ever wondered what are the largest fish in the world? There are a lot of wonderful things inside the oceans and the largest fish are one of them. Join us in this article to talk with you about the giants of the ocean, their appearance, habitat and habit.
If you think they are only dangerous, we will show you some huge commercial fish. Keep reading to know more about them.
| largest fish | Scientific name | weight | length | |
| 1 | Whale Shark | Rhincodon typus | Up to 21.5 tons | up to 41.5 feet |
| 2 | Basking Shark | Cetorhinus maximus | Up to 4.2 tons | up to 40.3 feet |
| 3 | Great White Shark | Carcharodon carcharias | Up to 3.34 tons | up to 23 feet |
| 4 | Tiger Shark | Galeocerdo cuvier | Up to 3.11 tons | up to 24 feet |
| 5 | Giant Oceanic Manta Ray | Mobula birostris | 3 tons | up to 15 feet |
| 6 | Ocean Sunfish | Mola mola | Up to 2.5 tons | up to 10 feet |
| 7 | Southern Sunfish | Mola alexandrini | up to 2.3 tons | up to 11 feet |
| 8 | Beluga Sturgeon | Huso huso | up to 2.072 tons | up to 24 feet |
| 9 | Sharptail Mola | Masturus lanceolatus | up to 2 tons | up to 9.8 feet |
| 10 | Hoodwinker Sunfish | Mola tecta | up to 1.87 tons | up to 7.9 feet |
1- Whale Shark (Rhincodon typus)
Weight: Up to 21.5 tons
Length: up to 41.5 feet long
Appearance:
Habitat:
- It lives in tropical waters above 70 degrees Fahrenheit
- It is reported from different areas including Pakistan and Yucatan Coast
Habit:
- They prefer to live alone however there are reports of about 400 Whale sharks in a group.
2- Basking Shark (Cetorhinus maximus)
Weight: Up to 4.2 tons
Length: up to 40.3 feet long
Appearance:
- Their appearance looks like basking in the water while feeding from plankton.
Habitat:
- They live in temperature waters globally.
- They were usually reported from along the continental shelves
Habit:
- They feed from plankton.
- They like to live alone or in small groups.
3- Great White Shark (Carcharodon carcharias)
Weight: Up to 3.34 tons
Length: up to 23 feet long
It is also known as a white shark or pointer shark.
Appearance:
Habitat:
- It is reported from a lot of areas such as Hawaii and Australia but its populated region is around Dyer Island in South Africa.
Habit:
- It is aggressive.
- They can live for 70 years.
- Their speed is about 16 miles per hour.
- They produce an electromagnetic field to determine the location of their prey.
4-Tiger Shark (Galeocerdo cuvier)
Weight: Up to 3.11 tons
Length: up to 24 feet long
Habitat:
- It can live anywhere with tropical or temperate water.
- It is often reported from around the Central Pacific islands.
Habit:
- You often see them in a group because they prefer to stay by themselves.
- They are aggressive.
- However, some people believe it is a lazy swimmer but be careful because it will be incredibly fast when it wants to catch its prey.
5-Giant Oceanic Manta Ray (Mobula birostris)
Weight: Up to 3 tons
Length: up to 15 feet long
It is also known as the Atlantic manta ray.
Appearance:
- It has a smooth-skin
- It is a disc-shaped fish
- the ratio of brain-to-body is high in this species and is comparable to dolphins.
Habitat:
- They usually live in tropical and subtropical waters.
- It is reported from New Jersey in the north to South Africa in the south.
Habit:
- The habit to swim in a straight line for many miles.
6-Ocean Sunfish (Mola mola)
Weight: Up to 2.5 tons
Length: up to 10 feet long
It is also known as the common mola.
Appearance:
- Its head is fat with a thin body.
Habitat:
- It lives in tropical and temperate waters.
- It’s reported from Taiwan and Japan.
Habit:
- A wonderful thing about this huge fish is its interest to jump out of the water. Its behaviour causes some boating accidents.
7-Southern Sunfish (Mola alexandrini)
Weight: up to 2.3 tons
Length: up to 11 feet
It is also known as the Ramsay’s sunfish.
Appearance:
- They have vast fins
- They are known as bump-head sunfish
Habitat:
- They live throughout the Southern Hemisphere’s oceans.
Habit: They love to dive deeply in cold water to:
- catching its prey
- getting warmer.
- Rising the amount of oxygen in their bodies.
8-Beluga Sturgeon (Huso huso)
Weight: up to 2.072 tons
Length: up to 24 feet
It is also known as a great sturgeon and the females have commercial usage because of their Beluga caviar.
Appearance:
- They usually have humpback.
- Their dorsal fins are long and their anal fins are shorter.
Habitat:
- They are reported from the Caspian and the Black Sea basins.
9- Sharptail Mola (Masturus lanceolatus)
Weight: up to 2 tons
Length: up to 9.8 feet
Appearance:
- It is very similar to sunfish but it has an elliptical body with a tail.
- There is a sword-like protrusion in the centre of its tail.
Habitat:
- It was reported from the Gulf of Mexico.
- It tends to live in tropical and temperate waters.
Habits:
- There isn’t enough information about its behaviour.
10- Hoodwinker Sunfish (Mola tecta)
Weight: up to 1.87 tons
Length: up to 7.9 feet
It’s also known as sunfish.
Appearance:
- It has a flat elliptical shape.
- It is a tailless fish.
Habitat:
- It was reported in New Zealand, Chile, South Africa, and Australia.
- It lives in colder waters.
Habits:
- It tends to dive hundreds of feet for catching its meals.
Conclusion:
In this article, you get familiar with the top 10 largest fish in the world including Whale Shark, Basking Shark, Great White Shark, Tiger Shark, Giant Oceanic Manta Ray, Ocean Sunfish, Southern Sunfish, Beluga Sturgeon, Sharptail Mola and Hoodwinker Sunfish.
Do you think which one of them is more wonderful? Do you have any experience with them? Do you think a huge fish is more dangerous than other aggressive fish? Please share your idea and experience with our reader below.