The biggest fish in the world: top 10 huge species on Earth, their description
Water bodies account for the bulk of all Earth's surfaces. It is not surprising that a huge number of living organisms live in them. At the same time, scientists are constantly discovering more and more new species. However, some individuals literally stand out from the total. Moreover, their main feature is the size. Below is a list of the largest fish in the world.
Giant Sunfish
This individual is a type of moonfish. It was discovered not so long ago - in 2014. Therefore, not much is known about the lifestyle. It is only clear that one of the largest fish in the world.In addition, it is considered very heavy and weighs up to 2 tons. This is comparable to the mass of an adult elephant. Scientists named this species Mola tecta. It represents the first new type of sunfish that has been found in the last 130 years.
Common sharp-tailed moonfish
This individual belongs to the "moon-fish" family. Its habitual habitat is temperate and tropical zones. This representative differs from other varieties of the family by the presence of a posterior fin, which in appearance looks like a sharp wedge. The name of this individual is connected with this.
Adult specimens reach a length of 3.4 meters and weigh more than 2 tons. This fish is distinguished by its huge size and sluggishness. Therefore, it is a simple prey for predators. To protect itself from attack, the sharp-tailed moon has to descend to a depth of more than 200 meters.
Representatives of this family are characterized by sluggish tasteless meat. In most countries, people do not eat it. However, in a number of places, ocean fish is considered a real delicacy. This applies to Japan, Korea and Taiwan.
Beluga
This fish is considered the largest freshwater fish. However, this is not entirely true. The beluga enters the river only for spawning. Nevertheless, this individual occupies a confident place in the top 10 largest fish on the planet. It is characterized by a weight of up to 2 tons and a length of up to 7 meters. The Huso huso variety is now on the brink of extinction.
Until the beginning of the last century, the beluga was found in different seas - the Black, Azov and Black. Today, this predator can only be seen at fish factories.
Atlantic blue marlin
This individual belongs to the class of ray-finned fish. It is found mainly in the tropics. Depending on the season, the Atlantic blue marlin is found in the Pacific, Indian or Atlantic Ocean.
The body of the fish is covered with long scales, at the ends of which there are 1 or 2-3 points. From above, marlin is distinguished by a dark blue color, and on the sides - silver. Along the length of the body are blue stripes with a green tint.
On the back of a marlin there are 2 fins - a large and a small one. During movement, the ventral fins fold into recesses, which are located on the sides of the body. This helps reduce drag and increase speed. The tail fin is shaped like a crescent.
The main prey of this predator is small fish, and sometimes squid.During the hunt, the fish acquires a bright blue color. It is worth noting that the marlin itself often suffers from white shark attacks. Gender affects the size of such individuals. Males are 4 times smaller than females. The maximum weight of the fish caught is 600 kilograms and the length is 5 meters.
Reef Manta Ray
This is one of the largest fish that live in the world. It is a species of rays that is found in the tropics and subtropics. What are the dimensions of this individual? The weight of the fish can reach 1.4 tons, and the pectoral fins together with the body form a disk, the width of which is 5.5 meters. At the same time, the body length of the reef manta is 2.4 times less than the width.
The basis of the diet of this fish is considered to be zooplankton. It does not pose a danger to people. At the same time, there were rumors earlier that such a large stingray could swallow or crush a person.
Great white shark
This is one of the largest fish on Earth, which belongs to the family of herring sharks. The individual is characterized by a large cone-shaped head, a cigar-shaped body with gill slits and a caudal fin, which is characterized by blades of the same size. The great white shark prefers a temperature of + 12-24 degrees. Therefore, it is mainly found in regions with a temperate climate. However, sometimes fish can be found in tropical waters.
The average size of an adult shark is 4-5 meters, and the weight reaches 1.1 tons. These fish often become victims of poachers. Because their population is steadily declining. Once upon a time, the number of great white sharks was very large. Today, this figure does not exceed 3,500 individuals.
Sawfish
This huge fish belongs to the sawfly family.Its characteristic feature is considered to be a long saw. It is a protruding outgrowth with a fringing in the form of teeth along the entire length. In outline, the sawn ray resembles a shark, but is characterized by a flatter body. In addition, its gill slits are at the bottom. There are also differences in the placement of the pectoral fins, which literally grow together with the head.
Sawfish is found in coastal areas. However, he prefers a temperate and tropical climate. This species feeds on small fish and benthic invertebrates. Individuals reach 7 meters in length.
Giant shark
This fish is the third largest. She has a formidable appearance, but is actually considered a very harmless creature. The basis of the diet of the giant shark is plankton. This individual is looking for food near the surface of the water.It is worth noting that the continued use of fish for commercial purposes has negatively affected its population.
Oring King
This species is also called "strap fish" . The longest individual that was officially recorded reached 11 meters. At the same time, the maximum weight of the herring king is 272 kilograms. The average size of individuals does not exceed 3-3.5 meters.
Such an unusual name for the fish was given by Norwegian fishermen. This was due to the fact that she often came across in shoals of herring. In the head, a formation resembling a crown emerges from the dorsal fin. This individual has inedible meat, and therefore is of no commercial value.
Whale shark
This fish is considered the largest. At the same time, only the name unites her with the whale. The animal is the largest representative of vertebrates, except for mammals. The whale shark is found in tropical waters, the temperature of which exceeds +20 degrees. It feeds on plankton and therefore has small teeth.
Today, many huge fish are known, which differ in appearance, habitats and lifestyle features. Many of them look very intimidating, but in reality they are quite harmless.
