11 Scariest Freshwater Fish
1.Wels Catfish
Longer than a Volkswagen Beetle, the Wels Catfish is one hefty, scary animal. In addition to its crazy length, it also clocks in at 660 pounds. For reference, that’s larger than your average male grizzly bear! The Wels Catfish lives all over Eastern and Central Europe and reportedly has developed something of a taste for human flesh. Its method of trapping and killing its victims is especially brutal.
This behemoth will simply use its massive body to drag you under the waves, hopefully drowning you before it gets a chance to take the first bite.
Wels Catfish have been around for a long time, with depictions of this demonic swimmer dated back as far as the Middle Ages, when it was reported to swallow children whole. Some speculate that Wels Catfish near Chernobyl have grown even bigger, thanks to the radiation.
These monsters are already terrifying enough without adding a dose of nuclear power to their arsenal. Yikes!
2: Alligator Gar
You might be better off tangling with an actual Alligator! The Alligator Gar is a meaty, torpedo-shaped fish with the snout of a gator and the body of an eel.
At 10 feet, it’s half as long as a giraffe is tall. Imagine that appearing suddenly out of the murky waves. The good news is, this North American terror doesn’t typically attack humans, but if it does, watch out! Their snout is full of razor-sharp teeth that can rip your limbs to shreds in a New York minute.
Plus, Alligator Gar can use their strong snouts as battering rams, dazing perceived threats and sending them reeling.
One direct hit can be the difference between life and death, as a dizzying blow can easily send even the strongest swimmer spinning out to the bottom.
Between the teeth and the snout, we don’t know what’s worse! Alligator Gar have one more trick up their fishy sleeves too. Their eggs are notoriously toxic and will send you to the emergency room if you eat one.
This keeps vulnerable Alligator Gar embryos from being gobbled up by predators. Ultimately, the best advice when it comes to these critters is to stay away.
3. Wolf Fish
This eerie fish is a prehistoric throwback, a giant creature whose apex predator status makes it one of the most ferocious fish in all of South America. Also known as Anjumara, the Wolf Fish swam out of the womb with a giant chip on their shoulder and are known for being aggressive, predatory, and lethal to anyone or anything unlucky enough to cross their paths.
At 90 pounds of solid muscle, the Wolf Fish is almost as heavy as a small Octopus and far more territorial. Get in its way, and you are certainly begging for a world of hurt. In addition to its massive size, it also has rows of terrifying teeth, the better to rip you to tiny pieces.
Unlike many of the fish on this list, the Wolf Fish will attack if you immediately wander into their waters, so be wary next time you fancy a dip south of the equator.
You might not return from your vacation to tell the tale.
4. Black Piranha
All Pirhanas are fairly nasty, but Black Pirhanas really do turn it up to eleven with their viciousness and sheer size. Unlike many of the others in their species, Black Pirhanas are huge, weighing in at 10 pounds.
While that might not seem so big as compared to the other fish on this list, remember that Pirhanas, regardless of size, will hunt in packs. Sounds like the stuff of nightmares! Black Pirhanas can munch through just about anything with their maws packed with serrated teeth.
They also have a bloodthirsty sixth sense when it comes to choosing prey, going for slower or injured animals, and gnawing them alive.
Humans are no exception! Like most fearsome animals, Black Pirhanas are native to the Amazon but can be found in other places in Brazil and South America.
5. Giant Freshwater Stingray
These enormous creatures are half as long as a telephone pole and considered the planet’s biggest freshwater fish. Giant Freshwater Stingrays are native to Southeast Asia, particularly Cambodia, Malaysia, and Thailand, and don’t pose a deliberate threat to humans.
Notice, we didn’t say that they don’t pose any danger… Stingrays might not be aggressive necessarily, but they come equipped with one of the most devastating weapons in all of the seven seas- a giant barbed tail.
You might remember the iconic Steve Irwin met his fate at the business end of a Stingray, and with a huge barb to match their colossal size, the Giant Freshwater Stingray is one of the scariest accidental assassins in the Mekong River.
