As soon as large fish were found 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 some kind of fish, the more food it needs for food. Therefore, to satisfy the needs of its growing organism for food, freshwater giants begin to eat their smaller relatives. different types. Fish are usually classified according to characteristics such as genus, species, etc. We tried to do it based on their size. And here we invite you to familiarize yourself with the list of the top 10 the biggest freshwater fish in the world.

Taimen is a big fish from the salmon genus, therefore it is often referred to as “Russian salmon”. Its habitats are large rivers and lakes of Siberia, the Far East and Altai. Predator can 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 the trout can feed on its own cubs. There is no food restriction for this freshwater species. Russian salmon eat literally everything that comes its way.

Som

Som is a large freshwater scaly 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 up to 5 m in length and at the same time gaining weight up to 300-400 kg. Despite the large size, the body of catfish is extremely flexible. This allows an active night predator to quickly get food. There is a misconception that this species feeds only on carrion or spoiled food. But it is not. In fact, the main food for the catfish is fry, small crustaceans and aquatic insects. And then, such a diet in freshwater fish only at an early stage of development. Later it is replenished with live fish, various mollusks and other freshwater animals. There are even cases where the largest catfish attacked small domestic animals and waterfowl.

You can meet Nile perch in the rivers, lakes and ponds of tropical Africa. It is especially common in the Ethiopian region. The body of a lively predator reaches a length of 1-2 meters and a weight of 200 kg or more. Nile perch consumes crustaceans and various kinds of fish.

Beluga belongs to the sturgeon family. This large fish lives in the depths of the Azov, Black and Caspian Seas. Beluga can reach a ton in weight. In this case, the length of her body will be more than 4 meters. To this type belong real long-livers. Predator can live up to 100 years. In food, the beluga prefers such species of fish as herring, bullheads, sprat, etc. Also, the fish likes to eat mollusks, and sometimes hunts on baby seals - whitefish.

White sturgeon is the largest fish living in North America and ranks sixth in our ranking. the biggest fish in the world. It is distributed in fresh waters, ranging from the Aleutian Islands and ending in central California. Predator grows in length up to 6 m and can gain a weight of 800 kg. This type of large fish is extremely aggressive. Mostly white sturgeon lives on the bottom. The predator feeds on clams, worms and fish.

Paddlefish is a huge freshwater fish that lives primarily 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. Predatory paddlefish does not pose a threat to humans. However, he likes to eat individuals of his own species or other fish. Yet most of those who belong to this species are herbivores. They prefer to eat only herbs and plants that usually grow in the depths of fresh water. The maximum fixed length of the body of the paddlefish is 221 cm. The largest fish can gain weight up to 90 kg. The average life span of a paddlefish is 55 years.

Carp is a very large omnivorous fish. This species lives in almost all freshwater rates, reservoirs, rivers and lakes. In this case, carp prefers to colonize quiet, stagnant waters with a solid clay and slightly silted bottom. It is believed that the largest individuals live in Thailand. Carp is able to reach more than a hundred kilograms in weight. Usually, fish of this species live for about 15-20 years. In the diet of carp is small fish. Also, predators love to feast on caviar of other fish, crustaceans, worms, 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, as it belongs to such fish as non-gastric.

Scat

The third place in our list of ten the most the largest freshwater fish in the worldranked. The slope is a beautiful predatory fish that can be found both in tropical seas, in the waters of the Arctic and Antarctica, as well as in freshwater bodies. Most fish of this species are common in Asia. Slopes and shallow waters and depths inhabit. The most gigantic individuals reach up to 7-8 m in length. In this case, the slope can gain weight up to 600 kg. Large fish feed on echinoderms, crayfish, mollusks and small fish.

Giant mekong catfish

The giant mekong catfish lives in the fresh waters of Thailand. It is considered the largest representative of its kind and therefore it is often considered and studied separately from its relatives. The body width of the giant Mekong catfish sometimes reaches more than 2.5 m. The maximum weight of this species of fish is 600 kg. Eat giant Mekong catfish with live fish and small freshwater animals.

