The biggest fish in the river. The largest freshwater fish in the world

Below is a list of the largest freshwater fish in the world.

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. The largest specimen caught, recorded by the International Game Fish Association, weighed 41.95 kg and was 156 cm long. 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. It is a 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.

The Nile perch is a species of large freshwater predatory fish that lives in the basins of the Congo, Nile, Senegal, Niger rivers, 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 in the world. 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 mollusks.

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 the tropical waters of several major rivers in 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.

The Mississippi shell or alligator pike is a species of large freshwater fish found in the lower Mississippi River valley and its tributaries in 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 herbivorous - 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.

Photos of the largest river fish often show catfish. And this is connected, most likely, with the same question, do real cannibal catfish exist in reality? These huge fish are too mysterious and there are so many tales about them. But still there is evidence of catfish attacks on people in our time, given that giant individuals are still found. According to a specialist in zoology from the United States, 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 size, still living in large bodies of water.

And in our time, there are catfish attacks on animals, 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 they were children. In the middle of the summer of 1982, researchers and rangers of the Khopersky Reserve witnessed a catfish attack on a young deer and his death when a huge fish pulled him under water. Bears swimming across the river also became victims of catfish. This is still being told in the Siberian region.

So, the largest freshwater fish is catfish? Among other things, and a cannibal? Quite possible. Here are some more facts, moreover, from very recent history. It happened in the Voronezh region at the end of the 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 bathed in the evening in the hunting grounds of cannibal catfish.

Similar cases of people disappearing in the evening have been reported in China at a large reservoir. People went to swim and did not return from the water. The mystery of their disappearances was solved when a giant catfish, three meters in size, was caught with human remains in its stomach. One head of this catfish was a meter in size.

True or not, it is difficult to judge, but according to some sources, a five-meter catfish was found in a tugboat that sunk on the river on board the ship, punching a hole in the hull. In the stomach of the monster, the remains of three Polish tourists were found, who, after the disaster with a tugboat, moved to a small rescue ship, but never made it to the shore. It was on the Dnieper.

Beluga

The list, which includes the largest freshwater fish or river monsters, should also include the beluga. It would, of course, be in first place in terms of size among Russian fish. But this huge fish does not belong to the permanent and typical river inhabitant, since it is an anadromous species of fish and enters the rivers only for spawning. 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 so long ago there were individuals weighing up to 2 tons and up to 7-8 meters long. 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 beluga are real centenarians, as they can be 100 years old.

The largest river fish in Russia, although they do not constantly live in rivers, nevertheless, spend a very large part of their lives there. This is due to the characteristics of reproduction. Being inhabitants of the Caspian, Black, Azov and, according to some reports, the Adriatic seas, beluga go 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.

Fish passage facilities did not help either. In addition, at some dams they either did not exist at all or they did not work at full capacity. For example, at the Cheboksary hydroelectric power station in the early years, instead of fish passage facilities, only an 8 cm grate was installed, on which the passing large fish were cut and died, falling to the bottom under the discharge 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 prohibitions. And in the good old days, even a simple peasant could afford to taste the delicious beluga meat and the same delicious black caviar, moreover, in large quantities. So it happened one fine day in the year 1891, when a strong wind from the shore unexpectedly and quickly drove water from the Gulf of the Sea of ​​\u200b\u200bAzov near Taganrog. In a shallow bay, in a puddle, this lucky man found a beluga weighing 20 pounds (327 kg). There were 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 the taimen. This is the oldest fish of all salmon, 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 the mouths of rivers 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 on the principle of “catch and release”. This strict principle is a vital necessity, since the Siberian taimen is already an endangered fish species.

Among the fish of Russia, taimen are distinguished by their size and weight. The largest specimens reached not so long ago the weight of a centner and a length of two meters and a hook. Since 1993, the record has been held for the largest taimen caught on sports tackle 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 pass, they say, they caught somewhere in a mountain river a taimen weighing 50 kg, or even all 80 kilograms. In a word, taimen is the largest freshwater fish in our country beyond the Ural ridge.