6. Payara
Also known as the Vampire Fish, Payara are ghoulish Amazonian predators that can grow to the length of a large child. This fish preys on Piranhas, which should give you some indication of just how vicious they are.
With huge lower fangs that can easily pierce through a human hand, the Payara is nothing to mess around with and probably the best argument for wearing water shoes if you want to go wandering around the Amazon.
When they are not skewering human limbs, Payara use their fangs to impale helpless fishes before devouring them. Interestingly enough, these creatures are popular pets and do fairly well in large aquariums.
7. Golden Dorado
Don’t let the golden hue of this pretty predator fool you; the Golden Dorado is one mean fish. Its jaws are exceptionally powerful, full of razor-sharp teeth, and ready to snap down on anything that gets in its way. This terrifying fish is found mostly in the lower part of South America, specifically Uruguay, Paraguay, Bolivia, and Argentina.
Although some Golden Dorado like to go solo, there are certain varieties that love hunting in packs, maiming their prey before sucking them down.
The biggest ones weigh 22 pounds, making them as heavy as your average Dachshund and a million times more ferocious. Golden Dorados are also known to be cannibalistic, playing a gruesome game of survival of the fittest with their own kind.
8. Goliath Tigerfish
The Goliath Tigerfish also goes by the name M’Benga, which literally translates to “dangerous fish” in Swahili- and if there ever was a dangerous fish, the Goliath Tigerfish is it! This terrifying creature lives in the Congo Basin, where it terrorizes animals and people alike with its mighty jaw stuffed with needle-sharp teeth. Did we mention that it’s huge? Goliath Tigerfish can weigh up to 154 pounds.
That’s almost as large as a small Kangaroo! These dangerous animals are not afraid of humans either and will attack anyone that inadvertently wanders into their territory. They’ve even been known to make meals out of local Crocodiles and are simply not afraid of anything or anyone!
9. Arapaima
The Arapaima doesn’t just have teeth in its mouth; it has teeth all over its tongue, making it a freakish spectacle in the aquatic world… but we’re just getting started. Arapaimas are known to grow to nine feet long, making them longer than Shaq is tall.
These fish have one more fearsome feature that sets them apart from other Amazonian predators; they are covered in armor. Yup, Arapaimas are basically huge swimming tanks that can breathe both oxygen and air, making them one of the coolest and scariest fish on the planet.
Although Arapaima won’t necessarily pick a fight with a human, they won’t shy away from one either. In reality, we are more of a threat to these armored animals than they are to us.
Arapaima have long been considered a delicacy in the Amazon, and their sturdy scales are often used as jewelry and trinkets.
10. Electric Eels
Although they look like badass aquatic snakes, eels qualify as fish, and Electric Eels top the charts when it comes to the deadliest creatures living in the Amazon. Electric Eels are fairly unassuming looking, melting into the murky brown bottom of the Amazon River, but their real superpower comes in the form of their famous defense mechanism; 600 volts of electric power.
600 volts is enough to cause organ failure in a human, and getting this hefty dose of electric buzz could put Michael Phelps off-kilter in the water. It’s shocking personality aside, Electric Eels are also larger than life, with some spanning eight full feet.
11. Bull Sharks
Just when you thought it was safe to swim in fresh water, a new terror rises up from the depths. That’s right; sharks don’t just swim in the ocean.
Bull Sharks are entirely at home in freshwater, making them one of the deadliest, scariest freshwater fish that you are likely to encounter.
Bull Sharks can survive in both fresh and saltwater, making them an unparalleled menace at places where the land meets the sea.
They flock to the Amazon River, filling up on all of the tasty fish that live there and occasionally striking fear in the hearts of humans as well.
In fact, Bull Sharks can live up to 2,500 miles inland. That’s nearly the distance from New York City to Denver! If you think these fishy fiends only live in the darkest corners of the Amazon, think again. Bull Sharks have been found in the Mississippi River near Illinois. Bull Sharks are aggressive and known to attack humans unprovoked.
They are one of the deadliest sharks in the world, and you can find them just about anywhere… maybe even your swimming pool.
