World's Biggest Freshwater Fish

[RaginCajun]

anyone with lots of time intrested in helping them????

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/20..._huge_fish.html

[Spinalcombo]

Wow, now theres some reel big fish lol! My money is on it being a catfish!

Btw, that polar bear took me by surprise on the link!

[warden]

Wow, now theres some reel big fish lol! My money is on it being a catfish!

Btw, that polar bear took me by surprise on the link! 

413444[/snapback]

I don`t think it`s a cat fish..saying that i don`t know what kind it is

You were right about one thing ,

That polar Bear where did it escape from ,it must have smelt the fish

[Richdog]

This is one of the largest http://www.arowana.net/www/arapaima.htm

largest arapaima ever caught was 16ft or something.

[warden]

Is that the fish that eats fruit

[Andy_R]

About 15 years ago, a dead sturgeon washed ashore on Lake Washington (Seattle). It weighed over 900 pounds.

A little off topic- I'm convinced that most (if not all) lochness/monster sightings are indeed huge sturgeon. Imagine seeing a 900 Lb fish break the surface. You'd think it was a monster.

[RaginCajun]

wow. richdog the site you got was interesting. that's one big fish. how heavy was it? it think scientist go by weight not lenght.

[DarkSide]

Well I think it would either be a type of catfish or a bull sharkl, since bull sharks have been know to go into freshwater systems.

I'll pm Canadian and we'll get his opinion on it too.

[Richdog]

Well I think it would either be a type of catfish or a bull sharkl, since bull sharks have been know to go into freshwater systems.

I'll pm Canadian and we'll get his opinion on it too.

414257[/snapback]

I think Bull sharks reach a max of around 550lbs... http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/fish/Gallery/Desc...k/bullshark.htm

I'd have to say that the biggest fish is either the Giant Cambodian stingray which has been said to reach a max of around 1'000lbs (higher than any freshwater-only fish i've ever heard of) http://www.carpecarpio.com/freshwaterstingray.html

Wels have got to 675lbs max http://www.scotcat.com/smiley.htm but the Stingray dwarfs that...

[RaginCajun]

that's ridicolus (in a shocked way). those are monsters.

[Fatal Fury]

I heard that a couple of years ago a giant squid beached our shores.

[Richdog]

I heard that a couple of years ago a giant squid beached our shores.

414332[/snapback]

Yeah those things fascinate me a hell of a lot, I don't think we've seen the biggest specimens yet. I've read reports that Sperm Whales have been found with sucker marks on them that are absolutely huge in diameter.

[Canadian Rottweiler]

Bull sharks are the largest freshwater fish.These catfish are not the largest freshwater fish,but they are on the top 10 list for the biggest.The pic from the start is of a giant catfish.The first 3 pics are of bull sharks.The others are other pics of the Giant catfish

Edited December 20, 2004 by Canadian

[Canadian Rottweiler]

I heard that a couple of years ago a giant squid beached our shores.

414332[/snapback]

Yeah those things fascinate me a hell of a lot, I don't think we've seen the biggest specimens yet. I've read reports that Sperm Whales have been found with sucker marks on them that are absolutely huge in diameter.

414349[/snapback]

Yes,giant squids and sperm whales fight quite often.The giant squid normally loses and is eaten,but sometimes the whale dies from wounds by the giant squid.Here is some very cool pics related to what you were talking about.Some show the giant squid body,some of it's sharp sucker tentacles,and the last 3 are of a whale that died from a fight with a giant squid...

[Fatal Fury]

Do you think sea serpents exist or is just fiction?

[Richdog]

Bull sharks are the largest freshwater fish.

414379[/snapback]

Bullsharks grow over 900lbs? It says the large females weigh 500lbs, with the males being considerably smaller. I imagine the largest female wouldn't get much over 600lbs due to their streamlined design. If the Giant Stingray can reach 1'000lbs, I can't see the Bull Shark competing.

But thank goodness for that, they're by far the most vicious shark.

[Canadian Rottweiler]

Bull sharks are the largest freshwater fish.

414379[/snapback]

Bullsharks grow over 900lbs? It says the large females weigh 500lbs, with the males being considerably smaller. I imagine the largest female wouldn't get much over 600lbs due to their streamlined design. If the Giant Stingray can reach 1'000lbs, I can't see the Bull Shark competing.

But thank goodness for that, they're by far the most vicious shark.

414435[/snapback]

Bull sharks grow in excess of 1000 lbs.I have no idea where you heard that females are bigger,cause that is not true...

[strichar]

I'll bet you there are some absolutely HUGE fish somwhere in the Great Lakes. Maybe even a man eating catfish.

[Canadian Rottweiler]

I'll bet you there are some absolutely HUGE fish somwhere in the Great Lakes.   Maybe even a man eating catfish.

414487[/snapback]

Are you joking?

[Richdog]

Bull sharks grow in excess of 1000 lbs.I have no idea where you heard that females are bigger,cause that is not true...

Here... http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/...Bullshark.shtml

On average, adult males are about 7 feet (2.1 m) long weighing 200 pounds (90 kg). Adult females are about 11.5 feet (3.5 m) long weighing 500 pounds (230 kg).

Here... http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/...Bullshark.shtml

Anatomy: The bull shark has a short snout that is wider than it is long (hence its name). Its belly is off-white, its top surface is gray, and its eyes are small. The first dorsal fin is much longer and more pointed than the second dorsal fin. The females are larger than the males. On average, adult males are about 7 feet (2.1 m) long weighing 200 pounds (90 kg). Adult females are about 11.5 feet (3.5 m) long weighing 500 pounds (230 kg).