Taimen are real predators capable of swallowing large fish. Outwardly, this large fish is a living torpedo, for which a strong current and rapids of mountain rivers are not an obstacle. The usual coloring of the taimen consists of brown tones on the back and silver on the sides with dark spots. During the mating season, these fish become even more beautiful. Visibility and brightness are given to them by red, almost orange ventral fins, as well as juicy red with a copper tint - anal and caudal fins.

The element of taimen is icy mountain rivers and the same lakes. Hunting places are pits immediately behind the rapids-rifts, where tired small fish roll down and become the prey of a predator. Taimen are also kept 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 - the largest freshwater fish includes pikes. According to Leonid Pavlovich Sabaneev, pikes weighing 48-64 kg were encountered not so long ago in northern and Siberian rivers. And pood and weighing 20 kg predators are not even now a special rarity in Russian waters, especially in the expanses of the Volga reservoirs. The pike is considered legendary, caught even under the German emperor Barbarossa, which was 5.7 meters long and weighed 140 kg. She was ringed and launched into the lake. The pike lived for more than 200 years in this lake and, when caught, was whitish in color, as if faded from old age. The skeleton and ring of this pike is still kept in one of the museums in Germany. True, there are doubts about the authenticity of these artifacts, since the age limit of the pike is estimated by leading ichthyologists at 33 years.

Even in forest peat lakes there were giant pikes. The pre-war newspapers of the Mari Volga region wrote about 30-kilogram pikes from Lake Luzher. Large in area, but only 2-3 meters deep, this peaty interdune lake still remains a haven for large pikes. The tenants of the lake, who set themselves the goal of completely catching predators and releasing domesticated fish species, did not cope with this task. The lake seemed to have a second and a bottom where predators hid. And in the process of catching with a net, fishermen saw exits and jumps through a network of giant fish, and also observed live logs in shallow areas. Pike-logs went out to the shallows, escaping from the net. And the fishermen simply did not dare to catch them, despite the reach of 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 reliability of the capture of a large predator is confirmed by a black-and-white photograph, which can be safely attributed to the series - a photo of the largest river fish.

Predators weighing 12-16 kg and now often become the prey of winter pike fishermen.

carp and carp

According to the information presented in the books of L.P. Sabaneev, 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 rather, 55.6 kg. This fish was caught with hooks, tackle, which in our time is poached. There were rumors about a carp weighing 68.5 kg, caught in the net. Nowadays, these fish also come in large sizes and heavy weights. 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, chained in strong silver-golden scales, are also included in the category - the largest freshwater fish, only among relatively peaceful underwater inhabitants. Why is it conditional? 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 the fry.

In addition to the Volga delta, large carps are caught in paid reservoirs, where, with proper feeding and with controlled catch, they quickly reach large sizes and weights, since their rapid growth is a feature of these fish.

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 maskinong pike. It is also called the giant pike.

pike masquening

Maskinong outwardly almost does not differ from our pike, but in size this predator is comparable to our pike of previous centuries and ancient years. Only a specialist or a person who knows these differences in advance will find external differences. Firstly, the masquenong does not have scales on the lower part of the gill covers and the edges of the caudal fin are sharper than those of our common pike. Distinguish masking and sensory points that the lower jaw of the fish has. This pike has more of them than the Russian predator, most often over seven. The pike of our waters - 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 match the American predator with the living conditions of our pike.

Muskinongs are up to 1.8 meters long and sometimes weigh 30-32 kg. But most often they come across to anglers on sports tackle, so to speak, in the middle weight categories - 2.5 m long and weighing 16 kg.

