King fish: the largest beluga in the world. The largest beluga in the world - a few facts

June 28th, 2013

They say that this is the Beluga king. And a new meme has already burst out on the Internet in the likeness of a sad cat and a stubborn fox - a sad fish. Let's find out more about it...

This Astrakhan Museum of Local Lore.

In the Astrakhan museum there are two record belugas - one 4-meter (slightly smaller than the one that Nicholas II donated to the Kazan museum) and the largest - 6-meter. the most big beluga, six meters. They caught it at the same time as the four-meter one, in 1989. The poachers caught the world’s largest beluga, gutted the eggs, and then called the museum and told them where they could pick up the “fish” the size of a huge truck.

Stuffed Beluga, Huso huso
Type: stuffed animal
Author: Golovachev V.I.
Dating: The stuffed animal was made in 1990.
Size: length - 4 m 20 cm, weight - 966 kg
Description: Beluga is a valuable commercial fish of the sturgeon family, common in the basins of the Caspian, Black, and Azov seas. In 1989 it was caught by fishermen. Weight 966 kg, caviar weight 120 kg, age 70-75 years, length 4 m 20 cm. The stuffed animal was made by taxidermist V.I. Golovachev. in 1990
Organization: Astrakhan Museum of Local Lore

Existing for more than 200 million years, sturgeon are now close to extinction. The Danube, in the area of ​​Romania and Bulgaria, maintains one of the viable wild sturgeon populations in Europe. Danube sturgeon are one of the the most important indicators healthy ecosystem. They mostly live in the Black Sea and migrate up the Danube to spawn. They reach 6 meters in length and live up to 100 years.

Illegal fishing and barbaric extermination, mainly for caviar, is one of the main dangers threatening sturgeon. Deprivation familiar environment habitat and disruption of sturgeon migration routes is another big threat to this unique look. Having founded the Life + program with the participation of the European Community, the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), with the support of others international organizations V recent years is working on these problems.

Species and origin

Sturgeon breeds include: beluga, stellate sturgeon, sturgeon, sterlet. In the fossil state, sturgeon fish have been known only since the Eocene (85.8-70.6 million years ago). From a zoogeographical point of view, very interesting are the representatives of the shovel-nosed subfamily, which are found on one side in Central Asia, on the other hand, in North America, which allows you to see in modern types This genus is the remains of a formerly widespread fauna. Sturgeon are one of the most unique and attractive species of ancient fish. They have existed for more than 200 million years, and lived even when dinosaurs inhabited our planet. With them unusual appearance, in their clothing made of bone plates, they remind us of ancient times when special armor or a strong shell was needed in order to survive. They have survived to this day, almost unchanged.

Alas, that's all today existing species sturgeon fish are endangered or even endangered.

Sturgeon are the largest freshwater fish

Beluga record book

Beluga is not only the largest of the sturgeons, but also the most big fish of those that are caught in fresh waters. There are known cases where specimens up to 9 meters long and weighing up to 2000 kg were encountered. Today, individuals weighing more than 200 kg are rarely found; transitions to spawning have become too dangerous
In “Research on the State of Fisheries in Russia,” in 1861, a beluga caught in 1827 in the lower reaches of the Volga was reported, which weighed 1.5 tons.

On May 11, 1922, in the Caspian Sea, near the mouth of the Volga, a female weighing 1224 kilograms was caught, with 667 kilograms on her body, 288 kilograms on her head, and 146.5 kilograms on her eggs (see photo). Once again, a female of the same size was caught in 1924 in the Caspian Sea in the area of ​​Biryuchya Spit, her caviar was 246 kilograms, and total number eggs amounted to about 7.7 million.

A little to the east, before the mouth of the Urals, on May 3, 1926, a 75-year-old female weighing more than 1 ton and 4.24 meters long was caught, containing 190 kilograms of caviar. The National Museum of the Republic of Tatarstan in Kazan displays a stuffed beluga 4.17 meters long, caught in the lower reaches of the Volga at the beginning of the 20th century. Its weight when caught was about 1000 kilograms, the age of the fish was 60-70 years.

