Marine fish thrive in vast waters with a wide variety of species, including many large ones. In contrast, freshwater fish weighing over 100 pounds are rarely seen for various reasons.
Among living fish, the largest individuals belong to the shark family, including ferocious species such as whale sharks, basking sharks, and true sharks. It is said that the largest whale sharks can reach 20 meters in length and weigh up to 20 tons. Basking sharks are slightly smaller than whale sharks, but still exceed 15 meters in length. In the vast ocean, groups of sharks around 10 meters long and weighing around 5 tons can often be seen swimming on the surface.
Among freshwater fish, the largest individuals belong to the sturgeon. The Chinese paddlefish, endemic to the Yangtze River in my country, should be considered the champion. Records show that a 7-meter-long sturgeon was caught in Nanjing in 1929, and a 907-kilogram Chinese sturgeon was caught in the Yangtze River in 1892, both of which remain the world's longest and heaviest freshwater fish. The Chinese sturgeon of the Yangtze River and the shad of the Heilongjiang River are likely the heaviest fish, with the heaviest Chinese sturgeon recorded at 907 kilograms and shad individuals exceeding 500 kilograms.
