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The giant freshwater stingray holds Guinness World Records’ record for the largest reliably measured fish that spends its whole life in fresh or brackish water. Other species have higher published or historical maxima, but they are not all measured the same way: some figures are compiled reports, one fish is presumed extinct, and the beluga sturgeon migrates to sea. The table separates those cases so “largest” does not imply a single, directly comparable ranking.
The largest freshwater fish, compared
Weights and lengths below are maximum reported figures, not typical adult sizes. WWF’s compilation supplies many of the maxima; FishBase supplies published maxima for arapaima and the Mekong giant catfish. The beluga sturgeon is included because it is often compared with freshwater giants, but it is marked separately because it is anadromous.
| Fish | Maximum reported weight | Maximum reported length | Freshwater status and basin | Conservation and confidence notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Giant freshwater stingray (Urogymnus polylepis) | 600 kg (WWF compiled maximum) | 500 cm (WWF compiled maximum) | Freshwater or brackish; Mekong region | Guinness identifies a female caught in Cambodia’s Mekong region on 13 June 2022 as the largest reliably measured specimen in this whole-life freshwater/brackish category. The compiled 600-kg figure is not a standardized measurement of that record specimen. |
| Chinese paddlefish (Psephurus gladius) | 500 kg (WWF compiled maximum) | 700 cm (WWF compiled maximum) | Historical Yangtze River species | Historical and presumed extinct; these maxima are not measurements of a living fish available today. |
| Mekong giant catfish (Pangasianodon gigas) | 350 kg (WWF compiled maximum; also FishBase maximum reported weight) | About 300 cm (WWF compiled maximum; FishBase says the maximum length needs confirmation) | Freshwater; Mekong River basin | Critically Endangered according to WWF Cambodia. The length maximum is specifically flagged by FishBase as needing confirmation. |
| Wels catfish (Silurus glanis) | 306 kg (WWF compiled maximum) | 500 cm (WWF compiled maximum) | Freshwater; Europe and western Asia | Compiled maximum reports; they should not be read as representative sizes for individual fish. |
| Giant pangasius, or dog-eating catfish (Pangasius sanitwongsei) | 300 kg (WWF compiled maximum) | 300 cm (WWF compiled maximum) | Freshwater; Mekong basin shark catfish | Compiled maxima. Conservation status not stated in the cited material. |
| Giant barb (Catlocarpio siamensis) | 300 kg (WWF compiled maximum) | 300 cm (WWF compiled maximum) | Freshwater; associated with the Mekong basin | WWF report context notes conservation pressure; a formal status is not stated in the cited material. |
| Arapaima (Arapaima gigas) | 200 kg (FishBase maximum published weight) | 450 cm (FishBase maximum published length) | Freshwater; Amazon basin | Published maxima recorded by FishBase, not typical adult measurements. |
| Piraíba (Brachyplatystoma filamentosum) | 200 kg (WWF compiled maximum) | 360 cm (WWF compiled maximum) | Freshwater; Amazon basin | Compiled maxima. Conservation status not stated in the cited material. |
| Nile perch (Lates niloticus) | 200 kg (WWF compiled maximum) | 200 cm (WWF compiled maximum) | Freshwater; Nile basin | Reported maxima, not typical adult size. Conservation status not stated in the cited material. |
| Alligator gar (Atractosteus spatula) | 137 kg (WWF compiled maximum) | 305 cm (WWF compiled maximum) | Freshwater; Mississippi basin | Compiled maxima. Conservation status not stated in the cited material. |
| Beluga sturgeon (Huso huso) | 1,571 kg (Guinness-recorded exceptional 1827 specimen) | 7.2 m (Guinness-recorded exceptional 1827 specimen) | Anadromous: migrates between freshwater and the sea | Not a whole-life freshwater fish, so it is not part of the strict freshwater record category. Guinness records this exceptional historical specimen. |
Source attributions: WWF’s compiled maxima; FishBase species summaries for Arapaima gigas and Pangasianodon gigas; WWF Cambodia for the Mekong giant catfish’s conservation status; and Guinness World Records for the stingray record category and beluga specimen. Figures are reproduced as reported, not reconciled to a single measurement protocol.
Which is bigger: arapaima or Mekong giant catfish?
It depends on the measurement. The arapaima has the greater published maximum length, while the Mekong giant catfish has the greater reported maximum weight. FishBase also cautions that the catfish’s maximum length needs confirmation, so the length comparison is not equally secure for both species.
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Why the stingray is the strict freshwater record-holder
Guinness distinguishes a reliably measured record specimen from a compiled maximum. Its record page says the largest reliably measured specimen of a fish that spends its whole life in fresh or brackish water was a female giant freshwater stingray caught in Cambodia’s Mekong region on 13 June 2022. The previous record was a 293-kg (646-lb) Mekong giant catfish caught in Thailand in June 2005. The stingray’s WWF maximum in the table should not be mistaken for the measured weight of the 2022 animal.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Why the beluga sturgeon is listed separately
The beluga sturgeon can exceed the freshwater-only giants in historical mass, but that does not make it a strict freshwater fish. Sturgeons such as the beluga are anadromous: they spend part of their life at sea and return to freshwater. Its exceptional Guinness-recorded specimen is therefore a useful comparison, not the answer to the question of the largest fish that lives its whole life in fresh or brackish water.
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How to read maximum-size records
- Maximum is not typical. A maximum describes an exceptional reported animal or published limit, not the usual size of a species.
- Sources use different evidence. Guinness’s reliably measured specimen record, FishBase published maxima, and WWF’s compiled maximum reports are not results from one standardized global measurement protocol.
- Extinct and living species are different cases. The Chinese paddlefish’s historical size reports cannot be treated as a current record from a living population.
- Length and weight produce different leaders. Long-bodied fish can rank higher by length than by mass, while a heavier fish need not be the longest.
- Conservation belongs in the comparison. The size of a rare or threatened species is not evidence that it is abundant or readily encountered.
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
