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The largest freshwater fish are sturgeon. The largest fish in the world. Huge Tiger Shark

05/11/2015 at 16:22 · Johnny · 33 350

Top 10 biggest freshwater fish in the world

As soon as they were discovered in the oceans and seas large fish, people began to fear them. Everyone was afraid of how the large freshwater creatures satisfied their hunger. After all, the larger a fish is, the more food it needs to feed itself. Therefore, in order to satisfy the food needs of their growing body, freshwater giants begin to eat their smaller relatives of different species. Typically, fish are classified according to characteristics such as genus, species, etc. We tried to do this based on their size. And here we invite you to familiarize yourself with the list of top 10 largest freshwater fish in the world.

10.

Taimen – big fish from the salmon family, which is why it is often called “Russian salmon”. Its habitat is large rivers and lakes of Siberia, Far East and Altai. The predator is capable of reaching 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 taimen are capable of feeding on their own young. For this freshwater species there are no food restrictions. Russian salmon eats literally everything that comes its way.

9. Catfish

Catfish is a large freshwater scaleless fish. It lives in lakes and 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 gains weight up to 300-400 kg. Despite their large dimensions, the body of catfish is extremely flexible. This allows the active nocturnal predator to quickly obtain food. There is a misconception that this species feeds only on carrion or spoiled food. But that's not true. In fact, the main food for catfish are fry, small crustaceans and aquatic insects. And then, such a diet in freshwater fish is only early stage development. Later it is replenished with live fish, various shellfish and other freshwater animals. There are even cases where the largest catfish have attacked small pets and waterfowl.

8.

You can find Nile perch in rivers, lakes and ponds tropical Africa. It is especially common in the Ethiopian region. The body of the restive predator reaches a length of 1-2 meters and a weight of 200 kg or more. Nile perch eats crustaceans and different types fish

7.

Beluga belongs to the sturgeon family. This large fish lives in the depths of the Azov, Black and Caspian seas. Beluga can weigh a ton. Moreover, its body length will be more than 4 meters. True long-livers belong to this species. The predator can live up to 100 years. In food, beluga prefers such types of fish as herring, gobies, sprat, etc. The fish also likes to eat shellfish, and sometimes hunts seal pups - whites.

6.

The white sturgeon is the largest fish found in North America and takes sixth place in our ranking biggest fish in the world. It is distributed in fresh waters from the Aleutian Islands to central California. The predator grows up to 6 m in length and can gain a weight of 800 kg. This type of large fish is extremely aggressive. The white sturgeon mainly lives on the bottom. The predator feeds on mollusks, worms, and fish.

5.

The paddlefish is a huge freshwater fish that lives primarily in the Mississippi River. Representatives of this species can also be found in a number of big rivers that flow into the Gulf of Mexico. The predatory paddlefish does not pose a threat to humans. However, he loves to eat individuals of his own species or other fish. And yet most of those who belong to this species are herbivores. They prefer to eat only grasses and plants that usually grow in the depths of fresh water. The maximum recorded body length of a paddlefish is 221 cm. The largest fish can gain weight up to 90 kg. The average lifespan of a paddlefish is 55 years.

4.

Carp is a very large omnivorous fish. This species lives in almost all freshwater reservoirs, reservoirs, rivers and lakes. At the same time, carp prefers to inhabit quiet, stagnant waters with a hard clayey and slightly silted bottom. The largest individuals are believed to live in Thailand. Carp can reach a weight of more than one hundred kilograms. Typically, fish of this species live about 15-20 years. The diet of carp includes small fish. Predators also love to feast on the eggs of other fish, crustaceans, worms, and insect larvae. During hunting, it is typical for this species to kill a large number of small fish, because carp constantly needs food, since it is a stomachless fish.

3. Stingray

Third place on our list of ten the most largest freshwater fish in the world occupies the ramp. Scat is beautiful predatory fish, which can be found in tropical seas, in the waters of the Arctic and Antarctica, as well as in fresh water bodies. Fish of this species are most common in Asia. Stingrays inhabit both shallow and deep water. The most giant specimens reach up to 7-8 m in length. In this case, the stingray can gain weight up to 600 kg. Large fish feed preferably on echinoderms, crayfish, mollusks and small fish.

2. Giant Mekong catfish

The giant Mekong catfish lives in the fresh waters of Thailand. It is considered the largest representative of its species and is therefore often considered and studied separately from its relatives. The body width of the giant Mekong catfish sometimes reaches more than 2.5 m. Weight Limit this type of fish – 600 kg. The giant Mekong catfish feeds on live fish and small freshwater animals.

