If you've wondered what the world's largest sea fish are you've come to the right place, in this article we'll show you the larger fish that inhabit our oceans. For this reason, we will leave out whales, orcas and other large marine mammals, since they are not fish.
Also, and for this same reason, we will not talk about the kraken and various other gigantic cephalopods that populate the deep sea of considerable size.
Keep reading this article on our site where we will show you the largest fish species that inhabit our oceans. Surprise yourself!
The Whale Shark
The whale shark or Rhincodon typus is recognized, at the moment, as the largest fish on the planet It has a size that can reach exceed 12 meters. Despite the magnitude of its size, the whale shark feeds on phytoplankton, crustaceans, sardines, mackerel, krill and other microorganisms that live suspended in marine waters. It is a pelagic fish, but sometimes it comes very close to the coast.
The whale shark has a very characteristic appearance: a horizontally flattened head, in which there is a huge mouth through which it sucks the water, sucks up its food, and filters it through its gills, depositing the food in the dermal denticles, to gobble it up immediately.
Another characteristic feature is the drawing on its back of light spots that resemble moles. His belly is whitish. The fins and tail have the characteristic appearance of sharks, but with an enormous size. Its habitat is the tropical and subtropical marine waters of the planet. The whale shark is slightly threatened
The basking shark
The basking shark or Cetorhinus maximus is considered to be the second largest marine fish in the world. It can exceed 10 meters in length.
Its appearance is that of a predatory shark, but like the whale shark, it only feeds on zooplankton and various marine microorganisms. However, the basking shark does not suck up the water, it moves very slowly with its mouth completely open in a circular shape and filters through its gills the enormous amount of micro-food that penetrates its jaws.
It lives in all marine waters on the planet, but it prefers cold waters from 8º to 14º. It is a migratory fish. The basking shark is Severely Endangered.
The White shark
The white shark or Carchadorón carcharias undoubtedly deserves to be on our list of the largest fish in the world as it is considered the largest predatory fishof the oceans, since it can measure more than 6 meters, but it is due to the thickness of its body that it can weigh more than 2 tons. Females are larger than males.
Its usual habitat is the warm and temperate waters that cover the continental shelves, near the coasts where there are colonies of seals and sea lions, common prey of the great white shark. Despite its name, the great white shark only has this color on its belly. The back and flanks are greyish.
Despite its bad reputation as a man-eater, the truth is that shark attacks on humans are really very rare whites. Tiger sharks and bull sharks are more prone to these attacks. Great white shark is threatened
Tiger Shark
The tiger shark or Galeocerdo curvier is a shark that can measure more than 5.5 meters and weigh up to 1500 kg It slimmer than the great white shark. Its usual habitat is the coastal waters of tropical and subtropical coastlines, although colonies have been observed in waters near Iceland.
It is a nocturnal predator that feeds on turtles, sea snakes, porpoises and dolphins.
The nickname "tiger" is due to the marked transverse spots that cover its back and the flanks of its body. The background color of their skin is blue-green. The belly of this shark is whitish. The tiger shark is considered one of the fastest fish in the marine environment. Not threatened.
Stingray
The manta ray or Manta Birostris is a huge fish with a very disturbing appearance However, it is a peaceful being that feeds on plankton, squid and small fish. It lacks the venomous stinger that other smaller rays have, and it can't deliver electric shocks either.
There are specimens that exceed 8 meters in wingspan, and weigh more than 1400 Kg. Their main predators, not counting humans, are killer whales and tiger sharks. It inhabits the temperate marine waters of the entire planet. This species is threatened.
The Boreal Shark
The boreal shark or Somniosus microcephalus is a very unknown shark that lives in Arctic and Antarctic waters. In an adult state it measures between 6 and 7 meters Its habitat is the abyssal zones of the Arctic, Antarctic and North Atlantic oceans. Its life unfolds up to 2500 meters deep.
It feeds on fish and squid, but also on seals and walruses. Remains of caribou, horses and polar bears have been found in its stomach. It is assumed that they were animals that drowned and their remains fell to the seabed. It has dark-colored skin and shark shapes are rounded. The northern shark is not threatened.
The Great Hammerhead Shark
The great hammerhead shark or Sphyrna mokarran - is the largest of the nine species of hammerhead sharks that exist in the seas. It can reach measuring almost 7 meters and weighing half a ton It is a much more slender shark than its congeners of other more robust and heavier species.
The most notable feature of this shark is the peculiar shape of its head, whose shape is clearly reminiscent of a hammer. Its habitat is distributed along the coastal areas of temperate waters. Perhaps for this reason it belongs, together with the tiger shark and the bull shark, to the trio of sharks that lavish themselves with more attacks against human beings.
The hammerhead shark consumes a huge variety of prey: breams, groupers, dolphins, cuttlefish, eels, rays, snails and other smaller sharks. The hammerhead shark is highly threatened as a result of fishing for its fins, which are highly valued in the Chinese market.
Image from iucn.org
Are you interested in large marine animals?
Also discover on our site the largest jellyfish in the world, with tentacles up to 36 meters long, a complete list of really large prehistoric marine animals such as the megalodon, the liopleurodon or the Dunkleosteus. We also encourage you to visit the marine animals of Baja California.
Don't hesitate to get in touch if you have ideas about any fish that could be included in the list of the largest sea fish in the world! We look forward to your feedback!