In October 1891, when the wind drove away water from the Taganrog Bay of the Sea of ​​Azov, a peasant passing by the exposed shore discovered a beluga in one of the puddles, pulling 20 pounds (327 kg), of which 3 pounds (49 kg) were caviar.

Lifestyle

All sturgeon migrate long distances to spawn and in search of food. Some migrate between salt and fresh water, while others live only in fresh waters all their lives. They breed in fresh waters and have a long life cycle, taking years, sometimes decades, to reach maturity when they are first able to produce offspring. While annual successful spawning is almost unpredictable, depending on available habitat, suitable currents and temperature, specific spawning locations, frequency and migration are predictable. Natural crossing is possible between any species of sturgeon. In addition to entering rivers in the spring for spawning, sturgeon fish sometimes enter rivers in the fall for wintering. These fish stay mainly near the bottom.

According to the method of feeding, the beluga is a predator, feeding mainly on fish, but also on mollusks, worms, and insects. It begins to prey while still a juvenile in the river. In the sea it feeds mainly on fish (herring, sprat, gobies, etc.), but does not neglect shellfish. Even baby seals were found in the stomachs of the Caspian beluga.

Beluga takes care of its offspring

Beluga is a long-lived fish that reaches an age of 100 years. Unlike Pacific salmon, which die after spawning, beluga, like other sturgeon, can spawn many times in their lives. After spawning, it slides back into the sea. Caspian beluga males reach sexual maturity at 13-18 years, and females at 16-27 (mostly 22-27) years. The fertility of beluga, depending on the size of the female, ranges from 500 thousand to a million (in exceptional cases- up to 5 million) eggs.
Beluga in nature independent species, but can hybridize with sterlet, sevruga, thorn and sturgeon. Viable hybrids - beluga-sterlet (bester) - were obtained using artificial insemination. Sturgeon hybrids are successfully grown in pond (aquaculture) farms.

There are many myths and legends associated with the beluga. For example, in ancient times, fishermen talked about the miraculous bilugin stone, which could heal a person from any disease, protect against troubles, preserve a ship from a storm and attract a good catch.

Fishermen believed that this stone could be found in the kidneys big beluga, and its size is like chicken egg- flat and oval shape. The owner of such a stone could exchange it for a very expensive product, but it is still unclear whether such stones really existed, or whether craftsmen faked them. Even today, some anglers continue to believe this.
Another legend that at one time surrounded the beluga with an ominous aura is beluga poison. Some considered the liver of young fish or the meat of beluga, which could go crazy like a cat or dog, as poisonous, as a result of which its meat became poisonous. No evidence of this has yet been found.

The now almost extinct beluga. Not a particularly large specimen for this species. Photo from here

Sturgeon habitats in the past and present

Their prevalence is limited northern hemisphere, where they inhabit rivers and seas in Europe, Asia and North America.
Despite the fact that there are more than 20 various types Sturgeons, which have different biological and environmental needs, all have similar characteristics.
Migratory fish that live in the Caspian, Azov and Black Seas enter rivers to spawn. Previously, beluga was relatively numerous, but over time its reserves became very scarce.
The Danube and the Black Sea were at one time the most active region for the distribution of a wide variety of beluga sturgeon - up to 6 different species. Currently, one of the species is completely lost, and the remaining five are endangered.

In the Caspian Sea, beluga is ubiquitous. For spawning it enters mainly the Volga, in much smaller quantities - into the Urals and Kura, as well as the Terek. On Far East Amur sturgeon lives. Almost all reservoirs in Russia are suitable for sturgeon habitat. In the old days, sturgeon were caught even in the Neva.