1. Alligator Gar

The alligator Gar (shell pike) is considered a real monster. This giant, exotic-looking fish has been living in the fresh waters of rivers in the southeastern United States for more than 100 million years. This species is named for its elongated snout and double row of fangs. Alligator Gar has the ability to spend time on land, but not more than 2 hours. The weight of the fish can reach 166 kg. Three meters is the usual length for individuals of this species. The Gar alligator is known for its ferocious and bloodthirsty nature. Eats more small fish, but repeated cases of predator attacks on people have been recorded.

Catching the largest freshwater fish in the world: video

The appearance of rumors about river monsters in a particular area causes twofold emotions. On the one hand, over time they begin to acquire even more rumors, often exaggerated, and instill fear in local residents. On the other hand, a person awakens a hunting, or rather a fishing instinct - to catch such a fish.

So which representatives of the water sea are included in the top river fish and which of them holds the record for largest and largest?

Top 10 largest freshwater fish

It turns out that giant creatures are not only found in the ocean, they can be found everywhere in the rivers and lakes of our country, as well as in other parts of the planet. In particular, the top ten includes:

  1. Beluga.
  2. Giant freshwater stingray.
  3. Alligator garfish.
  4. White sturgeon.
  5. Bull shark.
  6. Paddlefish.
  7. Nile perch.
  8. Indian carp.
  9. Siberian taimen.

In first place in the top fish of the world is the absolute record holder for weight and size, and in last place is the smallest of the smallest large inhabitants river water world

The fishermen didn’t even suspect...

Siberian taimen is also called Siberian salmon, and it is the largest representative of this species. Its weight usually ranges from fifteen to thirty kilograms. But there was a case when in Russia a specimen weighing about 10 kilograms was caught from the Kotui River.

We are all familiar with such types of fish as carp and perch. But even many experienced fishermen will probably be surprised to learn how big they can grow. In particular, the Indian carp, or as it is also called, the patlya, sometimes reaches a length of 180-182 cm, so it is not for nothing that it is included in the top of the longest fish. And, of course, for many fishermen it will be a discovery that perch, which is rarely caught more than a kilogram, and such specimens are already considered trophy, can weigh about 180 kilograms and be 1.8 meters long. True, such fish are found only in the Nile, Congo and Sinegal.

But many people have probably heard about the fact that catfish can be huge. These fish weighing 90-100 kg are considered “average”, but the record holder is a specimen weighing 227 kg. The paddlefish, which lives in US rivers, weighs almost the same - an exotic-looking fish with a long nose.

The bull shark is among the top heaviest fish. Yes, don’t be surprised, sharks can also be river sharks. This species can reach three meters and weigh 312 kilograms. But even it was surpassed in length by the white sturgeon; the length of the record representative of the sturgeon genus is four meters, and its weight is 485 kilograms! By the way, this fish lives up to a hundred years.

Also in the top list of giant freshwater fish is the alligator gar. The length of the average specimen is up to three meters, weight – 140 kilograms, and record alligators can weigh up to five hundred kilograms. Freshwater giant stingrays weigh even more, from five hundred to six hundred kilograms.

And in first place in the top of the largest freshwater fish is the beluga. There is evidence that the largest representative of this species weighed...1580 meters! Its length was 7.5 meters. And this we're talking about specifically about the caught fish (although it is difficult to imagine what exactly it was hauled with - probably a tanker). Belugas live up to 120 years.

Top largest freshwater fish updated: March 4, 2016 by: Anna Volosovets

Reading time: 9 min.

The watery expanses of our planet hide huge monsters - fish that frighten with their size. Some of them do not pose a danger to humans and are the object of hunting, others - ferocious predators who can easily fend for themselves. The Big Rating portal would like to present to your attention a list of the largest fish in the world. Giants are considered to be those individuals that reach a length of more than two meters, and their weight is more than one hundredweight.

Giant grouper or guasa

Average length - more than 2.5 meters
The giant grouper or guasa occupied the last line of the rating. Its distribution range is tropical shallow waters in the Caribbean Sea, and it is also sometimes found in coastal waters Brazil. Its length is two and a half meters, this is the average for this species. The food for grouper is sea turtle and octopus. Giant groupers are listed in the Red Book, and catching them is punishable by law. Entry into the book rare species has borne fruit - the fish population is gradually increasing. This species is dangerous to humans; if anyone swims into the territory of an individual, it will immediately defend it.

