largest salmon in the world. The weight of the caught fish varies between 15 and 30 kg, depending on their age. The largest Siberian salmon reliably reported reached 104 kg... He 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 proportions. It is one of a variety of freshwater fish species that belong to the carp family, the largest group originating in Europe and Asia. Carp katla (also known as Indian carp) is the largest and reaches a length of 182 centimeters. Then it is followed by the White Cupid carp, which has a maximum length of 150 centimeters.

No. 8. Nile perch

The Nile perch is the eighth largest freshwater fish in the world in the eighth line of the top 10, it is a species of freshwater fish that belongs to the family of perchiformes. Its homeland is the Nile, Congo, Senegal and Niger rivers (also the basins of other rivers that I have not mentioned). This perch is silvery in color, but it has a unique blue tint. You will notice its crisp 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 more than 1.8 meters in length. The largest of these fish weigh more than 182 kg.

No. 7. Catfish

Catfish feed on the bottom. They are the best when it comes to the bottom of the lake. Some of the largest catfish reached mass over 227 kg... You can find catfish in freshwater environments, usually with running water and colorful rocky bottoms.

No. 6. Paddlefish

It was once believed that paddlefish with their snouts uprooted 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 the increased exploitation of water resources, their population has declined significantly. One of the main reasons for this decline has been the large number of dams we build on our rivers. These dams block their migration routes, which are very important for paddlefish during spawning and healthy growth.

No. 5. Bull shark

You can meet bull shark in warm oceans and coastal areas. They can also be found in fresh water from 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 a super aggressive species. They often hide in shallow beaches and exhibit aggressive behavior.

No. 4. White sturgeon

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

№ 3. Alligator Sargan

Alligator Sargan is a streamlined fish with a head that at first glance resembles an alligator. Alligator Sargan is the largest fish of its kind. It can grow to over 3 meters in length and weigh over 136 kg ... Despite the aggressive appearance, there is still no information about attacks on people.

No. 2. Giant freshwater ray

This is one of the types of fish 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 threatened with extinction. In Thailand, the giant freshwater stingray is an endangered species. If you try to catch a giant freshwater ray, it can sink a boat. They are known for burrowing in the mud after being caught in the net.

No. 1. Beluga


The largest freshwater fish in the world , beluga- This representative of the sturgeon family is number one in the list of the largest freshwater fish. Despite the same names, freshwater belugas have nothing to do with belugas. Belugas can grow to monstrous sizes - in part because they can reach 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 less and less common. This is due to the increased intensity of fishing. Beluga is a type of fish that produces black caviar, considered a delicacy all over the world. Beluga caviar is scarce and expensive. Due to the fact that the existence of this fish is now in critical condition, beluga caviar is even more expensive than before.

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

Having seen them only once, you can forever lose any desire, even to approach the river. But for the gray-haired Jeremy Wade, who hosts River Monsters on Animal Planet, they're just fish. And yes, he really lets go of whatever he catches.

1. Two-meter 50-kilogram shell pike, caught in the Trinity River in Texas.

2. 68 kg arapaima, caught in Lake Rio Maderia in Brazil.

3. A huge six-gill 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. A huge Siamese carp from the Mekong River. And this is 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 ray. This 180-kilogram fish became the largest that Jeremy Wade could catch.

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

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

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

15. A catfish similar to some prehistoric fish from the Orinoco River, known in these places as kuyu-kuyu. It can reach a meter in length and 18 kg in weight. In the back of the body of the fish there are processes that support the caudal fin, which makes it look like an armadillo fish from another era.

16. Red-bellied pacu belongs to the genus of piranhas, but unlike its counterparts, it feeds mainly on insects and vegetation. Uses its large, human-like teeth to crack nuts, seeds, and chop up 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 in length. This beautiful fish lives in the Orinoco River in Venezuela.

Our planet has been inhabited by many different animals for millions of years. A special type of fish stands out among them. They filled rivers, lakes, seas and oceans. These animals play a large role in the natural food chain as well as in the human environment. Both sea and river fish serve as a source of food, medicines and fertilizers for agriculture for people, 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 necessary links in nature.

Fish of the rivers of Russia

The most common fish that live 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 are rudd, bream, roach, borer, 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 in search of plankton and plant food. In the reservoirs of Russia, especially in summer, various algae grow rapidly, which are a haven for crustaceans and molluscs. And this is not just food, but a kind of delicacy for fish. Predators (for example, pike, zander, perch), in turn, feed on smaller fish.

The largest representatives of river fish

Nowadays, any river fish, the length of which is more than 1.80 meters, and the weight of at least 90 kg, is considered a large individual. Several species of these aquatic vertebrates are record-holders in size. One of them is beluga. Its weight reaches 1400 kg, and its length is about five meters. Beluga and pike keep up with the size. Its largest representatives are found in the northern rivers of Russia.

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

The most valuable freshwater fish

Russian river fish have their most valuable specimens. The most expensive of them is the Russian beluga. For example, a female caught in the Tikhaya Sosna River, weighing 1227 kg, yielded 240 kg of very high-quality caviar. Its cost today is about two hundred thousand dollars.