Overfishing and the black market for caviar

Overfishing - once legal, now illegal - is one of the direct threats to the survival of the Danube sturgeon. Due to their long life cycle, and late maturity, sturgeon are especially vulnerable to overfishing, taking many years to recover.
In 2006, Romania was the first country to ban sturgeon fishing. The ten-year ban will expire at the end of 2015. Following an appeal from the EU, Bulgaria also announced a ban on sturgeon fishing. Despite the ban, poaching appears to still be widespread throughout the Danube region, although specific evidence of illegal fishing is difficult to obtain. It is well known that the black market for caviar is thriving. One of the reasons for overfishing is the high price of caviar. Illegally obtained caviar in Bulgaria and Romania can also be bought in other EU countries. Thanks to the first study of the black caviar market, conducted in Bulgaria and Romania in 2011-2012, experts from the World Wide Fund for Nature were able to trace the distribution of smuggled goods in Europe.

Danube beluga, the same age as dinosaurs

Iron Gate Dam disrupts migration routes

Migration for spawning is one of the most important parts of the natural life cycle of all sturgeon in the Danube. In the past, the beluga sailed up the river to Serbia, and in the distant past even reached Passau in eastern Bavaria, but now its path is artificially blocked already on the middle Danube.

Located below the Iron Gate, in the narrow Jardap Gorge, between Romania and Serbia, the Iron Gate hydroelectric power station and reservoir are the largest along the entire length of the Danube. The hydroelectric power station was built at 942 and 863 kilometers of the river upstream of the Danube Delta. As a result, limiting the migration path of sturgeon fish at 863 kilometers, and completely cutting off the most important spawning area on the middle Danube. As a result, the sturgeon were trapped in the section of the river in front of the dam, and are now no longer able to continue their natural path, customary for thousands of years, to the spawning site. Trapped in such unnatural conditions, the sturgeon population experiences the negative effects of inbreeding and loses genetic variability.

Beluga habitat on the Danube is lost

Sturgeon are very sensitive to changes in their habitat. These changes immediately affect spawning, wintering, and search opportunities. good nutrition and ultimately lead to the extinction of the species. Most sturgeon species spawn on the clear pebble edge of the lower Danube, where they lay their eggs before returning back to the Black Sea. Successful spawning must take place on great depth at a temperature of at least 9-15 degrees.
The sturgeon population suffered greatly as a result of the loss of the original distribution area corresponding to this fish species on the Danube. Strengthening the banks and dividing the river into canals, building powerful engineering structures to protect against flooding, reduced the natural floodplains and wetlands that were part of the river by 80%. river system. Navigation is also a major threat to the sturgeon's habitat, mainly as a result of activities that include dredging and dredging of the river. The removal of sand and gravel and changes to the ground produced by the underwater part of the vessel also have a detrimental effect on the sturgeon population in the Danube.

The threat of extinction of the Danube sturgeon is so great that if emergency and radical measures are not taken, then in a few decades this majestic silvery fish can only be seen in museums. That is why the International Commission for the Protection of the Danube, together with the World Wide Fund for Nature and the European Commission, within the framework of the European Community Strategy for the Danube Region, are conducting a number of projects and international studies in order to develop measures to save the Danube beluga. sources

Let me remind you a few more big fish: or for example The original article is on the website InfoGlaz.rf Link to the article from which this copy was made -

The sturgeon family is a valuable commercial species; their meat and caviar are in demand and have excellent taste.

Belongs to the most ancient forms, to the shovel-nosed family, lived back in the Cretaceous era 75 million years ago, before the appearance of bony waterfowl. Nowadays, their number has decreased due to negative human activities.

Origin

River flows, hydraulic construction, land reclamation, illegal fishing - all this leads to a rapid decline in the sturgeon population. Efforts are being made to increase their number, bred under artificial conditions in factories, but so far to no avail. The fish is listed in the International and Russian Red Book.

Description of sturgeon

The most ancient sign of sturgeon- this is a notochord, cartilage that makes up the backbone of the skeleton; even adult fish lack vertebral bodies. Sturgeons have a cartilaginous base internal skeleton and skull, the body resembles a long spindle and has 5 lines of bone spines and bugs. The head is covered with bony scutes, the muzzle is long in the shape of a cone or spade. A pair on the belly and sides, one on the back. Between them there are plates and bone grains. The dorsal fin grows closer to the tail; there is a spine on the pectoral ray fin, which is used to determine the age of the individual.