Psephur or Chinese dragonfish

Average length - 3 meters
This fish is found in the waters of the Yangtze River, it is the most... big representative class of ray-fins, which is found in fresh water. The length of the Chinese billfish is 3 meters, and its weight sometimes reaches three hundred kilograms. According to unconfirmed reports, 7-meter psefurs were also caught, but there is no evidence other than the words of fishermen. The food for the Chinese bullfish is crustaceans and small fish. This is an endangered species that has not been seen anywhere other than the waters of the Yangtze River.

Average length - 2 meters
is the largest and most unusual bony fish, it is found in the warm waters of all the seas of the Earth. Its habitat is very wide - you can observe it in the waters of the Kuril Islands and you might as well see it off the coast of Iceland. This fish has a very strange body structure: it is compressed on the sides and looks similar to the halo of the moon's disk. Instead of scales, the fish has small bony tubercles. With a length of more than two meters, the fish can weigh about one and a half tons. Officials say a three-metre-long specimen was spotted, and there are also rumors that a four-metre-long sunfish was seen in Sydney. This fish is not dangerous to humans; on the contrary, it is an object of hunting and fishing for fishermen.

Average length – 3 meters
This fish is found in fresh waters and today this species is on the verge of extinction. Its habitat is the Azov, Caspian and Black Seas. Fish was the object of fishing for a long time, beluga caviar was one of the most expensive delicacies. In 1989, a fish 4.2 meters long was caught on the Volga River, its weight was a thousand kilograms. Now a stuffed animal of this fish is housed in the Astrakhan museum. Beluga can live up to hundreds of years, this unique fish during spawning it lays up to 50 thousand eggs. It feeds on small fish and poses no danger to humans.

Average length - 4.5 meters
In sixth place in our ranking is a giant freshwater stingray. Sea stingray very popular, but much fewer people know about its huge freshwater brothers. It lives in the waters of rivers in Indonesia, Thailand and Malaysia. The average specimen is 4.5 meters long and weighs 450–500 kilograms. The giant freshwater stingray is also found in the coastal waters of Australia, New Guinea and the island of Borneo. Stingrays are not dangerous to people if handled with care. The freshwater stingray has two huge spines on its tail, which perform different functions: one spine holds prey, and the second injects a toxic substance. When catching stingrays, you need to be as careful as possible; they swing their tail so intensely that they can injure you.

Average length - 5 meters
The common catfish is one of the largest freshwater fish and is in fifth position on our list. The length of this giant sometimes reaches five meters, and it can weigh up to 500 kilograms. This fish is a predator that hunts at night and rests during the day. Its diet consists of fish, shellfish and crustaceans. The largest specimens attack birds and small animals. There are many legends associated with these fish, allegedly they can hunt people, but there is no official confirmation of this. But purely theoretically, a large catfish can drag down a person who is entangled in a net.

Blue marlin

Average length - 5 meters
In appearance, this fish is very beautiful, even with its enormous size. The huge length of 5 meters is truly daunting, with one fifth of the length being the spear. The difference in size between females and males is clearly expressed; females are much larger. The habitat of this giant is Atlantic Ocean. Marlins are the most favorite fish among professional fishermen. If you managed to catch blue marlin, consider yourself very lucky. Ernest Hemingway, in his legendary story “The Old Man and the Sea,” described the confrontation between an old fisherman and a blue marlin.

Average length -11 meters
This is a very unusual-looking fish, and its length is especially striking - 11 meters. Its habitat is the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian Oceans. In appearance, the herring king looks like a huge sea ​​snake. With a body thickness of 5 cm, this fish can reach up to 5.5 m in length. According to unconfirmed reports, specimens up to 17 meters have been found. The belt fish is called the herring king, which is not at all accidental. This fish is often seen swimming in a school of herring, and the elongated rays of the dorsal fin look like a kind of “crown”.

Average length - 6 meters
The largest and most dangerous marine predator is the white shark. The average dimensions of this cartilaginous fish- 4.6 meters, but it is documented that individuals were caught that exceeded 6 meters in length. The weight of a great white shark can reach several thousand kilograms. This fish poses a great danger to humans. It can hunt in coastal waters and is quite capable of attacking humans. This is explained by the fact that this fish has very poor eyesight, and it can confuse a person with a huge turtle, or something that can threaten. Cases have been recorded of white sharks attacking fishermen's boats. Its diet includes large fish, dolphins, pinnipeds, sea ​​turtles and birds. This is an endangered species; the white shark population is 3.5 thousand individuals.

