The largest beluga: confirmed facts

Many know that the beluga is the largest freshwater fish from the existing ones. Mention of it is found in many historical documents. In Russia, this fish, brought to the capital city from the far Caspian Sea, was fed to the table of princes and kings. There are many descriptions of fantastic specimens that reach incredible dimensions. It's no wonder that many people have a question about what these testimonies correspond to reality, and what is an absolute fiction.

The largest beluga, whose existence is confirmed by sufficient evidence, is striking in dimensions. There are a lot of applicants for this title, but, unfortunately, all the facts of the existence of the giant beluga have been fixed for a long time. In our times, large specimens are almost never found.

Tsar fish

Beluga is a long-lived fish. She can live for a hundred years. During this time, the largest beluga can grow to a giant size of several meters. This species is considered one of the largest marine fish on the planet.

This fish spawns several times in life. Specialists say that the sturgeon caviar of the beluga is also giant - up to half a ton.

At spawning, females go to rivers flowing into the sea, rising upstream sometimes for several kilometers. It is noteworthy that if there is no suitable place for babies, then the fish will not spawn , and the caviar that is inside will gradually resolve.

Where does the beluga live?

The largest beluga is found in the Caspian, Black, Adriatic, Mediterranean and Azov seas.

During spawning this fish can be found in the Volga, Terek, Don, Kama, Dnieper and many other rivers that flow into the seas. Large females that do not have time to spawn, sometimes even stay in the rivers for the winter, hibernating.

How to catch the biggest beluga?

Today, the industrial catch of this fish is prohibited. No less strict veto is imposed on the collection of beluga caviar. But the law does not prohibit sport fishing. For her, special gear is used, minimally traumatizing the fish.

Fishing is one way to establish and document facts. The biggest beluga in the world, caught by an enthusiast in the competition, will be measured, weighed, photographed, and then released. If this did not happen regularly, we would know about the life of these amazing fish much less.

To catch the storm of seas and rivers, you need to swim from the sea in the river for a kilometer to 3. Beluga is a gluttonous predator, in its stomach the fishermen have repeatedly found even ducks and squirrels. When choosing a bait, it is worth giving preference to raw meat and fish. Professionals know: the beluga, although not aggressive, like, for example, the catfish, but it is quite capable of seriously nahuliganit. In an attempt to escape from the fisherman, she can even turn the boat.

The largest representatives: confirmed facts

The largest beluga, caught in Russia in 1922, holds the palm tree of the championship so far. It weighed 1224 kg and was caught in the Caspian Sea. The giant fish was filled with caviar. The photo of the biggest beluga is amazing. Tsar-fish in size is comparable to oceanic monsters: sharks, killer whales, narwhals.

Several other facts of the catch of belugas of a giant size have been confirmed. In Kazan, there is even a stuffed giant fish, which weighs a whole ton. The carcass length of 4.17 m was donated to the city by Nicholas II himself, and today a stuffed animal is exhibited in the museum. Anyone can enjoy admiring the huge fish.

The exhibit is slightly more modest than the Kazan one in one of the museums of Astrakhan - the beluga caught in the Volga reached 966 kg. Another curious specimen during life had a length of almost 6 meters and weight to a ton. His story is amazing. This beluga caught poachers, gutted the most valuable caviar, and threw the carcass. But of course, they simply could not not know what treasure fell into their hands! Afraid of being arrested for illegal activities, the poachers simply called the museum and told them where they threw the carcass. She was damaged by careless cutting, but the taxidermists managed to make a scarecrow out of it.

The language barrier

Sometimes confusion arises for quite unusual reasons. For example, for a very long time the word "beluga" in Russian was also used for the whale, today known as the beluga. Whales, of course, are larger than sturgeons, but this did not prevent the emergence of fantastic rumors. Evidence of eye-witnesses about the catch of two-toned beluga, most likely, refers specifically to marine animals. By the way, beluga whales can sing. It was their singing that formed the basis of the phraseology "Roar as a beluga". Of course, sturgeon can not roar.

And in English, many sturgeon fishes, including beluga, are often designated by one word - sturgeon. This, too, often confuses the question of the largest beluga. Some of the claimed applicants for the championship belong to other species of the Sturgeon family.

Human factor

The largest beluga, caught in our time, reaches only 2-3 quintals. Uncontrolled fishing and collection of caviar, deterioration of ecological conditions, irrational use of resources - all this had a negative impact on the population. The number of beluga has decreased, the fish has grinded, has become less likely to spawn. The habitat has also decreased. To spawn, the beluga leaves very close to the rivers, trying to stay close to the sea.

Prospects

The largest beluga today is a rarity. Fortunately, humanity is trying to correct the mistakes of the past. Beluga is listed in the Red Book, the state is fighting against poaching. Today the beluga is artificially bred in many countries. In Russia, several hybrids have been shown that have shown excellent viability and industrial value. This allows us to keep the number of beluga in the wild. Positive dynamics gives hope that the beautiful king fish will not sink into oblivion in the coming years, but someday it will again hit a person with huge sizes.