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{{short description|List of largest organisms on Earth}}
{{Cleanup-rewrite|date=May 2013|reason=Most of the content is quickly copy-pasted from other other Misplaced Pages articles}}
{{pp-move}}
{{See also|Largest prehistoric animals}}
] is a clonal colony of an individual ] with an interconnected root system. It is widely held to be the world's most massive single organism.]]
This article lists the '''largest ]''' for various types of life and mostly considers ] species,{{efn|The organism sizes listed are frequently considered "outsized" and are not in the normal size range for the respective group.}} which found on Earth can be determined according to various aspects of an organism's size, such as: mass, volume, area, length, height, or even ]. Some organisms group together to form a ] (such as ]s or ]s), but such are not classed as single large organisms. The ] is the world's largest structure composed of living entities, stretching {{convert|2,000|km|mi|abbr=on}} but contains many organisms of many types of species.


When considering singular entities, the largest organisms are ] which can spread over large areas. ], a clonal colony of the ], is widely considered to be the largest such organism by mass.<ref>{{cite web|url = http://www.zmescience.com/other/science-abc/heaviest-organism-pando-aspen/|title = The Heaviest Living Organism in the World|date = 9 February 2015|access-date = 10 February 2016|website = ZME Science|last = Mihai|first = Andrei}}</ref> Even if such colonies are excluded, ] retain their dominance of this listing, with the ] being the most massive tree.<ref>{{cite web|title=The Giant Sequoia National Monument|url=http://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/sequoia/home/?cid=stelprdb5394941|website=Sequoia National Forest|publisher=United States Department of Agriculture - Forest service|access-date=10 February 2016}}</ref> In 2006, a huge ] of the ] '']'' was discovered south of the island of ]. At {{convert|8|km|0}} across, and estimated at 100,000 years old,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.theportugalnews.com/news/view/1152-20|title=Portuguese scientists discover world's oldest living organism|website=www.theportugalnews.com|access-date=2019-02-14|archive-date=2019-01-19|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190119070051/http://www.theportugalnews.com/news/view/1152-20|url-status=dead}}</ref> it may be one of the largest and ] clonal colonies on Earth.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.ibiza-spotlight.com/news/2006/monster_plant_280506_i.htm|title= Ibiza's Monster Marine Plant|access-date= 2007-05-09|work=Ibiza Spotlight|date= 28 May 2006|url-status=dead|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20060827123801/http://www.ibiza-spotlight.com/news/2006/monster_plant_280506_i.htm|archive-date= 27 August 2006}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Pearlman |first=Jonathan |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/9066393/Ancient-seagrass-Oldest-living-thing-on-earth-discovered-in-Mediterranean-Sea.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120207170657/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/9066393/Ancient-seagrass-Oldest-living-thing-on-earth-discovered-in-Mediterranean-Sea.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=7 February 2012 |title='Oldest living thing on earth' discovered |newspaper=The Telegraph |date=7 February 2012 |access-date=11 February 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|last=Arnaud-Haond|first=Sophie|author2=Duarte, Carlos M. |author3=Diaz-Almela, Elena |author4=Marbà, Núria |author5=Sintes, Tomas |author6=Serrão, Ester A. |author7=Bruun, Hans Henrik |title=Implications of Extreme Life Span in Clonal Organisms: Millenary Clones in Meadows of the Threatened Seagrass ''Posidonia oceanica''|journal=PLOS ONE|volume=7|issue=2|pages=e30454|doi=10.1371/journal.pone.0030454|pmid=22312426|pmc=3270012|bibcode=2012PLoSO...730454A|year=2012|doi-access=free}}</ref>
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The '''largest organisms''' found on Earth can be determined according to various aspects of ]s size, such as: mass, volume, area, length, height, or even genome size. Some organisms group together to form a ], but such are not classed as single large organisms. The ] is the world's largest structure composed of living entities, stretching 2,000&nbsp;km, but contains many organisms of many species.
Among ], the largest species are all ]s, specifically ]. The ] is believed to be the largest animal to have ever lived.<ref name="NYT-20240229">{{cite news |last=Zimmer |first=Carl |authorlink=Carl Zimmer |title=Researchers Dispute Claim That Ancient Whale Was Heaviest Animal Ever - A new study argues that Perucetus, an ancient whale species, was certainly big, but not as big as today's blue whales. |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2024/02/29/science/giant-whale-perucetus.html |date=29 February 2024 |work=] |url-status=live |archiveurl=https://archive.today/20240229131654/https://www.nytimes.com/2024/02/29/science/giant-whale-perucetus.html |archivedate=29 February 2024 |accessdate=3 March 2024 }}</ref> The living land animal classification is also dominated by ], with the ] being the largest of these.
The organism sizes listed are frequently considered "outsized" and are not in the normal size range for the respective species.


