I Caught a Fish This Big! Trivia Quiz

Answer: Carp

Found in Indochina, the giant barb is the largest fish in the carp family. Don't be misled by its name; it does not actually have any barbels. In fact, it is said to be no more aggressive that its smaller relative, the goldfish. Today the fish is on the IUCN list of critically endangered. Overfishing and habitat loss have contributed to its rarity.

In 2000 there were only ten reported catches. In 2005 it became the national fish of the Kingdom of Cambodia.

Answer: Nile perch

Considered to be one of the most invasive species in the world, the Nile perch is valuable for its meat and by-products. It is also considered to be an important game fish, however, it feeds on fish and has brought the native populations close to extinction in some areas, such as Lake Victoria where it was introduced in the 1950s. Possession is a crime in Queensland, Australia, where those caught with a living Nile perch will pay a heavy fine because it threatens the native barramundi. An aggressive predator, it is found in many areas across sub-Saharan Africa.

Answer: Taimen fish

Called the "Mongolian terror trout" by National Geographic, there is a legend in Mongolia about a large taimen that was trapped in the ice. Starving, the villagers survived the winter by cutting off pieces of its flesh. When spring came, the giant fish jumped onto land, and tracked down its assailants, eating all of them! No worries, though! Taimen enjoy fish and an occasional bird or rodent. Humans are not part of its diet!

Answer: Catfish

This tasty fish is considered by many to be the largest truly freshwater fish ever caught, because some of its competitors for the honor are diadromous, swimming in both fresh and salt water. In danger of extinction due to overfishing, many fishermen have agreed to stop fishing for the catfish, and breeding programs have been started to restock the Mekong River.

Answer: Paddlefish

While the American paddlefish can be found in the Mississippi River basin, its Chinese cousin, found in the Yangtze River, is much larger. Commonly called a "Chinese swordfish", it can outweigh its American counterpart by hundreds of pounds. Unfortunately there has not been a sighting of the Chinese paddlefish for quite some time, and it is feared extinct.

Answer: Bull shark

The bull shark, a diadromous fish, is comfortable in both salt and fresh water; living in warm shallow coastal regions, as well as rivers all over the world, they especially appear to enjoy the brackish water in an estuary. They have been found in the Mississippi River as far north as Illinois! Believed to have been trapped in a flood in the 1990s, there are some who live in a lake at a golf course in Queensland, Australia. Cleverly, the golf course has a monthly tournament, called the "Shark Lake Challenge." Stay on your guard, though! Scientists consider the bull shark to be one of the three most likely to attack humans, along with the great white shark and tiger shark.

Answer: White sturgeon

Although classified as a bony fish, the sturgeon is really more similar to their cartilaginous cousins. It is believed that they have looked the same way for the past 175 million years! The barbels are used for sensing food; the fish has no teeth. It sucks its food, such as dead fish, crustaceans, and lampreys, into its mouth.

There are strict rules for fishermen trying to snag this popular sport fish on the Columbia, Willamette, and Snake Rivers. For example, the hook must be barbless, and the fish can only be kept if they measure between 38 and 54 inches from the nose to the fork in the tail.

Answer: Alligator gar

While the alligator gar can survive for an hour out of the water, it does not stalk humans. It is known, however, to ambush its food, which includes fish, birds, and small mammals. Once considered to be a "trash fish" or "nuisance fish", today the alligator gar is protected.

It is found in the Southern United States in the lower Mississippi River Valley and the Gulf Coast states, however, it also inhabits brackish waters and has been seen in the Gulf of Mexico.

Answer: Stingray

Stingrays are common world-wide in both fresh and salt water locations, however, the largest freshwater stingrays are found in Asia. Their habit of covering themselves with sand, enables many to go unnoticed until someone steps on them! The barb on the tail is not only poisonous, it is also serrated, and can cut bone.

In addition, the poison can remain deadly after the stingray is dead. It is recommended that rather than walking through the waters where they are known to live, one should either shuffle, or better yet, throw a stone in the water to scare them away before stepping in!

Answer: Beluga sturgeon

Considered by many to be the largest freshwater fish in the world, the beluga is comfortable swimming in fresh or salt water. Females are approximately 20% larger than male members of the species, and while the caviar is considered to be a delicacy worldwide, the meat is not considered to be that tasty. Unfortunately, the ICUN lists the beluga as being critically endangered.