Average length - 10 meters
At the top of our list, without a doubt, is the whale shark - the largest fish in the world. The average individual reaches 10 meters in length, but specimens of 12 meters have also been recorded. Science does not deny the existence of larger whale sharks, which reach 19-20 meters in length. This fish is not dangerous for humans, even with such monstrous sizes, since its main diet is plankton. This is one of the calmest fish - scuba divers can touch it without any fear, you can even ride on its back.

On our planet, the area of ​​the world's oceans occupies 70.8% of the total surface. In fact, there is a real kingdom on Earth sea ​​fish and animals that have traveled a long evolutionary path. They have achieved significant success in improving the methods of hunting and obtaining food, actively use camouflage, and produce toxic substances for their defense and attack. Size of creatures in underwater world gives an additional chance to their survival, giants dominate both river basins and oceans. To better navigate this topic, see below Top 10 biggest fish in the world.

Currently, the common sunfish is the largest of all bony fish. This huge creature, whose body reaches an average of 3 m and weighs up to one and a half tons, lives in tropical waters, the North Atlantic, and is found in the Sea of ​​Japan and near the Great Kuril Ridge.

Disc shaped moon fish can't fight fast current and swims very slowly, since it lacks a tail. The very thick and rough skin is not able to be bitten by most marine predators, so it has practically no enemies. But sometimes he still falls victim to sharks, which off the coast of California attack a slow swimmer and bite off his fins, causing the giant to sink to the bottom and die.

Moon fish is very prolific. Females can lay up to 300 million eggs at a time. But only a small part of the offspring survives to adulthood. The basis of nutrition is plankton and all kinds of larvae, fry, and jellyfish.

9. Beluga

Beluga - largest representative sturgeon family. Lives in Black, Azov and Caspian seas. The weight of modern specimens of this type of large fish can reach one and a half tons, and the length is often over four meters. Beluga is called a migratory fish because it spawns only in rivers with fast currents. Females lay eggs every four years, which are the most valuable among all sturgeons. The life expectancy of the beluga reaches 100 years, but due to incessant poaching, only rare individuals can live to such a respectable age.

Beluga is a predator and feeds on herring, gobies, and shellfish in the sea. It is an endangered species, but can hybridize with sturgeon, thorn, sterlet and stellate sturgeon. Russian scientists have developed a hybrid of beluga and sterlet, the so-called bester, which is grown in fish farms and introduced into the Sea of ​​Azov.

The list of the largest fish in the world includes the common catfish. This freshwater giant characterized by inactivity. Its favorite habitats are deep pools, in which these predators can live their entire long lives, approximately 100 years. But on at a certain stage During their existence, catfish can enter the Caspian Sea, where quite large individuals are caught. They have no scales, their body length reaches 5 m, and their weight is 400 kg. Color can vary from dark brown to light yellow. There are albino catfishes. It feeds on live fish, frogs and other aquatic life, and can hunt waterfowl and small animals. Doesn't eat all winter, lies in wintering pits. Particularly large catfish are capable of attacking humans.

Atlantic blue marlin - bright representative warm water fauna and one of the largest fish in the world's oceans. Sometimes they undertake long seasonal migrations from Caribbean Islands to Venezuela or from the Virgin Islands to the coast of West Africa. Female blue marlin quadruple larger than males. The officially registered maximum weight of one individual is 636 kg, and the body length reaches 5 m (including the spear). A very strong spear is used for hunting, with its help short time they injure or kill large numbers of schooling fish, and then calmly eat them.

Blue marlin meat is very tasty and fatty. Therefore, the species is considered commercial. And because of their size and beauty, marlins have become one of the most unique objects for sport fishing.

Continues the list of the largest fish on the planet Tiger shark. Among all sea predators, it stands out for its particular cruelty and is very dangerous for people swimming in the sea and surfers. Her attacks usually end for the victim fatal, in this she surpasses even the one known for bloody horror films white shark. Tiger sharks can be found in all oceans, with the exception of the Arctic Ocean. But the warm waters of tropical and subtropical seas are considered more comfortable for them. They live in shallow water and are practically not found at depths of more than 300 m. They have a streamlined body shape, and their huge mouth is literally filled with scraper-like teeth, up to 300 in number.

