Ranking of the ten longest fish species

The top 10 longest fish species in the world are diverse. In an environment that occupies one-third of the world's land and one-seventh of its water, fish far outnumber humans. Whale sharks, basking sharks, oarfish, manta rays, great white sharks, Greenland sleeper sharks, sturgeons, tiger sharks, arapaima, and sunfish are the ten longest fish known in the world. How much do you know? The following is an introduction to the ten longest fish known so far, let us take a look at them together.

1. Whale shark (20 meters)

The giant shark is one of the largest fish in the world. Its usual body length is between 9 and 12 meters, but the largest individual can reach an astonishing length of 20 meters, which is equivalent to a six-story building. In terms of weight, it is also the champion among fish, with the largest individual reaching 12,500 kilograms.

The giant shark has five pairs of huge gills and a huge mouth that is 1.5 meters wide. There are 300 to 350 rows of tiny teeth inside its mouth, arranged on ten filter feeders. Its pectoral fin can be up to 4.8 meters long, and its tail fin is 2.4 meters long, showing a crescent shape, and the upper part is longer than the lower part. Surprisingly, the skin of the giant shark is extremely thick, which can reach 15 centimeters. This feature allows it to effectively resist attacks from other creatures. Due to the huge size of the giant shark, almost no natural predators can pose a threat to it.

2. Basking shark (12.27 meters)

The basking shark is the second largest fish in the world after the whale shark. The general body length is between 6.7 and 8.8 meters. However, according to historical records, the largest basking shark specimen was found in a herring net in the Bay of Fundy, Canada in 1851. . The total length of this basking shark reached an astonishing 12.27 meters and weighed 19 tons. The mouth of the basking shark is very wide, about 1 meter wide, and its body is spindle-shaped and unusually thick. Its jaw teeth are small and dense, cone-shaped, distributed in 4 to 7 rows, with about 100 teeth on each side. Basking sharks usually form separate groups of males and females, with each group consisting of only 3 to 4 basking sharks, but groups of up to 100 basking sharks have been reported.

3. Oarfish (7.6 meters)

The oarfish, also known as the Dragon Palace Messenger, is one of the longest bony fish in the ocean. It is rarely seen on the water and is occasionally mistaken for a sea snake. The body of the oarfish is flat and extends in a ribbon. Most individuals can reach more than 4 meters in length and weigh more than 150 kilograms, and the longest individual can reach 7.6 meters. The oarfish swims slowly and is a carnivorous fish with a ferocious temperament. It also exhibits the behavior of killing its own species. It feeds mainly on a variety of small and medium-sized fish, squid, krill and crabs.

4. Greenland Sleeping Shark (7 meters)

Known for its slow motion, the Greenland sleeper shark is a close relative of the Pacific sleeper shark. It is one of the largest sharks in the world, reaching a length of 7 meters and weighing 1,020 kilograms. However, due to its large size, its dorsal fin is smaller than that of other shark sizes and lacks bony support. Its snout is short and rounded, and its gill slits are relatively small. The Greenland sleeper shark grows very slowly, only growing about 1 centimeter per year. It can live up to 400 years and does not become capable of breeding until it is over 150 years old.

5. Manta ray (7 meters)

People also have a well-known name for manta rays, that is, devil rays. The body length of the manta ray can reach 7 meters, and the maximum body width can reach 8-9 meters. Due to their huge bodies, only a few large sharks and whales in the ocean can prey on them, such as tiger sharks and killer whales.

Unlike traditional fish, manta rays do not have a spindle-shaped body or dorsal fin. Their broad, triangular pectoral fins and kite-like body structure enable them to perform spin-like jumping maneuvers. As the rotation speed increases, the manta ray quickly rises and jumps out of the sea, usually to a height of 1.5 meters.

6. Sturgeon (20 meters)

The sturgeon, also known as the American paddlefish, can reach a maximum length of seven meters and weigh over 800 kilograms. Its body is spindle-shaped, its total length is about 4 times the length of its head and 7.1 times its body height. It is one of the largest freshwater fishes in North America. Sturgeons have a broad head and relatively small eyes. Its sexual maturity period is relatively long. Female sturgeons need to grow to at least 1.5 meters, while males need to grow to 1.2 meters. Female sturgeons are also much larger than males. The tail stalk of the sturgeon is long, the tail is slightly curved, and the whole body is scaleless and covered by a series of bony plates. The bony plates on the back are larger and pointed.

7. Great White Shark (6.5 meters)

The great white shark, also known as the man-eating shark, is one of the most ferocious predatory fish in the world. Its body length can reach 6.5 meters and its weight reaches 3200 kilograms. Females are slightly larger than males. The great white shark has a large, muscular body and a crescent-shaped tail. They have large, serrated, triangular teeth that can be up to 10 centimeters long.

The great white shark first appeared in the Miocene and is the only living member of the genus Anthrozoon. Of all sharks, great whites are the only ones that can hold their heads upright above the surface of the water, giving them an advantage when foraging on the surface of the water, allowing them to better locate potential prey.

8. Tiger Shark (6 meters)

The body length of tiger sharks is usually between 3.25 meters and 4.25 meters, with a maximum length of 6 meters. Their bodies are thick and short in shape, their heads are almost square, their tail fins are wide, short and broom-shaped, their lower lobes are triangular in front and their pectoral fins are wide. The most striking feature of the tiger shark is that there is a thick hard spine on the leading edge of both dorsal fins.

Tiger sharks have the same type of teeth in their upper and lower jaws. In each jaw, the front and back teeth have different shapes. The front teeth are tapered, and tiger sharks never lose their teeth. This is because their gums are always growing new teeth. Once the front teeth are lost due to aging or injury, the back teeth will automatically replace them and occupy their previous positions.

9. Arapaima (6 meters)

Arapaima is one of the largest freshwater fish on the South American continent, reaching a length of 6 meters and weighing 100 kilograms. Its body is slightly flattened and elongated. The pectoral fins are low and move very slowly. The scales of arapaima are large and hard, sometimes even used to make blades. It has no mandible, but has strong, well-developed teeth on its tongue. The swim bladder (fish-throat swim bladder) is rich in blood vessels and honeycomb-shaped, and sometimes has special epibranchial organs.

Using its tail primarily as a weapon, the arapaima can easily defeat an adult male and is capable of crushing bones and causing severe internal injuries. They prey on small fish, snakes, turtles, frogs, and sometimes even small crocodiles.

10. Sunfish (5.5 meters)

The sunfish is a huge ocean fish that can be up to 5.5 meters long and weigh up to 3,500 kilograms. They are among the largest and most bizarrely shaped fish in the world. The body of the sunfish is round and flat, like a large saucer. They have a long, pointed fin on their back and abdomen. However, the tail fin is so small that it is almost invisible, making them look as if a piece of their back has been shaved off. Sunfish feed primarily on jellyfish, using their tiny mouths to scoop up food and eat it. Despite their ungainly size, they often bask on the water's surface. Occasionally, the sunfish will leap out of the water and display stunning moves.

The inventory list of the ten longest fish in the world is mainly based on the body length of various sea fish and freshwater fish. The list is for reference only. If you have any questions, please leave a comment at the end.

animal tags： fish