Like our pikes, maskonongs prefer bays of rivers with weak currents or stagnant water. The objects of hunting of these predatory fish are also similar. Like the pikes of our rivers and lakes, masconongs 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 above pikes, but rather a distant relative. It is also a serious fish that falls under the definition - 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 oceanic vast expanses and in the coastal zone. But the same shark can also be found in the most ordinary freshwater reservoir: a river or even a stream, as long as the depth of this stream allows this powerful fish to be accommodated in it, which often reaches a size of more than 2.5 meters and a weight of 312 kilograms. The insidious feature of such a shark lies in the fact that it often stays on coastal shallow 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

The white sturgeon is also a giant fish and among the sturgeon family of North America is its largest representative. Moreover, this fish can be called the largest in general among freshwater fish of this continent. The largest individuals of this species reach a length of about 4 meters and weigh almost half a ton. These fish differ in life expectancy, which is 100 years and even more. Therefore, the old fish, it can be said 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 in awe. As the name implies, this "perch", reaching a length of 1.8 meters and weighing more than 180 kg, lives in the ever-muddy Nile River, and also in the rivers - Niger, Congo, Senegal. Like our perches, the Nile perch has yellow eyes with black dotted 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 really 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 violently aggressive appearance, these fish have never attacked people, in any case, such information has not been received. The size of these inhabitants of the water depths is also not offended. Garfish alligators can weigh up to 140 kilograms with a length of 3 meters.

Arapaima giant

This is a fish that really deserves to be on the list - the largest freshwater fish. Instances 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 swift and furious predator, which manages not only to catch up and swallow fish, but also to get birds and small animals sitting on trees in a jump.

Arapaima can live in the most impassable swamps, where the water is very poor in oxygen. But this cunning fish has adapted to breathe atmospheric air, for which it needs to rise to the surface of the reservoir at certain intervals, which are about 20 minutes. Arapaima giant is protected by very dense and strong scales, but this did not save it from extermination by local native tribes, who from time immemorial hunted this fish for food. Now these fish are protected and are likely to become an object of breeding.

Tiger goliath fish

The largest freshwater fish will be horrified at the appearance of another real monster that will frighten even any predator with the sight of its terrible teeth, since the goliath tiger fish is a giant piranha. In addition to being one of the largest fish and reaching a length of 180 cm with a weight of 50 kilograms, this fish is also the most dangerous among all types of predatory fish.

And this danger threatens both a weak person and a no less bloodthirsty strong crocodile. And the teeth of the goliath fish bite even metal leashes, if the metal for them is not the most durable. In addition to the Congo River, these fish are not found anywhere else.

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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.

11. Wundu catfish, which can reach 1.5 meters in length, and its maximum weight was 54 kg.

12. New Zealand eel, which can reach 1.5 meters in length.

13. Nile perch. It can grow up to 1.8 m in length and up to 225 kg in weight.

14. Black piranha is the largest of the 40 known species of piranha.

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.

17. Short-tailed river stingray. It usually grows up to 1.5 m in diameter and weighs over 200 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.

For many people, fish is not only a favorite food, but also a desirable prey. Fishing enthusiasts remember with joy the quiet morning bites, and the adrenaline rush, when the float, twitching a little, suddenly abruptly goes under the water, trying to snatch the bait out of their hands.

Fishing is not only a test, but also an expectation of triumph. Every real fisherman wants to show off their prowess by catching fish of incredible size. And some succeed, because among the freshwater fish of Russia there are individuals that are simply incredible in size and weight.

This species can be found in almost any fresh water body of Russia. Also found in northern and central Europe. The largest bream in history was caught on the territory of modern Finland, in Lake Visijärvi, in 1912 and weighed 11.6 kg. In Russia, abnormally large individuals were recorded in 1951 on the Vyatka River and in 2003 on Lake Ladoga. The mass of the caught bream was almost 6 kg.

Average weight - 3-4 kilograms, length up to 40 cm. It is considered a valuable commercial fish. In the 30s of the 20th century, the catch of this species in our country reached 120 thousand tons per year.

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The largest representative of the species was caught in Siberia in 1967. Its weight was 30 kg, and its length was 120 cm. Other cases have also been registered. 1985, Lake Onega, burbot weighing 16 kg was mined. 1910, Lake Ladoga, fish weighing 10 kg was caught. Catching such large burbots is an incredible success, because they average weight 3-4 kg.