Here... http://www.sharksurvivor.com/sharks/bullshark.htm

Size: 7 (2.1m) to 11.5 feet (3.5m) long; 200 (90kg) to 500 pounds (230kg).

Here... http://shark-gallery.netfirms.com/med/bull.htm

Female bull sharks are usually larger than the males and can grow up to 11 feet.

Size

Grow from 7 to 11 feet weighing 200 to 500 pounds.

That's an awful amount of very credible sites that are wrong then... with all due respect are you sure we're talking about the same shark?

[Mysteryman]

Any one up for a large feast tonight?

Just kidding...

Aside of that, came across some research and found an interesting site based on all about the bullshark...

http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/...Bullshark.shtml

BULL SHARK

Carcharhinus leucas

Bull Shark Printout

Simple Bull Shark Printout to Color

GENERAL DESCRIPTION

The bull shark has a short snout that is wider than it is long (hence its name). Its belly is off-white, its top surface is gray, and the eyes are small. The first dorsal fin is much longer and more pointed than the second dorsal fin. A pup's fins have black tips, but these marking fade in the adults. The females are larger than the males. The bull shark is also know as the cub, Ganges, Nicaragua, river, Swan River Whaler, Zambezi, shovelnose, slipway grey, square-nose, and Van Rooyen's shark.

TEETH

Bull shark teeth are triangular, serrated (saw-edged), and very sharp.

The teeth are located in rows which rotate into use as needed. The first two rows are used in obtaining prey, the other rows rotate into place as they are needed. As teeth are lost, broken, or worn down, they are replaced by new teeth that rotate into place.

SIZE

On average, adult males are about 7 feet (2.1 m) long weighing 200 pounds (90 kg). Adult females are about 11.5 feet (3.5 m) long weighing 500 pounds (230 kg).

DIET AND FEEDING HABITS

The bull shark eats fish (including other sharks and rays), turtles, birds, mollusks, crustaceans, and dolphins. It will eat almost anything.

BULL SHARK ATTACKS

The bull shark is one of the most frequent attacker of people, as it swims in very shallow waters where people swim and is an aggressive shark.

HABITAT

The bull shark is found close to shore and can live for a while in fresh water, frequenting estuaries, rivers and lakes. It has been found up to 1,750 miles (2800 km) up the Mississippi River in the USA and 2,500 miles (4000 km) up the Amazon River in Peru. It has been found in Lake Nicaragua (Central America) and the Zambezi River (Africa).

DISTRIBUTION

The bull shark is found in all tropical and subtropical oceans and seas along the coastlines and also in a few fresh water rivers and lakes.

REPRODUCTION

Bull sharks are viviparous (like mammals, giving birth to live animals that were nourished by through a placenta). Litters of 1 to 13 pups are common after a gestation period of about one year. Pups are about 28 inches (70 cm) long at birth. Very young bull sharks are frequently found in protected bays near the mouths of rivers, in briny water

MIGRATION

The South American bull shark migrates about 2,300 miles (3700 km) seasonally, travelling from the upper Amazon river to the sea.

POPULATION COUNT

The bull shark is a very common shark.

BULL SHARK CLASSIFICATION

Kingdom Animalia (animals)

Phylum Chordata

SubPhylum Vertebrata (vertebrates)

Class Chondrichthyes (cartilaginous fish)

Subclass Elasmobranchii (sharks and rays)

Order Carcharhiniformes

Family Carcharhinidae

Genus Carcharhinus

Species leucas

BULL SHARK ACTIVITY

A print-out about the bull shark .

A K-3 bull shark print-out to color.

Another amazing and detailed site all about the life and environmental life of a bull shark:

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=htt...hl%3Den%26lr%3D

Also, talking about sea serpents, this picture, which could also be found on our site, is believed to be actually real, though I have hard times believing it:

The truth is, I have hard times believing in sea serpents. Honestly, it might sound wierd, though I do want sea serpents to exist its just their isn't enough proof for it to exist...

Also, found some giant squid pictures (some people might consider them krakens, don't argue against me), some related to Canadians -

This site is amazing and provides you with tons of pictures, history, tons of information all about the giant squid/kraken.

[Mysteryman]

[Richdog]

I'll bet you there are some absolutely HUGE fish somwhere in the Great Lakes.   Maybe even a man eating catfish.

414487[/snapback]

In Eastern Europe apparently there is a documented case about a young boy that was fishing on his local river in a small boat with a make-shift, thick fishing line wrapped around his hand, a huge Wels took an interest in his bait and dragged the poor kid under, drowning him. I did a Google and while I couldn't find the original place I read it I found another site that had the same story http://www.planetcatfish.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=3369 and a google search turns a few more things up http://www.google.co.uk/search?sourceid=na...+a+wels+catfish

So not man-eating, but as close as you'll get...

Edited December 20, 2004 by Richdog

[RaginCajun]

canadian:

great pics. what are those guys thinking? i though certain catfishes had thorny selfdefenses??

[strichar]

Are you joking?

Yes. But seriously, I'll bet there are some huge fish in the Great lakes. Things we have never even seen.

On another note, I don't doubt sea serpents exist. We actually know less about the oceans than we do our own solar system. Does anyone remember that giant Fish thing From Star wars the Phantom Menace? I wouldn't doubt things like that even exist in the ocean. It's so big and the water allows for less gravity so it's definately not impossible.