The mouth is fleshy, protruding, there are no teeth. There are four antennae on the underside of the snout. swim bladder located at the bottom of the spine and connects to the esophagus. This species, like sharks, has a squirter. This is a special hole leading from the gill cavity to the upper edge of its cover. There are four main gills, their membranes are attached to the throat and connect at the throat. There are no gill rays. There are two accessory gills.

The anus is located at the base of the ventral fin. The heart contains the conus arteriosus and the intestine has a spiral valve. The rhombic scales contain an enamel-like substance called ganoid. Because of this distinctive characteristic, sturgeons are called cartilaginous ganoids.

Lifestyle

Sturgeon squad lives in water basins of Europe, North Asia and America. The squad is divided into three types:

• checkpoints
• semi-through
• freshwater

Individuals of an anadromous species are spring and winter fish, migrate from the salty sea to the river to spawn. Spawning in spring fish occurs in the spring-summer period and only at a temperature of 15-20 degrees. There are winter species that come to a freshwater river or lake in the fall for wintering. All types are united long duration life, fertility, similar appearance, diet and lifestyle.

Sturgeon fish very large aquatic inhabitants, for example, the beluga is 4 meters long and weighs 500 kg. The sturgeon family is distinguished by its long life: beluga lives 100 years, sturgeon 50, stellate sturgeon 30, sterlet 20 years. Puberty occurs late, in females at 10-15 years, in males at 10-12 years. Puberty in sterlet and shovelnose it is achieved much earlier. One individual reproduces only a few times during its life and does not go to spawn every year. Sturgeon are very prolific. The female can lay several million eggs. When sturgeon go to spawn, they practically do not feed. Sturgeon fish usually live and hunt near the bottom, feeding on small fish, worms, mollusks, and insects.

Classification

In the old classification there were only two genera: sturgeon and scaphirynchus, with 25 species of fish living in temperate zone northern hemisphere.

Modern system divides sturgeons into 4 genera and 4 more fossils in 5 subfamilies.

The most common types of sturgeon include: sturgeon, beluga, kaluga, shovelnose, sterlet, stellate sturgeon, thorn. There are various hybrids obtained by crossing the main species in spawning areas.

Spawning or spawning

The female sturgeon does not spawn every year, but only every 2-3 years; only sterlet breeds annually. Puberty in sturgeons occurs late, only when they reach a significant size . Sturgeons spawn in the spring or in summer to freshwater rivers and lakes, where there is good current and a bottom strewn with pebbles. After spawning, the fish return back to the sea to feed and grow for new spawning.

Fry

The fry emerge from the eggs. The larvae feed from the gall bladder, an endogenous sac. When the sac is completely absorbed, then the endogenous feeding period ends. Then the exogenous feeding period begins, when the food is daphnia. Then the fry begin to feed on different crustaceans. They just don't have a gallbladder predatory fry Belugas, they immediately begin to hunt.

Then the fry begin to move towards the sea Once in the sea, they continue to grow until they reach puberty.

The most popular types of sturgeon

Sturgeon. There are 17 species of sturgeon. Many species are on the verge of extinction. Sturgeon is a commercial fish with an average weight of 10-20 kg. Archaeologists found a fish 3 meters long and weighing 2 quintals. In the Black Sea, individuals up to 100 kg are currently found. Sturgeon bottom fish, living at the bottom of up to 100 m of lakes, rivers and seas.

Beluga. The oldest freshwater sturgeon. The beluga lives about 100 years. Weighs 3 tons and reaches 10 meters in length. The body is shaped like a torpedo, covered with 5 rows of protective bone plates, the belly is white in color, and the back is gray. Beluga is a predator, its main diet is other small fish such as anchovy, roach, anchovy, gobies, and herring. Females are larger than males and spawn once every 3-5 years.