Alligator Gar

Catfish

The largest freshwater fish or river monsters are not deprived of their presence and Russian freshwater bodies, which include large rivers and reservoirs. And the conventional pedestal in the hierarchical table of such giant fish heads, of course, catfish.

The largest specimens of catfish, of course, are real monsters that attack all living things, sometimes without disdain and carrion, although predominantly somas are real predators and hunters who attack fish, small animals and birds. Willingly eats catfish and frogs. Apparently, the cases of feeding these fish with drowned animals and snooty fish are mostly connected with seasonal or climatic disruptions, which have recently been frequent and violate the usual weather conditions. And this in turn affects the timing of breeding fish and other underwater laws, which often creates bad conditions for the fattening of catfish. In addition, discharges of underwater waters and sewage from enterprises kill the underwater fauna, which negatively affects reproduction and the life of mollusks. And catfishes very willingly eat various bivalve mollusks like toothless teeth and perlovits.

The biggest fish in Russia - catfish - have terrible power, impressive size and greed, which often borders on recklessness. In the literature, cases of som attacks even on humans were described, which served as a creation of legends and literary works, where soms were hunted for children who were on rafts, where their mothers were washing clothes, in a rather harsh and monstrous realism. It was as if the catfish were licked off children from rafts. Then there was a merciless hunt for these monsters. Children were found or not found in the stomachs of predators, but all large fish were exterminated without exception. There are descriptions, it seems, in VK. Arsentiev, cases of huge catfish attacks on bears fishing in the shallows. This seemingly fairy tale, meanwhile, could well have taken place, given the size of the catfish and its strength in its natural environment, while the bear, even the strongest, loses its advantage in the water, especially if the river has a strong current. There are also cases when the catfish tried to drag an adult under the water, grabbing his leg. It was a villager and in his hands he found a sickle at his happiness, with which he fought off the catfish. And there are quite a few such cases described, however, such attacks by predators belong to earlier centuries of Russian history, when somas reached a weight of 400 kilograms and were up to 5 meters in size. Large Russian catfish are quite suitable in the category - the largest river fish in the world.

But nowadays, catfish weighing 30 kilograms are considered large prey, and specimens weighing 50-100 kilograms are already called trophy fish. And such fish do not come across too often, if not to say - rarely. Soma weighing more than 200-250 kg is even more rare, but according to the rangers, such fishes are still found in the Volga waters. In Russia, the catching catfish are catches of deep channels and eriks of the Lower Volga, as well as the main Volga riverbed with deep snubbing pits and steep bottom reliefs.

There is something mystical in the guise of this big cross-less fish with a large head and a huge maw, where numerous sharp teeth are visible in the form of a brush. Two long whiskers fly in the water above the mouth, and four more antennae are visible below the lower jaw. And among this powerful composition of the appearance of an underwater monster, small eyes somehow look ridiculous ... It seems, at first glance, that these eyes are kind, like in fairy tales with mentioning "somovichs" and other characters. But this is only at first glance. In the eyes of the catfish lies merciless rage. The head of the catfish is the main and largest part of the "figure" of a fish. Everything else is occupied by a long tail-hair, wriggling like a serpentine, and sometimes a white marble belly. The back of a catfish casts with blued steel.

Photos of the biggest river fish   Often demonstrate precisely soms. And this is most likely due to the same question: do real man-eating somaes exist in reality? These huge fishes are too mysterious and so many tales about them are made up. But still there is evidence of som attacks on people in our time, given that there are still gigantic individuals. According to David Willer, a specialist in zoology from the United States, there are half a ton of catfish with sizes over six meters. Such facts are given in his book about catfish of unprecedented size, still inhabiting large reservoirs.

And nowadays catfish are attacked by animals, usually the victims of domestic pets and young cows, sheep, goats, as well as adult individuals. People also became targets of underwater predator attacks and most often they were children. In the middle of the summer of 1982, researchers and hunters of the Khopersky Reserve witnessed catfish attacking the young deer and killing it when an enormous fish dragged it under water. Bears, crossing the river, also became victims of catfish. This is still told in the Siberian region.