==Plants== ==Plants==

{{main|List of largest plants}} {{main|List of largest plants}}
The largest single-stem tree by wood volume and mass is the ] (''Sequoiadendron giganteum''), native to Sierra Nevada and California; it typically grows to a height of {{convert|70|-|85|m|ft|abbr=on|sigfig=2}} and {{convert|5|-|7|m|ft|abbr=on}} in diameter.


The largest organism in the world, according to mass, is the ] whose colonies of clones can grow up to {{convert|5|mi|km|order=flip|0}} in size. The largest such colony is ], in the ] in Utah.
The largest by wood volume and mass is the ] (Sequoiadendron giganteum), native to Sierra Nevada and California; it grows to an average height of {{convert|70|-|85|m|ft|abbr=on|sigfig=2}} and {{convert|5|-|7|m|ft|abbr=on}} in diameter.


A form of flowering plant that far exceeds Pando as the largest organism on Earth in area and potentially also mass, is the giant marine plant, '']'', living in ], Australia. Its length is about {{convert|180|km|mi|0|abbr=on}} and it covers an area of {{convert|200|km2|sqmi|0|abbr=on}}.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/jun/01/what-the-hell-australian-scientists-discover-biggest-plant-on-earth-off-wa-coast | title=Scientists discover 'biggest plant on Earth' off Western Australian coast | website=] | date=31 May 2022 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Edgeloe |first1=Jane M. |last2=Severn-Ellis |first2=Anita A. |last3=Bayer |first3=Philipp E. |last4=Mehravi |first4=Shaghayegh |last5=Breed |first5=Martin F. |last6=Krauss |first6=Siegfried L. |last7=Batley |first7=Jacqueline |last8=Kendrick |first8=Gary A. |last9=Sinclair |first9=Elizabeth A. |date=2022-06-08 |title=Extensive polyploid clonality was a successful strategy for seagrass to expand into a newly submerged environment |journal=Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences |volume=289 |issue=1976 |pages=20220538 |doi=10.1098/rspb.2022.0538|pmid=35642363 |pmc=9156900 |s2cid=249204370 }}</ref> It is also among the ].
==Animals==


Another giant marine plant of the genus '']'', '']'' discovered in the Mediterranean near the Balearic Islands, Spain may be the ] organism in the world, with an estimated age of 100,000 years.<ref name=seagrass> {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071226063158/http://www.ibiza-spotlight.com/news/2006/monster_plant_280506_i.htm |date=2007-12-26 }}. ''Ibiza Spotlight'' (2006-05-28).</ref>
]
A member of the order ], the ] (''Balaenoptera musculus''), is believed to be the largest animal ever to have lived. The maximum recorded weight was 190 ]s<ref>All masses in this article are given in metric tons (that is ]s).</ref> for a specimen measuring {{convert|30|m|ft}}, while longer ones, up to {{convert|33.4|m|ft}}, have been recorded but not weighed.<ref name = "Wood">Wood, Gerald ''The Guinness Book of Animal Facts and Feats'' (1983) ISBN 978-0-85112-235-9</ref>


The largest individual flower in the world is '']'', while the ] with the largest unbranched ] in the world is ''].'' Both are native to ] in ].
The ] (''Loxodonta africana''), of the order ], is the largest living land animal. A native of various open habitats in sub-Saharan Africa, this elephant is born commonly weighing about {{convert|100|kg|lb}}.{{citation needed|date=July 2012}} The largest elephant ever recorded was shot in ] in 1974. It was a male measuring {{convert|10.7|m|ft}} from trunk to tail and {{convert|4.2|m|ft}} lying on its side in a projected line from the highest point of the shoulder to the base of the forefoot, indicating a standing shoulder height of {{convert|4.0|m|ft}}.<ref name="Wood"/>


===Green algae===
;Table of heaviest living animals
] are photosynthetic unicellular and multicellular ] that are related to land plants. The ] of the unicellular mermaid's wineglass, '']'', can grow to several inches (perhaps 0.1 to 0.2 m) in length. The fronds of the similarly unicellular, and invasive '']'' can grow up to a foot (0.3 m) long.{{Citation needed|date=January 2021}}
The heaviest living animals are all ]s, and thus also the largest living mammals. Since no scale can accommodate the whole body of a large whale, most whales have been weighed by parts.