Kaluga. ​ This type belongs to the beluga family. They can grow up to 1 ton and reach a length of 5.5 meters. Lives in the Amur basin . It can be fast-growing, estuary or migratory.

shovelnose. Fish reaching a length of up to 140 cm and weighing up to 4.5 kg. It has a tail that is different from other sturgeons, flattened with a long caudal peduncle covered with bony plates. The tail filament is absent or very small, small eyes, large swim bladder. Lives in the tributaries of the Amu Darya.

Thorn. It has the appearance of all sturgeons. It has 12-16 bugs on its back, 11-18 on its belly, and 51-71 on its sides. There are 22-41 gill rakers on the gill arch. Lives in the Aral, Caspian, Azov and Black Seas.

Stellate sturgeon. Lives in the Caspian, Azov and Black Seas. This is both a spring and winter species of sturgeon. The elongated shape of the body, covered with bony scutes, long nose, small mustache, underdeveloped lower lip, bulging forehead. The belly is white, and the back and sides are blue-black. It grows up to 6 meters in length and weighs 60 kg.

Sterlet. The smallest fish from the sturgeon family, 120 cm long, weighs 20 kg. The fish has a narrow long nose, the lower lip is divided in half, it is touched by long antennae, and there are touching scutes on the sides of the lip. In addition to the usual plates for the sturgeon family, the sterlet has closely adjacent scutes on its back. Sterlet maybe different colors, but usually it is gray-brown on the back with a yellow-white belly. Can be sharp-nosed or blunt-nosed. Lives only in Siberia.

Nutrition

Sturgeons are bottom fish, so they feed on invertebrates living on the bottom. These are mainly worms, crustaceans, larvae and mollusks. Based on their feeding type, sturgeons are benthophages. The exceptions are beluga and kaluga - they are predators. Sturgeon grow quickly. This is due to their ability to make the most efficient use of food resources. In one pond can get along perfectly different types sturgeons have differences in the type of food and therefore the food resources of the reservoir are used in full.

Commercial significance

Sturgeon are called red fish. The meat is especially valued and black caviar is even more valuable. In addition, they use the swim bladder and make glue from it, and eat the spinal string from the sturgeon. Currently, sturgeon are caught only in the rivers of the Caspian Sea and in Iran. Fishing quotas are set, which depend on the number of fry released into the Caspian Sea. Due to the reduction of quotas, sturgeon breeding in fish factories is increasing.

Culinary and commercial value of red fish

Sturgeon are sold both live and frozen, chilled and smoked. Balyk and various canned foods are made from fish . Salted fish It is prohibited to sell because botulinus infection and severe poisoning are possible. Previously, only those fish that were sturgeon were called red. These are stellate sturgeon, sturgeon, sterlet, and beluga. Fish was valued not only for pink meat, but also for its excellent taste and nutritional value. Now salmon also began to bear this name. Salmon, chum salmon and pink salmon are now also red fish.

Red fish meat and caviar

Eating meat and caviar affects the strengthening of bone tissue, its growth, and also contributes to skin rejuvenation.

The sturgeon family is a valuable commercial fish, the meat and caviar of which are of great value and usefulness for humanity.

Beluga is the largest species among freshwater fish. Even in historical documents you can find mention of it. Previously, in times ancient Rus', only the king and his close princes could eat it. Only for them it was brought specially from the Caspian Sea. And in those days they were already talking about its incredibly large size. There is even evidence. But that was a long time ago. Those days have passed, and nowadays such huge fish are no longer found.

Beluga fish

Beluga is amazing fish long-lived Many claim that she can live more than a hundred years. And in such a long time she reaches gigantic size. This type is the most great view on the planet. Oddly enough, but the beluga throws the game only a few times throughout its entire life. long life. In this case, the mass of caviar reaches up to half a ton.

In order to lay eggs, belugas swim far into rivers that flow into the sea, and if they do not make sure that this place is safe, then they simply do not spawn, but swim back. And the caviar dissolves on its own over time. Young fish begin to lay eggs from mid-spring until autumn. She lays her eggs in the deepest places with a rocky bottom and strong currents. The caviar itself is very large in size, like walnut. And the number of such eggs reaches several million.