So the biggest freshwater fish is catfish? Among other things, and ogre? Quite possible. Here are more facts, moreover, from very recent history. It happened in the Voronezh region at the end of the summer season, in the 90s. In the area of ​​the village of Kulakovo, a boy and a woman fell victim to the attack of a huge catfish killer. In the evening they swam in places where a man-eating catfish was hunted.

Similar cases of disappearances in the evening were reported in China in a large reservoir. People went swimming and did not return from the water. The mystery of their disappearances was uncovered when they caught a giant catfish three meters in size and human remains in the stomach. One head of this catfish was meter size.

True or not, it is difficult to judge, but according to some sources in the sunken tug on the river a five-meter catfish was found in the side of the vessel, breaking a hole in the casing. The remains of three Polish tourists were found in the monster's stomach, and after a catastrophe with a tugboat they were transferred to a small rescue vessel, but they never reached the coast. It was on the Dnieper.

Beluga

The list, which includes the largest freshwater fish or river monsters, should be added and beluga. She would, of course, in first place in size among the fish of Russia. But this huge fish does not belong to the permanent and typical river dweller, because it is a type of fish that passes through and it comes to the rivers only for spawning. Meanwhile, in the museum of local lore of the Republic of Mari El, among the exhibits there is a beluga weighing a ton, caught once in the Volga. But this is not the limit of weight and size of the beluga. According to unspecified and unofficial data, individuals not long ago met 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 in length. Some of the largest beluga are the true long-livers, since their age can be 100 years.

The largest river fish in Russia, though not permanently live in rivers, but, nevertheless, spend a very large part of their lives there. This is due to the features of reproduction. Being inhabitants of the Caspian, Black, Azov and according to some information of the Adriatic Sea, beluga come to spawn mostly in the Volga, as well as in the rivers: Ural, Terek and Kourou. But if earlier these powerful and ancient fossil fishes rose quite high along the Volga, to the middle current and higher, then with the appearance of the Volga cascade of dams and hydroelectric stations, the rise of the beluga stopped at least to its previous levels.

Fish facilities did not help either. In addition, at some of the dams, they either did not exist at all or they did not work in full force. For example, in the first years, instead of fish pipelines at the Cheboksary hydroelectric station, only an 8 cm grid was installed, about which large fish passing and dying fell and fell 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 came into our rivers in the 18-19 centuries. Meanwhile, nowadays these valuable sturgeon fish, which once supplied a lot tasty meat   and delicious 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, and, in large quantities. It happened once one day in the year of one thousand eight hundred and ninety-one, when a strong wind from the shore unexpectedly and quickly drove the water from the Gulf of the Sea of ​​Azov by Taganrog. In the shallowed bay, in a puddle, this lucky one found a beluga weighing 20 pounds (327 kg). Black caviar in it was almost 50 kilograms. This is where you could eat plenty of real fish and black caviar with a tablespoon, simply! ..

Siberian taimen

The largest freshwater fish in Russia are found in Siberian rivers. And the largest and most beautiful predator of icy waters is taimen. This is the oldest fish of all salmon, since the taimen lived about 18 million years ago. Most of the species and subspecies of the trout, including Lenka and char, are predominantly freshwater, with the exception of Sakhalin taimen, which at some time 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 fishes are the object of sport fishing according to the “catch-release” principle. This tough principle is a vital necessity, since Siberian taimen is already a dying species of fish.

Among the Russian fish, taimen stand out for their size and weight. The largest copies reached not so long ago the weight of a centner and the length of two meters with a hook. Since 1993, holds the record for the largest taimen caught on sports equipment and released back into the waters of the river. The weight of this trophy fish was 41.95 kg. However, no, no, yes, and information will pass, they say, they caught a taimen weighing 50 kg, or even all 80 kilograms, somewhere in a mountain river. In a word, taimen is the largest freshwater fish in our country behind the Ural range.

Taymeni - real predators that can swallow large fish. Outwardly, this large fish is a living torpedo, for which the strong current and the rapids of mountain rivers are not an obstacle. The usual coloring of the taimen consists of brown tones of the back and silver sides with dark spots. In the mating season, these fish are made even more beautiful. Red, almost orange pelvic fins, and juicy red with a copper tint - anal and tail fins give them noticeable and bright color.