Burbot is a northern fish. He likes cold water, so he rarely appears in the south. It lives in Siberian rivers and in Lake Baikal. Also found in northern Europe: in Finland, the Baltic states, the Leningrad region.

Pike perch is a predator, feeds on small fish, leads a secretive lifestyle. In places of active hunting, especially during the feeding process, it is not difficult to catch him. Due to its voracity, it can be caught even by a novice fisherman. Pike perch is valued for healthy dietary meat containing a lot of protein.

This type of fish can be found not only in fresh lakes and rivers of Russia, but also in the seas: Black, Baltic, Azov, Caspian. Usually the weight of the caught zander is 8-10 kg.. However, a case of catching fish weighing 22 kg has been documented. They also say that the largest pike perch was caught in the last century on the Volga River, its weight was 40 kg.

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Fish big and small

Lake salmon is not even a species or subspecies, but a morph of the Atlantic salmon. A morph is a type of animal that has stable differences within a species or population; this category includes melanists, albinos, local varieties, and so on. The main difference between lake salmon and Atlantic salmon is feeding in lakes, and not in salt water. Juveniles of such fish in the process of growing up do not go to the sea, they live in the lake, and then spawn in the rivers that flow into it. In Russia, such salmon lives in Ladoga and Onega lakes, Segozero and a number of other northern reservoirs. Fishing is possible only within the framework of Lake Onega, other populations are listed in the Red Book.

In size, lake salmon is inferior to sea salmon, the average weight is indicated within 3-4 kg. The maximum figure, officially noted, is 7 kg, but the fishermen say otherwise, saying that they caught fish weighing up to 10 kg or more. However, such a statement should be treated with caution, because the Baltic salmon, for example, also goes to spawn through Ladoga, Neva - rivers flowing into Lake Ladoga. And when switching to a freshwater regime, the fish changes color, representatives of the oceanic herd can be easily confused with the “indigenous” freshwater inhabitants of larger sizes. Such individuals can also get into Lake Onega, and a person may encounter migratory fish, considering it to be local freshwater.

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How do fish swim?

Valued for its tasty, fatty meat. Carp eat themselves by eating algae. He just swims with his mouth open and eats everything that comes in his way. If not for natural enemies: catfish, then carp, living on average for 10-15 years, could grow to incredible sizes. The largest carp was caught in 1937 in Belgium. A monster 3.5 m long and weighing 190 kg terrorized Lake Ostend for several years. In Russia, a record carp was caught on the Voronezh River, it weighed 68 kg. Officially - the weight of the carp reaches 14 kg. Carp is a common carp.

The pike predator is familiar to everyone since childhood. It is widespread throughout Russia, so it is often found as a character in folklore. Anglers also know many incredible stories about pike. It is believed that the largest pike was caught in the 15th century, in 1497. Her weight was 140 kg, and her body length was about 6 meters. It was possible to determine the age of the fish, as it was ringed. It was established that the mark corresponded to the era of the reign of Frederick II, the ruler of the Roman Empire. The pike was ringed around 1230 and released. It turns out that she lived for 270 years before being caught by a man again. Officially, it is believed that the weight of a pike reaches 16 kg.

Rivers and lakes hide in their depths many unusual creatures that most of us have never heard of. But it turns out that even well-known fish can surprise, because some of them grow to truly gigantic sizes. Let's take a closer look at the TOP 10 largest freshwater fish in the world.

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Mississippi cuirass

A large fish that has adapted to life in both fresh and salt water. The length of her body reaches 3 m, while her weight is about 130 kg. It is found in stagnant reservoirs and calm backwaters of the rivers of North and Central America. Another name for this predator is the alligator pike. She received it for the outward resemblance to the famous reptile. It is noteworthy that the Mississippi alligator is also called pike.