Gallery: beluga fish (25 photos)

What does she look like

This view applies to the sturgeon family. The beluga has five rows of bony scutes that are located along the body, and its head is long and elongated. The lower part of the head has four whiskers. The nose is pointed and slightly translucent. This is due to the fact that it does not have bone brushes. Her mouth is very wide, and upper lip thick and hanging over him. The body is quite thick and looks like a cylinder. She doesn't have a spine, but instead has cartilage. It grows up to four meters, and its weight can reach a ton.

Its meat is quite tough, but tasty. Many dishes and snacks are prepared from it. And caviar is the most expensive in the world. This type of fish is a predator, so it feeds on fish, shellfish, and crustaceans. But there were cases when fishermen, when ripping open her belly, even found ducks.

At sea they live alone. Puberty occurs, on average, after fifteen years, and at fifty it already fades away.

The individual overwinters in river pits so that with the onset of spring they can rise to the surface and lay eggs. Young fish, which are not yet able to lay eggs, also go into rivers or remain in the sea, but at shallow depths. Adults do not go anywhere and spend the winter in the sea at great depths. When cold weather sets in, the beluga's body is covered with a large layer of mucus, after which it hibernates until spring. But before that, she carefully stocks up on food for the entire winter period.

In nature, beluga can form hybrids, such as:

• Bester - crossing with sterlet;
• With fish spike;
• Sturgeon;
• Sevruga.

Where does the beluga live?

This type of fish can be found in the Black, Azov, Caspian, Azov, Mediterranean and Adriatic seas.

When the time comes for spawning, there is a chance of meeting it in rivers such as Terek, Don, Kama and Volga. Those females that do not have time to lay eggs remain in these rivers for the winter.

The largest beluga

The largest representative of this species was caught back in 1922 in Russia in the Caspian Sea. Her weight was 1224 kilograms, besides, it came with caviar. And it is still a leader in the world.

When you look at the photograph confirming this fact, you simply cannot believe that this is true. This fish looks more like a monster.

There are several more examples confirming the enormous size of this fish. Anyone can see this giant fish in the Kazan Museum. She was stuffed. When she was caught, her weight reached a whole ton, and her size was 4.17 meters.

Another copy can be seen in the Astrakhan Museum. This fish was caught in the Volga and reached its maximum weight - a ton, or more precisely, 966 kilograms. The length of this beluga was slightly less than six meters. According to sources, poachers caught this fish, gutted the eggs from it, and threw away the fish itself. Fearing that they might be imprisoned, they reported this discovery to the museum staff. So this fish turned into a giant stuffed animal.

Reasons for confusion

You can often find people who confuse beluga with other types of fish. Why? And it’s all very simple: the word “beluga” used to refer to whales. Everyone knows that whales are undoubtedly larger than beluga. As a result, incorrect facts appeared that a beluga weighing about two tons was caught. Perhaps it was just a whale, also called a beluga whale. But beluga whales are distinguished not only by their enormous mass, but also by the fact that they can sing. Such confusion also occurs abroad. There, beluga is designated by a word such as sturgeon. In this regard, when catching large fish of the sturgeon family, it is classified as beluga.

The Azov beluga is different from the rest wide and short head , wide snout and forehead, as well as tall body. Beluga also grows much faster in the Sea of ​​Azov than in other basins. The main place where this fish lays eggs is the Don River. Migration occurs from March to December. Juveniles feed on fry. Larger individuals feed on gobies and crustaceans. There is even evidence that they can even eat jellyfish and ctenophores. As a result of the reduction in the number of gobies, which they mainly feed on, there was a decrease in the number of this fish.

How to catch this type of fish

Today this fish fishing is strictly prohibited. But if you are engaged in sport fishing, you can try to catch it. What is needed for this? First of all, you need to purchase special gear that will not harm the fish. If you do manage to catch this fish, you will not be able to eat it, because according to the rules of sport fishing, it must be measured, weighed, photographed, and then released back into the water.

