As soon as large fish were discovered in the oceans and seas, people began to fear them. Everyone was afraid of how large freshwater inhabitants satisfy their hunger. After all, the larger a fish, the more food it needs to eat. Therefore, in order to satisfy the needs of their growing organism for food, freshwater giants begin to eat their smaller relatives of different species. We tried to do this based on their size. And now we suggest you familiarize yourself with the list of top 10 the largest freshwater fish in the world.
10. Taimen
Taimen is a large fish from the salmon genus, therefore it is often referred to as “Russian salmon”. Its habitat is large rivers and lakes of Siberia, the 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 taimen is able to feed on its own cubs. There are no food restrictions for this freshwater species. Russian salmon eats literally everything that comes in its way.
9. Catfish
Catfish is a large, fresh, 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 to 5 m in length and at the same time gains weight up to 300-400 kg. Despite its large dimensions, the body of catfish is extremely flexible. This allows the active night predator to quickly get its own food. There is a misconception that this species eats only carrion or spoiled foods. But this is not so. In fact, the main food for catfish is fry, small crustaceans and aquatic insects. And then, such a diet in freshwater fish is only at an early stage of development. Later it is replenished with live fish, various mollusks and other freshwater animals. There are even cases when the largest catfish attacked small domestic animals and waterfowl.
8. Nile perch
You can find Nile perch in the rivers, lakes and ponds of tropical Africa. It is especially common in the Ethiopian region. The body of a predatory predator reaches a length of 1-2 meters and a weight of 200 kg or more. The Nile perch uses crustaceans and various types of fish for food.
7. Beluga
Beluga belongs to the sturgeon family. This large fish lives in the depths of the Azov, Black and Caspian seas. Beluga can achieve a ton in weight. At the same time, her body length will be more than 4 meters. Real centenarians belong to this species. A predator can live up to 100 years. In food, the beluga prefers such fish species as herring, gobies, tyulka, etc. Also, the fish loves to eat mollusks, and sometimes preys on calves - squirrels.
6. White sturgeon
White sturgeon is the largest fish in North America and ranks sixth in our ranking the biggest fish in the world. It is common in fresh waters, ranging from the Aleutian Islands to Central California. The predator grows in length up to 6 m and can gain weight in 800 kg. This species of large fish is extremely aggressive. Basically, white sturgeon lives at the bottom. The predator feeds on mollusks, worms, and fish.
5. Paddlefish
Paddlefish is a huge freshwater fish that lives mainly in the Mississippi River. Also, representatives of this species can be found in a number of large rivers that flow into the Gulf of Mexico. A predatory paddlefish is not a threat to humans. However, he likes to eat 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, which 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 of a paddlefish is 55 years.
4. Carp
Carp is a very large omnivorous fish. This species lives in almost all freshwater stakes, reservoirs, rivers and lakes. In this case, the 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 is capable of reaching over one hundred kilograms in weight. Usually fish of this species live for about 15-20 years. The diet of carp includes small fish. Predators also like to feast on the eggs of other fish, crustaceans, worms, and 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, since it belongs to such fish as non-gastric.
3. Scat
Third place on our list of ten the most the largest freshwater fish in the world takes a ramp. Stingray is a beautiful predatory fish that can be found both in the tropical seas, in the waters of the Arctic and Antarctica, as well as in fresh water. Most fish of this species are common in Asia. Inhabit the slopes and shallow water, and depth. The most gigantic individuals reach up to 7-8 m in length. In this case, the ramp can gain weight up to 600 kg. Large fish feed preferably on echinoderms, crayfish, mollusks and small fish.
2. The giant Mekong catfish
The giant Mekong catfish lives in the fresh waters of Thailand. He is considered the largest representative of his species and therefore it is often considered and studied separately from its relatives. The body width of a giant Mekong catfish sometimes reaches more than 2.5 m. The maximum weight of this species of fish 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 giant fish with an exotic appearance has been living in the fresh waters of rivers in the southeastern United States for more than 100 million years. This species is named for its elongated face 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 its fierce and bloodthirsty character. It feeds on smaller fish, but repeated cases of predator attacks on humans have been recorded.