Nile perch

It is easy to guess where this representative of the perch-like order lives. It can be found in many major rivers and lakes in Africa. From the common perch, common in Europe and Russia, the Nile differs in its huge size. In length, it grows up to 2 m and eats up to 200 kg. For comparison: the body length of the European perch, as a rule, does not exceed 50 cm, and the weight of large specimens is from 2 to 3 kg. The Nile giant feeds on fish. Often he himself becomes an object of hunting for amateur fishermen from all over the world who dream of conquering such a giant.

brazilian arapaima

Photo: Citron / CC-BY-SA-3.0

One of the oldest fish on the planet lives in the basin of the South American Amazon River. She chooses places with dense aquatic vegetation, preferring to be near the bottom. The body length of a medium-sized individual is approximately 2 m, but there are also 3-meter specimens weighing up to 200 kg. For hunting, the arapaima rises to the surface of the water, where it attacks fish and other medium-sized animals. Can breathe atmospheric air, swallowing it every 5-20 minutes with a loud sound. Her body is covered with heavy-duty scales, which even a bloodthirsty piranha cannot bite through.

Chinese paddlefish

Fish with an outgrowth in the form of an oar on the muzzle is found only in the Yangtze River and its tributaries, occasionally entering large lakes and the Yellow Sea. It grows up to 3 m in length and can weigh 300 kg. Some sources indicate such maximum sizes of fish: length - 7 m, weight - up to 0.5 tons. Perhaps someone managed to meet such a giant, but this has not been documented anywhere.

common catfish

This mustachioed handsome man can be found in many lakes and rivers in Europe and the European part of the Russian Federation. According to official data, the body length of the largest specimen was 3 m, and the weight was 306 kg. According to historical data, earlier catfish grew up to 5 m, and could weigh 400 kg each. These nocturnal predators eat fish and shellfish and may attack birds and other small animals. Interestingly, in winter they lead a sedentary lifestyle and do not even eat.

Giant shilb catfish

Photo: Lynn Chan/flickr

This representative of the catfish order, although a "relative" of the common catfish, belongs to another family - the pangasievs. The length of his body can reach up to 3 m, weight - up to 350 kg. The giant catfish lives in southeast Asia, often found in the lower reaches of the Mekong and Tonle Sap rivers. Due to overfishing and some other negative factors, this species was endangered, and therefore it was taken under protection by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and listed in the Red Book. In many Asian countries, its extraction in nature is completely prohibited.

Giant freshwater stingray

Photo: Barry Rogge/Wikimedia Commons

An unusual fish, which during movement resembles a bird with huge wings, lives in the rivers and lakes of Southeast Asia and Australia. It grows up to 1.9 m wide, its weight can approach 600 kg. The color of the stingray on the back is usually dark brown, and the belly is white with dark stains at the edges. This allows him to remain almost invisible in opaque river water, which is probably why he has practically no natural enemies. The basis of the diet of the stingray is fish and living at the bottom of reservoirs.

blunt shark

This is one of the few that feel good in water with varying degrees of salinity. The bull shark has very impressive dimensions, growing up to 4 m in length and weighing about 600 kg. The predator lives in the tropics and subtropics of all oceans, often swims in rivers. Separate populations live in freshwater lakes on a permanent basis. Due to the extremely aggressive nature of the blunt-nosed, attacks involving them are recorded every year.

white sturgeon

It is found on the west coast of North America and is considered the largest freshwater fish there. Its body length can exceed 6 m, the weight limit is 816 kg. Interestingly, only the belly and head from below are painted white in the fish, while the back and sides have a grayish or gray-brownish tint. The scales are absent, it is replaced by special bone shields located in several places on the body. The diet of the white sturgeon consists of fish and worms, which it hunts mainly at the bottom.

Beluga

A large representative of the sturgeon family. The body length of this fish reaches 4.2 m, but its weight, approaching 1.5 tons, is more surprising. Unofficial data regarding its size seem simply incredible, because some sources speak of the existence of 9-meter beluga with a weight of about 2 tons The freshwater giantess lives in the Azov, Black and Caspian seas, swims into the rivers for spawning. This species of fish, unfortunately, was on the verge of extinction, therefore it was included in the IUCN Red List.