Tiger sharks are so omnivorous that they even acquired the title of ocean cleaners. Eating marine mammals, turtles, waterfowl. They can attack young animals of their own species. They attack young or sick whales in flocks, tearing out pieces of flesh from the animals' bodies.

The length of males is no more than 5 m, while females are much larger. The female caught in 1957 was 7.4 m long and weighed about 900 kg. The lifespan of these predators is no more than 25 years.

5. White shark

The white shark deservedly occupies the middle of the ranking of the most large species fish in the world. It is found everywhere in the vastness of the World Ocean, with the exception of cold waters. northern seas. But only the males of this species overcome enormous distances, and the females do not swim far from the main habitats.

The heroine of horror films, as well as rare documentaries, she gained fame as a terrible predator and cannibal. Indeed, this is a real death machine. Extremely voracious, with a body length reaching up to 7 m and a weight of up to 3000 kg, it will not miss an opportunity and attacks all objects of at least some interest. Can attack small boats. High speed movement sea ​​predator, maneuverability, a huge mouth full of sharp teeth, will not leave even the slightest hope of salvation for anyone subjected to a rapid attack. Adult white sharks feed on seals, marine animals, dolphins and small whales. They need food from high content fat, the resulting energy is used to warm up the muscles.

The Greenland shark spends its entire life in the northern part of the World Ocean. In winter they swim to the coast, and in summer they go deeper. This fish is one of the largest in the world. The average size of representatives of the species is up to 5 m, and their weight is up to 400 kg. But there are also real giants. The length of the largest ones is more than 7 m. They are considered superpredators. They feed on seals, stingrays, and fish. They are cannibals and do not disdain carrion.

Scientists studying Greenland sharks say they have the longest lifespan of any vertebrate. They live for about 500 years. In some countries it is still considered commercial species. Only their liver is valuable; the meat is considered poisonous due to the high content of urea and trimethylamine oxide, which allows sharks to dive to depths of up to 2 km.

The manta ray is the largest of all species of rays existing today. The body width of individual representatives reaches 9.1 m, and the weight of some of them reaches 3 tons. They are not as common, but can still be found in tropical, subtropical and temperate waters.

Manta rays have three pairs of limbs and no tail spine. With a huge mouth sea ​​devil(this is another name for manta rays) absorbs water with zooplankton. The water is then released through the gill slits and the food enters the stomach.

Manta rays are not dangerous to humans and are not objects of fishing. They have no enemies except large sharks, however, their numbers are decreasing from year to year. On Maldives, Hawaii and Ecuador prohibit all types of fishing and sale of stingrays.

2. Giant shark

These incredibly large fish swim either alone or in small groups. The maximum officially confirmed body length of a giant shark is 9.8 m and its weight is 4 tons. But there are references to larger sizes of their bodies, up to about 15 m. Sharks simply swim with a huge open mouth, into which water with zooplankton falls. Up to 2,000 tons of water are thus filtered through the gills within an hour. They prefer water whose temperature ranges from 8 to 14.5 ° C.

They can travel long distances by swimming near the surface of the water in search of food. In 1851, a giant shark 12.7 m long and weighing over 9 tons was caught in the Bay of Fundy, off the coast of Canada. A quarter of a shark's weight is its liver. The shark's teeth are small, no more than 6 mm in size, although there are more than 200 tooth rows. The stomach can contain up to 500 kg of food. Number basking sharks is gradually decreasing, the international community is taking measures to preserve the species.

The whale shark is the largest fish on our planet. Lives in the warm waters of the tropics. Its behavioral characteristics and lifestyle have been little studied. The shark is considered unique in many ways, and therefore is classified by scientists into a monotypic family, which includes one genus and species.

Based on various data, the length of adult specimens is about 15-20 meters. The maximum weight of one individual is 13-18 tons, sometimes over 20 tons are indicated. Large quantity can spend time at depths from 200 m to 1 km.

Oddly enough, this giant behaves quite peacefully towards humans. He does not react at all to swimmers and divers who willingly take pictures next to him and, if possible, try to ride on his back, well, at least purely symbolically. The whale shark has a very beautiful coloring of bright spots with an individual arrangement. Because of this, it is also called star-shaped. It feeds on plankton, small fish, crustaceans, and fish eggs.

If you ask yourself what is the biggest fish in the world, you may not find an exact answer. After all, sometimes they disagree with the information that fishermen have. If we take into account the general statistics, we can confidently identify the main contenders for this position. It would probably be wrong to classify all the inhabitants of the underwater bottom according to one characteristic, so it is also worth deciding what the largest freshwater fish lives in the world.

