The largest fish both in terms of mass and length is, of course, the whale shark. This gigantic marine giant has no competitors for this title. He 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. She usually swims with her mouth open, collecting her prey along the way and filtering it through a special filter apparatus, which is also only found in giant and largemouth sharks. This giant is very slow and is known for its apathetic and lethargic disposition. For humans, the whale shark is absolutely safe. Experienced divers are very fond of these calm and balanced giants, often touching them with their hands or swinging 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 the contenders for the same title are ordinary catfish, giant arapaima, beluga, Mekong catfish. So which of them is the champion in mass and length? If referon historical facts, the largest fish that lives in fresh waters was caught in the 19th century. It was an ordinary catfish weighing 336 kg and 4.6 m long. Nowadays, a fish whose weight reaches 90 kg and a length of 1.5 m can already be called large with confidence.
Another big fish worthy of attention is the Mississippi shellfish, or, as it is also called, the alligator pike. This species lives in fresh water, but many scientists claim that these fish occasionally enter s alty sea water. There are shells 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 greatest length of the shell reaches three meters, but there is unofficial evidence that specimens up to five meters long have been caught.
Another contender for the mentioned title is the moon-fish. The shape of her body resembles a circle. This is a large bony fish. Its length is more than three meters, weight reaches 1.5 tons. In the Guinness Book of Records, a specimen weighing 2235 kg was caught on the shores of Australia in 1908. The body of the moon-fish is short and at the same time high. This gives it a very strange and original appearance. The anal, caudal and dorsal fins are interconnected. The skin of theseextravagant fish is very fat. Experienced sailors tell of cases when a sharp harpoon launched into a moon-fish bounced off 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. The moon fish also holds the record 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, despite their impressive size, are very vulnerable and require careful handling. Their further future depends only on the person.
