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The ocean is not the only place that you can find
gigantic fish that might make you want to put the fishing pole down for
retirement. Behemoth fish can be found hiding inside our murky
freshwater rivers and lakes as well.Although the typical freshwater fish
is smaller than its counterpart in the saltwater oceans, there are a
select few that can grow to enormous sizes. After taking a look at these
freshwater giants, it might make you look at bodies of fresh water a bit
differently. Here’s a list of the some biggest freshwater fish in the
world:
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Beluga Species
The beluga is a part of the sturgeon family and it is number one on the
list of largest freshwater fish. Despite sharing the same name, the
freshwater beluga bears no relation with the beluga whale. Belugas are a
species of sturgeon that can grow to monstrous size – partly because
their lifetime can last as long as 118 years, during which they never
stop growing.
The largest beluga recorded was 24 feet long and 3,460 pounds. The sad
fact is that these large belugas are now growing old and becoming
increasingly rare. This is due to the heavy fishing for this species.
The Beluga is the species of fish that creates the caviar that we
consider a delicacy worldwide. Beluga caviar is scarce and expensive.
Due to the fact that this fish is now critically endangered, beluga
caviar is even more expensive now than before. |
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Giant Freshwater Stingray
This is a certain species of the stingray that may frighten you a bit
once you learn about it. The giant freshwater stingray is one of the
largest freshwater fishes in the world, weighing between 1,100 pounds
and 1,300 pounds.
Unfortunately, the number of these fish are dwindling rapidly due to
overfishing and frequent habitat loss. It is currently in danger of
extinction. In Thailand the giant freshwater stingray is considered
critically endangered.
The giant freshwater stingray is capable of pulling a boat underwater if
there is enough tension in the line you are trying to catch it with.
They are known for burying themselves under large quantities of mud
while caught on a line. |
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Alligator Gar
The alligator gar is a streamlined fish that has a flat head and may
look like an alligator at first glance. The alligator gar is the largest
of the gar species. It can grow to over ten feet long and weigh in at
over 300 pounds. They are an aggressive looking species, yet there are
no known attacks against people. |
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White Sturgeon
The White Sturgeon is a freshwater fish species who plays an important
role in British Columbia’s social heritage and culture. It is the
largest sturgeon species in all of North America and is also considered
the largest freshwater species in all of North America. Recently a white
sturgeon was caught in British Columbia that was almost 4 meters in
length and believed to weigh ½ a ton.
The white sturgeon has an extremely long lifespan. Some of them have
lived to over 100 years of age. This means that they were alive before
British Columbia was even a part of Canada. White sturgeon are capable
of spawning many times during their lifespan. Due to their long
lifespan, white sturgeon grow slowly and do not spawn until the males
are over 14 years old and the females are over 18 years old. |
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Bull Shark
You can find the bull shark in warm oceans and on coastal areas. You can
also find them in freshwater streams if they are deep enough.
Female bull sharks are larger than males. At birth, they can be up to 3
feet long. Adults average about 8 feet long. The largest recorded weight
of a bull shark was 690 pounds. This is one of the largest freshwater
fish species.
The bull shark is said to be a super aggressive species. They often lurk
in shallow beaches and display aggressive behavior.
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Catfish
Catfish are bottom feeders. They are the best at doing what they do at
the bottom of the lake. Some of the largest catfish have had sizes
recorded upwards of 500 pounds. You can find catfish in freshwater
environments typically in shallow spots of running water.
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Nile Perch
Nile Perch is a freshwater fish species that belongs to the Latidae 2
family of Perciformes. It is native to the Nile, Congo, Senegal, and
Niger river (as well as other river basins that I didn’t mention). This
perch is silver but it has a unique blue tinge to it. You will notice
its distinct black eyes that have a bright yellow ring on the outer rim.
The Nile perch is one of the biggest freshwater fish in the world,
reaching a length of over 6 feet in some instances. The largest of these
fish weigh over 400 pounds.
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Carp
You can find carp across the world in many freshwater bodies. Carp can
grow extremely large. Carp are a number of different species of
freshwater fish that belong to the family Cyprinidae, which is a large
group of fish that originated in Europe and Asia.
The Catla carp (also known as the Indian carp), has the longest maximum
length which is 182 centimeters. The closest behind this carp is the
Grass carp which has a maximum length of 150 centimeters. |
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