The largest fish in the ocean

According to official data, the largest fish living in ocean depths, is a whale shark.

Appearance

What does the largest fish in the world look like? The average size of a whale shark is 9.7 meters. The weight of individuals is 9 tons. Larger specimens are also found; in particular, a case of a whale shark weighing 22 tons and measuring 12.6 meters was recorded.

Externally, the whale shark is very different from representatives of this species. Thick skin in placoid scale on the back it has a dark gray-brown color, and on the belly it is gray-white. Her back is painted with a pattern of light stripes and spots, which create a unique individual pattern that does not change throughout life, like a person’s fingerprints.

The huge mouth of a whale shark reaches 1.5 meters in width. There are 300-350 small teeth in the mouth.

Habitat

This large fish lives throughout the world's oceans, but its population varies in different areas. Individuals prefer warm temperate and tropical waters. You can find representatives of the species in Florida and California. Lives in Indian Ocean and sails to the coast of Africa. Not found in Japan, south of Brazil and northern Australia, does not swim in the Mediterranean Sea.

Whale sharks move in small groups; individuals rarely stay alone. If the habitat is rich in food, then they can form colonies of hundreds of representatives.

Nutrition

Despite the status of the most big fish in the world, the whale shark is not a hunter big catch. Her diet consists of:

  • krill;
  • shrimps;
  • small fish;
  • jellyfish;
  • plankton, etc.

Basically, she eats everything she can suck into her huge mouth.

During feeding, the shark moves very slowly, often positioned almost vertically to the surface of the water. After taking a sip, the fish closes its mouth and lets water through the gill slits. The filtered food enters the stomach, and water exits through the gills. The shark makes about 10-16 gulps per minute. It takes quite a long time for her to get enough – about 7 hours a day.

Reproduction

Whale sharks reach sexual maturity at 30 years of age. Moreover, females become ready to reproduce earlier than males.

This large fish is ovoviviparous. The fry, about half a meter in size, hatch immediately from the shell. The number of babies can reach up to 300 individuals. For the first couple of weeks, they feed on the internal reserves of their body.

The whale shark is long-lived - its middle age is about 80 years old.

The ocean is not the only habitat huge fish. Now we will try to find out what the world's largest fish that lives in fresh water looks like. Based on statistical data, this is the beluga.

Appearance

This fish belongs to the sturgeon family and is listed in the Red Book. Beluga is considered an endangered species as it is hunted for its meat and black caviar.

Externally, it differs from other sturgeons with its large mouth. The fish has flattened antennae growing on its face. Her body is thick, cylindrical, with growths on her back, which are called bugs. Like most freshwater fish, the color of the beluga on the back is dark gray, but the belly is much lighter.

Weight adult reaches 1500 kg or more, with a total length of about 6 meters.

Habitat

Beluga is not only a freshwater fish, as adults also live in sea ​​water. Only there big beluga can find enough food. Migratory fish go to fresh water bodies of rivers to spawn, where they come from depths of the sea Caspian, Black and Azov seas. She also lives in the Adriatic and Mediterranean seas. Fish from the Caspian Sea most often breed in the Volga, Azov fish return to spawn in the Don River, and Black Sea individuals visit the Dnieper, Danube, and Dniester.

Nutrition

Because of large sizes Beluga consumes a lot of food. It is for this purpose that adults go to sea. There, its diet consists of animal food - beluga - a predator. Most often it feeds on herring, sprat, goby and small fish. In addition to fish, beluga can catch ducklings and seal pups (whites).

Reproduction

Like other long-lived fish, belugas become sexually mature at quite an adult age - at 12-14 years old for males, and at 16-18 years old for females. The fish, ready for reproduction, returns from the sea to the river. Migration occurs upstream. One individual can spawn once every few years. For spawning, beluga chooses a rocky bottom at depth. The eggs glued to stones and pebbles are fertilized by males swimming nearby. If for some reason the female fails to lay eggs, they dissolve inside her.

About 90% of the eggs die; after a week, the rest hatch into fry, which behave like predators from birth. Gradually they go downstream to the sea.

Beluga is destined by nature long life– up to 100 years or more. But rare individuals survive to this age, since the beluga, listed in the Red Book, is continuously hunted.

So, the answer to the question of what is the largest fish in the world is the whale shark. Beluga is rightfully the first among freshwater fish.