10. Coral reef crutch fish

The reef crutchfish (Manta alfredi) is the second largest manta ray and the tenth largest fish living in the world today. This fish is commonly found in tropical and subtropical seas (except in the Eastern Pacific and Western Atlantic).

Coral reef crutches can weigh up to 1.4 tons and grow up to 5.5 meters long. They are filter feeders, feeding mainly on zooplankton. Although it has few natural predators due to its considerable size and high speed, human activities such as overfishing have adversely affected the population of this species. Therefore, reef crutches are classified as Vulnerable (VU) in the IUCN Red List.

9. Beluga sturgeon

Beluga sturgeon (Huso huso) is a critically endangered species (CR), they are found only in the Black Sea, Caspian Sea and Adriatic Sea. The largest beluga sturgeon ever found was 7,193 meters long and weighed 1,571 tons.

Beluga sturgeon is a late maturing species, migrating upstream to spawn. They have a long natural lifespan and are rarely threatened by other fish and birds of prey.

Because beluga caviar is a highly sought-after food, they are overfished, especially poaching, which has severely reduced the species population.

8. Hoodwinker Sunfish

Hoodwinker Sunfish (Mola tecta) is a recently discovered fish, so little research has been done on their behavior.

This fish, found in the waters of the Southern Hemisphere, is one of the largest fish on record.

7. Sharptail Mola

Sharptail Mola (Masturus lanceolatus) is a species of mola found in tropical and temperate seas, rarely seen in the wild, feeding on a wide variety of species including orcas, sponges, and sea sponges. ,… Masturus lanceolatus can reach about 3.3 m in length and weigh up to 2 tons. The conservation status of this species has not yet been ᴀssessed.

6. Moonfish

The moonfish (Mola mola) is the largest vertebrate fish in the world. Adults of this species weigh between 1.4 and 1.7 tons and can grow to a maximum length of 3.5-5.5 m. Due to their unique shape, fish can reach heights equal to their length. This fish lives in tropical and temperate oceans around the world. The IUCN has labeled this species as Vulnerable (VU).

5. Sea crutch fish

Manta birostris, is a species of fish in the family Mobulidae. They are the largest manta rays in the family Mobulidae and also the largest rays in the world.

The sea crutch is a species of stingray that ranks as the fifth largest fish in the world, which can grow up to 9 m wide and weigh about 3 tons. These rays live in tropical and subtropical oceans. Sea crutches mainly feed on plankton, have a habit of swimming singly or in groups with other members of the same species, sometimes seen swimming with other marine species.

4. Tiger shark

Tiger shark (Galeocerdo cuvier) also known as leopard shark, tiger shark is the fourth largest fish living today. It can reach nearly 5 m in length and weigh about 3 tons.

Populations of this species are widely distributed in tropical and temperate oceans and are large, with populations around islands in the central Pacific usually smaller.

Baby tiger sharks have black tiger-like stripes on their body and disappear with age. Sadly, the tiger shark is also threatened by human activities that make it a Near Endangered (NT) species on the IUCN Red List. In addition, tiger sharks are the shark species with the second highest number of attacks on humans, after great white sharks.

3. Great white shark

Great white sharks (Carcharodon carcharias) are found in coastal waters with water temperatures ranging from 12 to 24°C of all oceans. Some specimens of this species have been found to be 6 m long and weigh about 3.3 tons. However, the common length is about 4m.

Great white sharks can live more than 70 years. Most shark-related attacks on humans involve these sharks because they live in coastal areas. While humans are not preferred prey, whitefish attacks are fairly common. Great white sharks are apex predators in marine ecosystems, feeding on a wide variety of prey including seabirds.

2. Sun-dried shark

The basking shark (Cetorhinus maximus) can reach about 6 to 5 m in length and weigh nearly 19 tons, making it the second largest extant fish in the world. This migratory shark is found throughout the world’s temperate oceans. This is a fish that completely eats plankton. They forage near the surface of the water as if basking in the sun, hence the odd name.

The basking shark has been labeled as Near Threatened (NT) by the IUCN. Years of commercial exploitation for food, shark liver oil, shark fins, etc. have significantly reduced the number of sun-baked sharks.

1. Whale Shark

The whale shark (Rhincodon typus) or whale shark, which can grow up to 12.5 m long and weigh up to 21.5 tons, is the largest fish alive today.

Whale sharks are also the largest extant non-mammalian vertebrates on our planet. Whale sharks are found in the warm waters of tropical oceans, these giant fish can live up to 70 years. Despite their enormous size, whale sharks are rarely a threat to humans. They mainly feed on plankton. This species is labeled as Endangered by the IUCN (EN).