For success to be obvious, it must be caught in rivers such as the Volga or Don. For bait, it is better to take small fish or raw meat. But be careful - this fish is very strong, it can easily capsize the boat. Currently, the largest individual has been caught, weighing 300 kilograms.

Reasons for the disappearance of the beluga

All this led to a reduction in the number of this species, it began to lay eggs rarely and became small in size.

Currently, this type of fish is listed in the Red Book. Special services fight poachers. In many cities and countries around the world, it is bred artificially to maintain the numbers of endangered fish. Thanks to all this, there is hope that there will be a lot of this fish again and large sizes. And if not us, then our children or grandchildren will be able to see the giants with their own eyes.

Beluga - largest fish the sturgeon family, living in the Caspian, Black and Seas of Azov and entering nearby rivers to spawn. At favorable conditions it can live more than 100 years and, unlike its Pacific relatives, does not die after spawning. Accordingly, it has been growing all this time, and I think everyone will be interested to know what size the largest beluga in the world reached.

The most large beluga- this is definitely a female, since males are almost twice as small. The fish reaches sexual maturity at the age of 16, but more often after 20. Black caviar makes up about 20% of the entire body and contains from 500 thousand eggs (5-7 million in the largest ones). And spawning does not occur simultaneously, but over the course of 3 spring months. That is why beluga is always desirable for caviar hunters - for which it paid.

Now this fish is listed in the Red Book because of its value - black caviar, the main delicacy. IN official sale you won’t find it, but on the black market in Russia a kilogram of caviar costs from $600, and abroad - from $7,000.

Even under the most favorable conditions, 90% of eggs do not grow into adults. Plus, in the last century, people have “taken care” that in some rivers the beluga has disappeared completely (for example, before the construction of dams on the Dnieper, it rose to Zaporozhye and some specimens were caught even near Kiev) and now the situation everywhere is more than deplorable. But the beluga has always been an indicator of the health of the ecosystem.

Poachers and hydroelectric dams prevent the fish from growing and the largest fish caught in the last 50 years was a fish weighing 800 kg in 1970 and 960 kg in 1989. The last scarecrow, 4.2 m long and about 70 years old, is now kept in the Astrakhan Museum. The fish was caught by poachers, the eggs were gutted, and an anonymous call was made to report the trophy, which required a truck to transport. Today, the largest beluga in the world and you can find a video about it on YouTube, where they show a specimen weighing about 500 kg.

The book “Research on Fisheries in Russia” reports that the largest beluga caught in the Volga was about 9 meters long and weighed 90 pounds (1440 kg). This individual claims to be the largest freshwater fish on Earth; it is a pity that a photo of the largest beluga was not preserved to confirm the record, since this happened in 1827.

In 1922 and 1924, the same fish were caught near the mouth of the Volga and in the Caspian Sea - 75 pounds (1224 kg), where the body weighed about 700 kg, the head weighed 300 kg, and the rest was caviar. The National Museum of Kazan houses a 4-meter stuffed fish caught in the lower reaches of the Volga. Her age is 60-70 years old.

It should be remembered that the largest beluga in the world is the one that was caught and officially recorded. But the fishermen came across specimens for which they did not have enough gear or strength, and they died safely in their environment, giving rise to numerous legends about river monsters. Which, by the way, has every reason, because seal cubs (length - from a meter) have been found more than once in the stomachs of captured Caspian predators..

Carp - common name for freshwater fish of the carp family. They are widely distributed in various bodies of water around the world. They prefer quiet, stagnant or slow-flowing waters with a hard clayey and slightly silted bottom. Capable of growing up to 1.2 meters in length and weighing more than 100 kg. They feed on mollusks, crustaceans, worms and insect larvae. The largest carp caught by a British angler in 2013 weighed 45.59 kg.

The common taimen is a species of large freshwater fish, the largest representative of the salmon family. They live in fast-flowing, cold rivers of Siberia and in the Amur River basin. Common taimen can grow up to 1.5–2 m long and weigh 60–80 kg. However, most mature fish caught averaged between 70 and 120 cm in length and weighed between 15 and 30 kg. Largest specimen caught, recorded International Association sport fishing (International Game Fish Association) weighed 41.95 kg with a length of 156 cm. The species is listed in the Red Book.