The element of taimen is icy mountain rivers and the same lakes. Places of hunting are pits just beyond the rapids, where the weary small fish rolls and becomes prey for predators. Also taimen are kept in small groups and in places with an uneven bottom on the reaches and even in the bays of the rivers. If only there was depth in such a bay.

Pike

The category - the largest freshwater fish includes pike. According to Leonid Pavlovich Sabaneev, pikes weighing 48-64 kg were met not long ago in the northern and Siberian rivers. And pond birds weighing 20 kg are not predators even now a special rarity in Russian waters, especially on expanses of the Volga reservoirs. Legendary is considered a pike, caught even under the German Emperor Barbarossa, which was 5.7 meters long and weighed 140 kg. She was banded and run into the lake. Pike lived for more than 200 years in this lake and, caught, was whitish in color, as if faded from old age. The skeleton and the 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 maximum age of pike is estimated by leading ichthyologists in 33 years.

Even in the forest peat lakes met giant pike. About 30-kilogram pikes of Lake Luzjer were written in the pre-war newspapers of the Mari Volga region. Large in area, but only 2-3 meters deep, this peaty inter-lake lake still remains a shelter for large pikes. Lake tenants, who set a goal for themselves, to fully catch predators and launch domesticated fish species, did not cope with this task. The lake seemed to have a second and 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 saw living logs in shallow water. Pike logs went out on the shallows, fleeing the net. And the fishermen simply did not dare to catch them, despite the reach of their prey. Such a giant pike, which can be judged not only by descriptions and stories, was caught in Lake Ilmen. She weighed 34 kilograms. And the credibility of catching a large predator confirms the black and white picture, which can be safely attributed to the series - a photo of the largest river fish.

Predators weighing 12-16 kg and now often become prey for winter pike-anglers.

Carp and carp

According to the information set out in the books of L.P. Sabaneev, carp and its domesticated species of carp were in ancient times truly gigantic sizes and weights. The record holder of that time can be called a carp weighing more than three pounds, or more precisely - 55.6 kg. This fish was caught by hooks, tackle, which in our time is poaching. There were rumors of a carp weighing 68.5 kg caught in a net. Nowadays, these fish also come in large sizes and large weights. At least, sarans 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 wants to catch.

These powerful and large fish, clad in strong silver-golden scales, are also included in the category - the largest freshwater fish, only among conventionally peaceful underwater inhabitants. Why - conditionally? 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 swallow the fry.

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

The biggest 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 pike-maskinong. It is also called the giant pike.

Pike maskinong

Maskinong outwardly almost does not differ from our pike, but in size this predator is comparable to our pike from previous centuries and old years. External differences can be found only by a specialist or a person who knows these differences beforehand. First, the masking has no scales on the lower part of the gill covers and the edges of the tail fin are sharper than our common pike. Distinguished by the masking and sensory points, which has a lower jaw of the fish. They have more of this pike than the Russian predator, most often more than seven. In the pike of our waters - no more than six. Color and stripes, turning into spots, often coincide, especially if the conditions, that is, when the color of water and soil also coincide with the American predator with the habitats of our pike.

Maskinings are up to 1.8 meters long and sometimes weigh 30-32 kg. But most often they come across anglers to sports equipment, so to speak, in medium weight categories - 2.5 m long and 16 kg in weight.

Like our pikes, maskingoas prefer river bays with weak currents or stagnant water. Also similar and objects of hunting these predatory fish. Like the pikes of our rivers and lakes, maskinings hunt for fish and all living things that fit into their mouths: chicks, birds, frogs, crayfish, snakes, mice, muskrats.