The second most expensive carp is carp. It belongs to the category of especially valuable commercial fish. For example, in the seventies in the Volga 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 reservoirs of which many different species of fish live. 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 of the most unusual names - for example, snake catcher, grub horse, yellow cheek and skygazer. In addition to the above-mentioned fish, the local fresh waters are inhabited by Amur pikes, catfish, crucians, carp, salmon, lenoks, kunzha and grayling. One of the most unpretentious and common fish in Primorsky Krai is the rudd. And although many locals consider it too bony, it is gorgeous in terms of taste. There are two types of rudd: small-scaled and large-scaled. Usually this fish grows in length up to half a meter and weighing up to one and a half kilograms.

Fishing in the suburbs

For those who like fishing, the Moscow region has been a favorite place for a relaxing holiday for many years. Amazing nature, quiet evenings, clean air and plenty of fish in the reservoirs - all that is needed for Russian fishing. The rivers Pakhra, 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 carp, and roach, and pike, and gudgeon, and bream, and chub, and bastard, and asp, and bleak. River fish of the Moscow Region are caught both with fishing rods and with spinning rods, fly fishing, a boat and a 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. She 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 supply: the larger the average size of the fish in the river, the more the pike can grow. It is considered to be one of the most predatory freshwater fish. Its appearance fully testifies to this: a long flattened head with a huge mouth and a lot of sharp teeth looks intimidating. Many river fish have become prey for this agile predator. The color of the pike is mainly gray-green, with specks. Thanks to the slippery cylindrical body, they move quickly and swiftly. Pikes feed mainly on smaller fish (roach, perch and others), but there are often cases of eating individuals of their own species. In addition, the diet of these predators includes amphibians and reptiles, and large insects, and various waste, 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 white grayling, Baikal sturgeon, common sculpin, Kamchatka salmon and others. All of these fish are on the verge of extinction. Take, for example, the Volkhov whitefish, which earlier, before the construction of the Volkhov hydroelectric power station (1925), played a large role in the fishery and was found in huge quantities in the Volkhov, Syaz, and 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 decreased to two hundred centners. Today, these river fish are most often found in Lake Baikal and the rivers flowing into it - Angara, Kitoy, Belaya, Selenga, Barguzin and Khamar-Daban. A similar fate befell the Baikal white grayling, which was also widespread in these waters earlier.

Another endangered species is the grass carp. Due to a sharp decrease in the number of this fish in the seventies of the last century, a ban was imposed on its catch. Today, black carp is found in Lake Khanka, as well as in the Amur and Ussuri rivers.

Influence of the ecological situation

Unfortunately, today the ecological situation also 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 chemicals. Under such circumstances, river fish, crayfish, turtles and other inhabitants not only change their usual way of life, but also become victims of mutations or disappear altogether. And it's no secret that an insufficient amount of attention from human society can lead to irreparable environmental disaster.

Wondering what is the largest fish in the world, you may not find an exact answer to it. After all, sometimes they disagree with the information that fishermen possess. If we take into account the general statistics, we can confidently single out the main contenders for this position. Perhaps it would be wrong to classify all the inhabitants of the underwater bottom according to one characteristics, so it is also worth deciding which is the largest freshwater fish in the world.

The largest fish in the ocean

According to official figures, 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 the 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 the representatives of this species. The thick pelt with placoid scales on the back is dark gray-brown in color, and on the belly 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 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 regions. Individuals prefer warm temperate and tropical waters. You can find representatives of the species in Florida, California. Lives in the Indian Ocean and swims to the coast of Africa. Does not occur in Japan, south of Brazil and Northern Australia, does not swim in the Mediterranean.

Whale sharks move in a small group; 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 big prey hunter. Her diet is:

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

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

During feeding, the shark moves very slowly, often settling almost vertically to the surface of the water. Having taken a sip, the fish closes its mouth and lets water through the gill slits. The filtered feed enters the stomach and the water exits through the gills. The shark takes about 10-16 sips per minute. It takes quite a long time to get enough of it - about 7 hours a day.

Reproduction

Whale sharks reach sexual maturity by the age of 30. Moreover, females become ready for reproduction earlier than males.

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

The whale shark is a long-liver - its average age is about 80 years.

The ocean isn't the only habitat for huge fish. Now we will try to find out what the world's largest freshwater fish looks like. Based on statistical data, such 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 mined for meat and black caviar.

Outwardly, it differs from other sturgeon with 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 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 seawater. Only there can a large beluga find enough food. Anadromous fish go to spawn in fresh water bodies of rivers, where it gets from the depths of the Caspian, Black and Azov seas. She also lives in the Adriatic and Mediterranean seas. Fish from the Caspian Sea most often hatch offspring in the Volga, the Azov fish returns to spawn in the Don River, and the 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, it feeds on herring, sprat, goby and baby fish. In addition to fish, the beluga can catch ducklings and baby seals (seals).

Reproduction

Like other long-lived fish, belugas become sexually mature at a fairly adult age - males at 12-14 years old, and females at 16-18 years old. Fish, ready for breeding, return from the sea to the river. Migration takes place upstream. One individual can spawn once every several 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 is absorbed inside her.

About 90% of the eggs die, from the rest in a week fry hatch, which from birth behave like predators. 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, as the beluga, listed in the Red Book, is incessantly 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.