Amazing pictures of some of Earth’s largest freshwater creatures

The critically endangered Chinese giant salamander, photographed here at the Atlanta Zoo, is the biggest amphibian in the world.

The alligator gar, which can grow up to 10 feet long, is one of North America’s largest freshwater fish.

Black caiman, like this juvenile photographed at Peru's Tambopata-Candamo Nature Reserve, were severely overhunted in the Amazon.

Southeast Asia’s Mekong River is home to many of the world’s largest freshwater fish, including the critically endangered giant Siamese carp, which can grow to over 600 pounds.

Found in the Mississippi River basin, the American paddlefish, also known as the spoonfish, has long been exploited by humans for both its meat and for its eggs, which are used to make caviar.

The wallago goes by many names. Also known as the giant sheetfish or helicopter catfish, it lives in the Mekong River basin, where it’s been fished for food since ancient times.