Carapace is also a relative of the above pike, 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-natured fish, because, like all sharks, this predator is a real aggressor. The bull shark is found, both in ocean boundless open spaces, and in a coastal zone. But the same shark can be found in the most ordinary freshwater reservoir: a river or even in a stream, just to allow the depth of this stream to accommodate this powerful fish, 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 rests on the 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 some 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 it 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 these sturgeons weigh almost half a ton. These fish differ in life expectancy, which is 100 years or more. Therefore, the old fish, one can say 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 the "sailor". Only the size of overseas brother impressive and thrill. As the name implies, this “perch”, which reaches a length of 1.8 meters and weighs more than 180 kg, lives in the ever-turbid Nile River, and also in the rivers - Niger, Congo, Senegal. Like our perch, Nile perch is the owner of yellow eyes with black dots of pupils. But the color 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 truly a monster. This is an alligator garfish. The appearance of this monster is almost a replica of an alligator crocodile, at least that is how a fish's head looks. 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 are also not offended. Alligators can weigh sargans up to 140 kilograms with a length of 3 meters.

Arapaima giant

This is a fish that is truly worthy to be on the list - the largest freshwater fish. Copies 3 meters long and weighing more than 68 kilograms are not uncommon in the waters of the Amazon. Confirmed data suggests arapaymah weighing up to 200 kg. This is a swift and furious predator who not only catches and swallows fish, but also jumps to catch birds and small animals in the trees.

Arapayma can live in the most impassable swamps, where water is very poor in oxygen. But this clever fish has adapted to breathe and atmospheric air, for which it needs to rise to the surface of the reservoir after a certain period of time, which is about 20 minutes. Arapayma gigantic is protected by very dense and strong scales, but this did not save it from extermination by local native tribes, who from time immemorial were hunting this fish for food. Now these fish are protected and, probably, they will become the object of breeding.

Tiger goliath fish

The biggest freshwater fish will be horrified when another real monster appears that will scare even any predator with the sight of its terrible teeth, since the goliath tiger fish is a giant piranha. Besides the fact that it is one of the largest fish and reaches 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 even bite through the metal leashes, if the metal chosen for them is not the strongest. Besides the Congo River, these fish are not found anywhere else.

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Carp is the common name for freshwater fish of the carp family. They are widely distributed in various reservoirs around the world. Prefer quiet, stagnant or slow flowing water with a solid clay and slightly silty bottom. Able to grow 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.

The common taimen is a species of large freshwater fish, the largest representative of the salmon family. They live in fleeting coldish rivers of Siberia and in the Amur River basin. Ordinary taimen can grow up to 1.5–2 m long and weigh 60–80 kg. However, the majority of mature fish caught reached an average length of 70 to 120 cm and weighed 15 to 30 kg. The largest caught specimen recorded by the International Game Fish Association was 41.95 kg in weight with a length of 156 cm. The species is listed in the Red Book.

The common catfish is a large, freshwater, barren bottom fish that lives in deep parts of rivers, deep channels, lakes and reservoirs throughout Europe and Asia. The length of the body 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 documented 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 congeners. Like pike, catfish is an excellent orderly for water bodies, it eats sick and weakened fish. Cases of attacks and on people.

Nile perch is a species of large freshwater predatory fish living in the basins of the Congo, Nile, Senegal, Niger rivers, as well as in the lakes of Chad, Volta, Turkana and other water bodies. It is found in Lake Mariut in Egypt. Able to grow to 2 meters in length, and weigh up to 200 kg. However, adult individuals usually reach a length of 121–137 cm. The Nile perch is a predator that dominates the reservoirs of the habitation. It feeds mainly on fish, crustaceans and insects. Where food resources are limited, they can eat their relatives.

Beluga is a type of fish from the sturgeon family. It lives in the White, Caspian, Azov, Black, Adriatic seas, from where it enters the river for spawning. The length of their body 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 data, 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 mollusks either.

Fifth place in the list of the largest freshwater fish on the planet is occupied by the White sturgeon - a species of sturgeon family, the largest freshwater fish in North America. Lives at the bottom of low-speed rivers and bays along the west coast of North America. White sturgeon is able to grow to 6.1 m long and weigh 816 kg. It feeds mainly on fish, crustaceans and mollusks.

A Chinese paddlefish or psefur is a freshwater fish that lives only in the Yangtze River, sometimes swimming in large lakes and the Yellow Sea. The length of their body 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 accuracy of this story is unconfirmed. It feeds on fish and crustaceans. Its meat and caviar are highly valued in China.

