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Largest Fresh Water Fish

Scientists are not absolutely certain because there are many poorly studied fish in very large, deep or remote bodies of water. Also, claims about large fish are prone to exaggeration.

Sturgeon are likely the largest fish found in fresh water, although they spend most of their lives in marine environments. Some species of sturgeon that spawn in Russian and European rivers have been reported to reach 12 to 15 feet and weigh up to 2,000 pounds.

Contenders for the largest fish that spends its entire life in fresh water include: the arapaima and goliath catfishes of the Amazon, the Chinese paddlefish, the Mekong giant stingray and the Mekong giant catfish. Most of these are so rare that their maximum size is difficult to determine.

Guinness World Records lists the Mekong giant catfish as the largest freshwater fish. In 2005, fishermen in northern Thailand caught a 646-pound Mekong giant catfish, the biggest since officials started keeping records in 1981.

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