The common catfish is a large freshwater, scaleless, bottom-dwelling fish that lives in deep rivers, deep channels, lakes and reservoirs throughout Europe and Asia. The body length of catfish can reach 5 m, weight - 100 kg. There is a lot of information about giant catfish reaching 250–300 kg, but there is no documentary evidence of the existence of such catfish. It is a typical predator and feeds on fish, large benthic invertebrates, amphibians, reptiles, waterfowl, small mammals and even relatives. Like the pike, the catfish is an excellent orderly for reservoirs; it eats sick and weakened fish. Cases of attacks on people have also been described.

Nile perch is a species of large freshwater predatory fish, living in the basins of the Congo, Nile, Senegal, Niger rivers, as well as in lakes Chad, Volta, Turkana and other reservoirs. Found in Lake Maryut in Egypt. They can grow up to 2 meters in length and weigh up to 200 kg. However, adults usually reach a length of 121–137 cm. The Nile perch is a predator that dominates in the reservoirs of residence. It feeds mainly on fish, crustaceans and insects. Where food resources are limited, they can also eat relatives.

Beluga is a species of fish from the sturgeon family. It lives in the White, Caspian, Azov, Black, and Adriatic seas, from where it enters rivers for spawning. Their body length can reach 5 m, weight - 1000 kg (usually individuals up to 2.5 m and weighing up to 200–300 kg are caught). As an exception, according to unconfirmed reports, there were individuals 9 m long and weighing up to 2 tons; if this information is correct, then the beluga can be considered the largest freshwater fish Globe. It feeds mainly on fish, but does not neglect shellfish.

Fifth place in the list of the largest freshwater fish on the planet is occupied by the White sturgeon - a species of fish of the sturgeon family, the largest freshwater fish North America. Inhabits the bottom of slow-moving rivers and bays along the west coast of North America. The white sturgeon can grow up to 6.1 m long and weigh 816 kg. It feeds mainly on fish, crustaceans and mollusks.

Chinese paddlefish or psefur is a freshwater fish that lives only in the Yangtze River, sometimes swims into large lakes and the Yellow Sea. Their body length can exceed 3 meters and weight 300 kilograms. There is information that in the 1950s, fishermen caught a paddlefish 7 meters long and weighing about 500 kg, although the veracity of this story is unconfirmed. It feeds on fish and crustaceans. Its meat and caviar are highly prized in China.

Giant freshwater stingray (Himantura polylepis) - a type of freshwater stingray that lives in tropical waters several large rivers Indochina and Kalimantan. Capable of growing up to 1.9 m wide and weighing 600 kg. They feed mainly on crustaceans and mollusks, possibly earthworms. The giant freshwater stingray is not aggressive, although they must be handled with care as their poisonous long spine can easily penetrate human bone. This species is endangered.

Mississippi girt

The Mississippi shellfish or alligator pike is a species of large freshwater fish common in the lower Mississippi River valley and its tributaries in North and Central America. It's very fast and strong, but shy fish. According to experts, the Mississippi shellfish can grow up to 3 m in length and weigh more than 130 kg. In 2011, the largest shellfish caught was officially registered, its length was 2.572 m, weight 148 kg. It feeds mainly on fish, small mammals, birds, turtles, etc. There are known cases of attacks on children, fortunately, they never ended fatally. Included in the list of prehistoric fish that were considered extinct.

The giant catfish is the largest freshwater fish and is endangered. It is found only in the lower Mekong River, as well as in the Tonle Sap River and Tonle Sap Lake in Cambodia. Fish of this species can grow up to 3 meters in length and weigh 150–200 kg. They are herbivores - they feed mainly on algae and phytoplankton. The largest specimen caught in 2005 reached a length of 2.7 m and weighed 293 kg, and it was recognized as the largest freshwater fish caught by humans.

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