The variety of creatures that live in the waters around the world is never ending with an array shapes, sizes, and colors. Some fish you can hardly detect in the water, while other species resemble large sea monsters. In this article, you will learn about some of the largest, heaviest, and other interesting feats regarding fish and other sea life.
Heaviest Starfish
A starfish (or sea star) is an echinoderm, which received its name because of its shape. In the worldwide oceans, there are 2,000 species that live in the waters of the Atlantic, Pacific, and the Southern Ocean around Antarctic. Starfish possess a handful of interesting features and traits, including the way they feed and their ability to regenerate body parts. The heaviest starfish was found in September of 1969 off Ilot Amedee, New Caledonia. The starfish of the species Thromidia catalai weighed an estimated 13 pounds 3 ounces. After being caught, it was transported to the New Caledonia Noumea Aquarium.
Largest Jellyfish
The majority of jellyfish in the world possess a body diameter (also called a bell) that ranges from 0.8 inches to 15.8 inches. However, there are some species that grow much larger, such as the Arctic giant jellyfish. One of these jellyfish washed up in Massachusetts Bay in 1870 with a bell diameter of 7 feet 6 inches. The tentacles on the creature stretched 120 feet.
Largest and Heaviest Fish
Capture off Baba Island in the Pakistan region, an example of a whale shark was measured at 41 feet 6 inches with a weight of 33,000 to 46,200 pounds , making it the heaviest specimen of fish found to date. The discovery, which took place in 1949, meant that the largest fish record was also broken. What makes sharks different from other water-bound creatures is that their skeletons are comprised of cartilage instead of the hard bony material that other fish species possess. The record for the heaviest fish with bones goes to the ocean sunfish (mola mola), which weighed in at 4,400 pounds and measured 10 feet from both fin tips.
Largest Fish Egg
It’s only natural that the largest and heaviest fish is responsible for laying the largest fish egg. The crew of a shrimp trawler traveling in the Gulf of Mexico located a whale shark egg that measured 12 X 5 ½ X 3 ½ inches. The egg was discovered in June of 1953.
The Eyes of the Swordfish
The swordfish has special organs that heats up the eyes of the creature to where they reach temperatures up to 82 degrees F. This feature allows the fish to improve the efficiency of their movements in the cold water. They also swim much faster so that they can better spot their next meal.