Giant Freshwater Fish

Many giant freshwater fish are threatened because humans have destroyed their habitats and they are over-fished. But often, since these giants lurk in deep, remote waters, little is known of them overall.

Mekong Giant Catfish

The worlds largest freshwater fish title is held by a Mekong giant catfish, weighing in at 646 pounds as large and heavy as a grizzly bear.

Of course, with the so much freshwater out there in such deep territories, it is likely we will never know the true weight and size of the very largest on the planet. However, we do know that some can come close to this Mekong catfish like the stingray, and the Chinese paddlefish.

The largest number of giant freshwater fish that can be found by scientists today is Cambodias Mekong river basin, (where the above catfish was caught). This basin also houses giant carp, a giant stingray and a Pangasius catfish.

The catfish is considered to be critically endangered, and scientists warn that if these beasts were land-walkers, like elephants, civilians would not stand by and watch them disappear from earth forever. These leviathans are dying off because of dam construction, and a controversial project taking place within the river basin. This project involves blasting in the same areas where the giant catfish spawn.

Because the catfish grows so large, it is easy for these giant freshwater fish to die off after being over-fished since they never have a chance to reach sexual maturity.

The Giant Stingray

The Stingray within the river basin is supposedly able to reach weights of over 1,000 pounds and lengths of over 16 feet. This, of course, would make it even larger than the current record holder, the giant catfish. These stingray are also threatened within the river basin due to all of the human interference.

The depletion of these fish is not only a problem for the fish themselves, but for the natives living nearby who rely on these fish for their food consumption. Not only are people going hungry due to these beasts dying out, but fishermen are increasingly getting involved in violent clashes with each other.

Around the world there is much of the same problem. The giant fish are becoming threatened because humans are encroaching on their spawning habitats. For example the Tigris Salmon, a kind of huge carp, are being threatened in Iran, Iraq and Syria due to pollution, and the technique of fishing with explosives.

Giant freshwater fish such as the Giant Stingray swim the riverways of New Guinea, northern Australia, Borneo and Thailand. These monsters dont look like fish, but look like stealth bombers with their flat, grey bodies and whispy tails. It is known in this region that these giants can pull a boat down a river, or even, underwater.

Stingrays possess a barb that is deadly to humans and those who handle them should take great care. This barb is located at the base of the tail and resembles an arrow and is as deadly as a poison one. It acts much like a bee's stinger pumping toxins into the persons body, even into bone.