Ponds of the Earth hide the real giants - freshwater and marine fish, amazing in size. Some of them are not only completely safe for humans, but they themselves are an object of hunting, and it is better to stay away from others. We present to readers the top 10 largest fish in the world.
Giants include those fish whose length is more than two meters, and body weight exceeds 90 kilograms.
10. Giant grouper or guasa | 2.5 meters
Opens Top 10 Biggest Fish in the World giant grouper or guasa. Distributed in tropical shallow waters of the Caribbean Sea, found on the coast of Brazil. It reaches 2.5 meters in length. It feeds on fish, small sea turtles, octopuses. The giant grouper is an endangered species and is prohibited from fishing. This had an effect - the population of these giant fish is slowly but increasing. Since the grouper actively defends its territory, it can defend itself and attack a person and inflict serious wounds.
9. Psefur or Chinese longhorn | 3 meters
Psefur, or Chinese longhorn, living in the Yangtze River, is the largest freshwater fish of the class of ray-finned. The body length can reach three meters, and weight - 300 kilograms. There is evidence that there are specimens up to 7 meters long, but this information is not documented.
Psephur eats crustaceans and small fish. It belongs to endangered species, and is not found anywhere else in the wild. Ninth place in the list of underwater giants.
8. Luna fish | 2 meters
Moon fish - The largest and most amazing bone fish that lives in warm seas everywhere on Earth. You can meet her from the Kuril Islands to Iceland. It looks quite unusual: the body of the fish is compressed laterally and resembles a giant disk. The skin is covered not with scales, but with small bony tubercles. The size of the fish is amazing - 2 meters in length. Weight can reach 1.5 tons. Officially, the largest individual was 3 meters in length, but there is evidence that in the waters near Sydney, a moon fish more than 4 meters in size was seen.
Unlike many others the biggest fish in the world, moonfish poses no danger to humans. On the contrary, it is an object of active fishing. Eighth place in our ranking.
7. Beluga | 4.2 meters
Beluga ranks seventh in the top 10 largest fish in the world. This valuable freshwater fish is now on the brink of extinction. It lives in the Azov, Caspian and Black Seas. There is ample evidence of the capture of giant beluga. In 1989, a fish 4.2 meters long and a tonne in weight was caught on the Volga. Now her stuffed animal is in the museum of the city of Astrakhan. Today, fishermen come across individuals of a small size, although there are cases of catching belugas weighing 150-300 kilograms.
Beluga is a large predator that feeds mainly on fish.
6. Giant freshwater stingray | 4,5 meters
Giant freshwater stingray ranks sixth in the top 10 largest fish in the world. Many have heard of stingrays, but much less is known about its smaller freshwater brethren. In length, the inhabitants of the rivers of Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand reach 4.5 meters. Weight averages 450-500 kg. You can meet these giants in Australia, New Guinea and on the island of Borneo. For humans, they do not pose a great danger if handled properly.
Freshwater slopes are armed with two large spikes located on the tail. One they hold the prey, the second is needed to inject the poison. When caught, the ramp always actively wags its tail, defending itself, therefore, when catching these giants, you need to be extremely careful.
5. Common catfish | 5 meters
Common catfish one of the largest freshwater fish and ranks fifth in our ranking. The body length of the fish can reach 5 meters, and weight - half a ton. This is an active river predator, leading a nocturnal lifestyle. Hunts for fish, shellfish, crustaceans. Particularly large individuals can attack birds and small animals. Many stories are connected with catfish about the attack of these predators on people, but there is no documentary evidence of this. Although a large catfish is able to drag under water a person who is entangled in gear.
4. Blue marlin | 5 meters
Blue marlin - one of the most beautiful and largest marine fish in the world. Reaches an impressive size - 5 meters in length. At the same time, about 20% of the length of the fish falls on its spear. Females are much larger than males. The habitat is the Atlantic Ocean. Marlin is a favorite sport fishing destination. Catching him is considered a great success. In his famous novel “The Old Man and the Sea”, Hemingway described the three-day struggle of the old fisherman and blue marlin. Fourth place in our ranking.
3. Fish belt or herring king | 11 meters
Strap-fish, or herring king - one of the most unusual and longest fish in the world. It lives deep in the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian oceans. Often they take her for a sea snake. This is not surprising - with a body thickness of only 5 centimeters, the length of the fish can reach five and a half meters. According to some reports, individuals were found about 17 meters in length. The largest documented instance was 11 meters long. The second name is the herring king, the fish belt was not accidental. It is often seen floating herring in shoals, and the strongly elongated rays of the dorsal fin form a kind of “crown” on the head.
2. Great white sharks | 6 meters
The largest and most dangerous marine predator is great white sharksand. The average length of an individual is about 4.6 meters, but there are specimens in excess of 6 meters in length. The weight of such monsters can be more than two tons. There is a predator in all oceans and is a great danger to humans. White shark prefers coastal waters and often attacks swimming people and divers. Attacks on boats have been recorded. The predator hunts for large fish, dolphins, pinnipeds, sea turtles, birds. The white shark belongs to an endangered species - their population totals 3,500 individuals.
1. Whale Shark | 10 meters
The undisputed leader in our ranking of the largest fish in the world is the whale shark. The average body length is 10 meters, but individuals more than 12 meters long are found. Scientists do not exclude the existence of larger specimens of a whale shark, reaching 18-20 meters in length. Despite its monstrous size, this marine predator does not pose a direct danger to humans, since it feeds on plankton. The whale shark is so calm that it allows divers to touch themselves and even climb onto its back.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uJ5uxSdlafc