The giant freshwater slope (Himantura polylepis) is a type of freshwater rays that inhabit the tropical waters of several large rivers of Indochina and Kalimantan. Able to grow to 1.9 m wide and weigh 600 kg. They feed mainly on crustaceans and mollusks, possibly earthworms. The giant freshwater slope is not aggressive, although they must be handled with care, as their poisonous long spike can easily pierce a person's bone. This species is endangered.

Mississippian carapace

Mississippian shellfish or alligator pike is a species of large freshwater fish common in the valley of the lower Mississippi River and its tributaries in North and Central America. It is very fast and strong, but shy fish. According to experts, the Mississippian shell of armor can grow up to 3 m in length and weigh more than 130 kg. In 2011, the largest captured armor was officially registered, its length was 2.572 m, weight 148 kg. It feeds mainly on fish, small mammals, birds, turtles, etc. There have been 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 Lake Tonle Sap in Cambodia. Fish of this species in length can grow up to 3 meters and weigh 150–200 kg. They are herbivores - they feed mainly on algae and phytoplankton. The largest copy 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 humans.

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I present to you a list of the 10 largest freshwater fish in the world.

10. Carp

Carp is the common name for freshwater fish of the carp family. They are widely distributed in various reservoirs around the world. Prefer quiet, stagnant or slow flowing water with a solid clay and slightly silty bottom. Able to grow 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.

9. Ordinary taimen

The common taimen is a species of large freshwater fish, the largest representative of the salmon family. They live in fleeting coldish rivers of Siberia and in the Amur River basin. Ordinary taimen can grow up to 1.5–2 m long and weigh 60–80 kg. However, the majority of mature fish caught reached an average length of 70 to 120 cm and weighed 15 to 30 kg. The largest caught specimen recorded by the International Game Fish Association was 41.95 kg in weight with a length of 156 cm. The species is listed in the Red Book.

8. Ordinary catfish

The common catfish is a large, freshwater, barren bottom fish that lives in deep parts of rivers, deep channels, lakes and reservoirs throughout Europe and Asia. The length of the body 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 documented 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 congeners. Like pike, catfish is an excellent orderly for water bodies, it eats sick and weakened fish. Cases of attacks and on people.

7. Nile perch

Nile perch is a species of large freshwater predatory fish living in the basins of the Congo, Nile, Senegal, Niger rivers, as well as in the lakes of Chad, Volta, Turkana and other water bodies. It is found in Lake Mariut in Egypt. Able to grow to 2 meters in length, and weigh up to 200 kg. However, adult individuals usually reach a length of 121–137 cm. The Nile perch is a predator that dominates the reservoirs of the habitation. It feeds mainly on fish, crustaceans and insects. Where food resources are limited, they can eat their relatives.

6. Beluga

Beluga is a type of fish from the sturgeon family. It lives in the White, Caspian, Azov, Black, Adriatic seas, from where it enters the river for spawning. The length of their body 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 data, 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 mollusks either.

5. White sturgeon

Fifth place in the list of the largest freshwater fish on the planet is occupied by the White sturgeon - a species of sturgeon family, the largest freshwater fish in North America. Lives at the bottom of low-speed rivers and bays along the west coast of North America. White sturgeon is able to grow to 6.1 m long and weigh 816 kg. It feeds mainly on fish, crustaceans and mollusks.

4. Chinese paddlefish

A Chinese paddlefish or psefur is a freshwater fish that lives only in the Yangtze River, sometimes swimming in large lakes and the Yellow Sea. The length of their body 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 accuracy of this story is unconfirmed. It feeds on fish and crustaceans. Its meat and caviar are highly valued in China.

3. Giant freshwater slope

The giant freshwater slope (Himantura polylepis) is a type of freshwater rays that inhabit the tropical waters of several large rivers of Indochina and Kalimantan. Able to grow to 1.9 m wide and weigh 600 kg. They feed mainly on crustaceans and mollusks, possibly earthworms. The giant freshwater slope is not aggressive, although they must be handled with care, as their poisonous long spike can easily pierce a person's bone. This species is endangered.

2. Mississippian Carapace

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

1. Giant shilb catfish

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 Lake Tonle Sap in Cambodia. Fish of this species in length can grow up to 3 meters and weigh 150–200 kg. They are herbivores - they feed mainly on algae and phytoplankton. The largest copy 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 humans.

