The largest fish both in weight and in length is, of course, a whale shark. This gigantic marine giant has no competitors for this title. It safely lives in the waters of the oceans to this day. The whale shark feeds exclusively on plankton, which includes crustaceans, squid and small fish. Usually she swims with her mouth open, collecting her prey along the way and filtering it through a special filter apparatus, which is also found only in giant and large-mouthed sharks. This giant is very slow, he is known for his apathetic and listless disposition. For humans, the whale shark is absolutely safe. Experienced divers love these calm and balanced giants very much, they often touch them with their hands or swing on their backs. Whale sharks reach a length of 23 meters, their mass is approximately 18-20 tons.
With the largest sea fish, of course, everything is clear, its leadership is undeniable. But with freshwater species, not everything is so simple. Among applicants for the same rank are considered
ordinary catfish, giant arapaima, beluga, and Mekong catfish. So which of them is the champion in weight and length? If we refer to historical facts, then the largest fish that lives in
fresh waters was caught in the 19th century. It was an ordinary catfish weighing 336 kg and a length of 4.6 m. Nowadays, fish weighing 90 kg and a length of 1.5 m can already be called large with confidence.
Another large fish that deserves attention is the Mississippi carapace, or, as it is also called, alligator pike. This species lives in fresh water, however, many scientists claim that these fish occasionally enter salt water. Shellfish are found in Central and North America. They can be seen on the shore, where they breathe air and bask in the sun. Outwardly, the
alligator pike looks very unusual. In front of her body is a huge "beak" with strong powerful jaws that can easily injure even a crocodile. The body of the fish is protected by thick diamond-shaped scales. The maximum length of the carapace reaches three meters, but there is unofficial evidence that specimens were caught up to five meters in length.
Another contender for the title is moon fish. The shape of her body resembles a circle. This is a large bone class fish. Its length is more than three meters, the weight reaches 1.5 tons. In the Guinness Book of Records, a case of catching on the shores of Australia in 1908 an individual weighing 2235 kg was recorded. The body of the moon fish is short and at the same time high. This gives her a very strange and original appearance. The anal, caudal and dorsal fins are interconnected. The skin of these extravagant fish is very thick. Experienced sailors talk about cases when a sharp harpoon launched into the moon-fish bounced off it without causing harm. Therefore, it rarely becomes the prey of such large predators as sharks and killer whales. You can meet her in the waters of the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian oceans. Luna fish is also the record holder for fertility. At one time, she lays up to 300 million eggs. As for the diet, it feeds on plankton and
fish fry.The largest fish, both freshwater and marine, in spite of their impressive size, are very vulnerable and require careful treatment. Only the person depends on their future.