The ocean is not the only place where you can find large representatives of different species. Under the muddy waters of our freshwater rivers and lakes are hidden 11 freshwater giant fish.

While most freshwater fish are small or medium in size compared to their “counterparts” in the salty water of the seas and oceans, there are some that can grow to gigantic sizes. You need to think carefully about whether you are ready to meet with these freshwater giants.

Here are 11 freshwater giant fish.

Beluga

This giant fish should not be confused with the beluga whale (a species of toothed whales), which has nothing to do with the beluga. This fish is included in the IUCN Red List, is one of the sturgeon species that inhabits the rivers and seas of central Eurasia (Caspian, Black, Azov).

Since the beluga continues to grow throughout life, it can be called the largest freshwater fish in the world. The largest of these giants reached lengths of up to 9.15 meters and weighed more than 2,730 kg. Such numbers also make Belugs worthy competitors for the title of the largest bony fish in the world by weight.

Som

This fish is one of the largest freshwater species. Som is found in many European rivers and successfully lives and breeds also in lakes. He is practically blind and relies on a developed sense of smell and a long, sensitive mustache. They help the soma to look for dead, sick, or wounded fish. Rows of teeth resembling sandpaper, allow the soma to grab and hold the prey before it can crush and swallow it. There are so large catfish that grow to 3.5 m and weigh up to 300 kg.

Mississippian carapace

Because of the double row of large teeth and a snout like an alligator, these carnivorous fish can be called the most terrible inhabitants that lurk in the rivers of North America. With a length of up to 3 meters, the Mississippian armor can survive without water for two hours.

Found in the lower part of the Mississippi River basin and in the waters of all the countries of the Gulf Coast, this terrible fish usually swims near the surface or among the reeds, where it can sit in wait, trapping prey. Despite its frightening appearance, the Mississippian carapace is passive towards people.

Arapaima

The prehistoric monster Arapaima continues the list of 11 freshwater giant fish. In the Amazon, these giant fish are very ancient and large. They are able to grow in length over 3.2 meters. Arapaima is so ancient fish that they are considered living minerals.

These fish are also incredible jumpers, and can jump out above the water if they feel threatened. Unfortunately, now it is a very rare species and records about its size are extremely small.

Giant freshwater slope

This frightening freshwater fish can grow to enormous sizes, with a weight of more than 455 kg, the giant freshwater slope has about 4.6 meters in diameter.

Discovered in the rivers of Southeast Asia, it has a very sharp toothed spike on its tail, which can reach 38 cm in length and can easily cause irreparable injury.

Unfortunately, like most amazing freshwater species, the giant freshwater stingray is endangered and is endemic to Southeast Asia.

Paddled

These river giants are easily recognizable by the shape of their paddle-shaped muzzle. Suspended insect troopers are harmless filter feeders that use their unusual and large enough mouth to feed on zooplankton.

Today, only two species of these unique fish are preserved: the Chinese paddlefish or the psefur and the American paddlefish, which is often simply called the paddlefish. Psefur, which inhabited the Yangtze River, reached 7 m in length. American paddlefish living in Mississippi (once lived in the area) can grow up to 2 meters and weigh about 90 kg.

Carp

All carp subspecies can grow to solid size. Usually found in lakes and ponds with stagnant water, but can successfully exist in rivers. Carp does not have digestive glands, therefore it is remarkable for its voracity. It feeds almost continuously throughout the day.

In a nutshell, carps can be described as “powerful long-livers” - cases of catch of specimens that were over 40 years old and who weighed more than 40 kg have been reported.

White sturgeon

The largest freshwater fish in North America is the white sturgeon, which can grow to an incredible 6 m long.

White sturgeon, living along the west coast of North America, is one of those ancient fish that have retained their shape for more than 175 million years. Due to the excessive curiosity of fishermen, some white sturgeon populations are endangered.

Nile perch

A native of tropical rivers and lakes in Africa, the Nile perch is the largest representative of freshwater fish in Africa. With a giant mouth, Nile perch reaches 1.8 m in length.