==Animals==
{| class="wikitable"
]
|-
]'' is potentially the largest animal to have walked the earth.]]{{excerpt|Largest animals}}
! Rank
! Animal
! Average mass<br />
! Maximum mass<br />
! Average total length<br />
|-
| 1 || ] || 110<ref name="IWC">Mark Tandy. . Iwcoffice.org</ref> || 190<ref name = "Wood"/> || 25.5 (84)<ref>. The Marine Mammal Center</ref>
|-
| 2 || ] || 60<ref>. Seagrant.uaf.edu (2008-02-15)</ref> || 120<ref name = "Wood"/> || 15.5 (51)<ref name="IWC"/>
|-
| 3 || ] || 58<ref name="IWC"/> || 110<ref name= Stewart>Stewart, et al, ''National Audubon Society Guide to Marine Mammals of the World''. Knofp (2002), ISBN 978-0-375-41141-0</ref> || 15.25 (50)<ref name="IWC"/>
|-
| 4 || ] || 57<ref name="IWC"/> || 120<ref name= Stewart/> || 19.5 (64.3)<ref name="IWC"/>
|-
| 5 || ] || 55<ref name="IWC"/><ref>. Maine.gov</ref> || 100<ref name= Euba>. Animal Info (2005-11-02)</ref> || 15 (49)<ref name= Euba/>
|-
| 6 || ] || 54.5<ref name="IWC"/><ref>. Marinebio.org (2011-09-30)</ref> || 120<ref name = "Wood"/> || 15 (49)<ref name="IWC"/>
|-
| 7 || ] || 31.25<ref name="IWC"/><ref name= Whitehead>Whitehead, H. (2002). ''Sperm whale Physeter macrocephalus''. In Perrin, W., Würsig B. and Thewissen, J.. Encyclopedia of Marine Mammals. Academic Press. pp. 1165–1172. ISBN 0-12-551340-2</ref> || 57<ref name = "Wood"/> || 13.25 (43.5)<ref name="IWC"/><ref name= Whitehead/>
|-
| 8 || ] || 29<ref name="IWC"/><ref>. Animal Info (2005-02-01)</ref> || 48<ref>{{cite book|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=QdlJ3SbwUIgC&pg=PA225|title=The mammals of Texas|author=David J. Schmidly, William B. Davis|publisher=University of Texas Press|year=2004}}</ref> || 13.5 (44)<ref name="IWC"/>
|-
| 9 || ] || 22.5<ref name = "IWC"/> || 45<ref>. wdcs.org</ref> || 14.8 (49)<ref name="IWC"/>
|-
| 10 || ] || 19.5<ref name="IWC"/> || 45<ref>{{cite book|author1=Bernd G. Würsig|author2=J. G. M. Thewissen|title=Encyclopedia of Marine Mammals|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=TwFUimDtz7sC&pg=PA70|year=2002|publisher=Gulf Professional Publishing|isbn=978-0-12-551340-1|page=70}}</ref> || 13.5 (44)<ref name="IWC"/>
|}


==Fungi==
;Table of heaviest terrestrial animals
]''|315x315px]]{{Main|Largest fungal fruit bodies}}
<!-- ] redirects to this section ] if you change this section title, please update that redirect -->
The largest living ] may be a ]<ref name="UW">{{Cite web|title=Armillaria gallica, the humongous fungus humungus. Tom Volk's Fungus of the Month for April 2002|url=http://botit.botany.wisc.edu/toms_fungi/apr2002.html|access-date=2022-12-26|website=botit.botany.wisc.edu}}</ref> of the ] '']''.<ref name=BBCfungus>{{Cite web|title=BBC News &#124; SCI/TECH &#124; Fantastic fungus find|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/869808.stm|access-date=2022-12-26|website=news.bbc.co.uk}}</ref>
The following is a list of the heaviest wild land animals, which are all mammals. The African elephant is now listed as two species, the ] and the ], as they are generally considered to be two separate species now.<ref>. News.nationalgeographic.com (2010-12-22)</ref>
A mushroom of this type in the ] in the ] of eastern ], U.S. was found to be the largest fungal colony in the world, spanning {{convert|8.9|km2|acre|abbr=on}} of area.<ref name="UW"/><ref name=ABCfungus>{{Cite web|title=Environment & Nature News - Humungous fungus: world's largest organism? - 10/04/2003|url=https://www.abc.net.au/science/news/enviro/EnviroRepublish_828525.htm|access-date=2022-12-26|website=www.abc.net.au}}</ref> This organism is estimated to be 2,400 years old. The fungus was written about in the April 2003 issue of the '']''. If this colony is considered a single organism, then it is the largest known organism in the world by area, and rivals the aspen grove "]" as the known organism with the highest living ]. It is not known, however, whether it is a single organism with all parts of the ] connected.<ref name=ABCfungus/> Approximations of the land area of the Oregon "humongous fungus" are {{convert|3.5|sqmi|sqkm}} ({{convert|2240|acre|ha}}, possibly weighing as much as 35,000 tons as the world's most massive living organism.<ref name="patton">{{cite web |author1=Vince Patton |title=Oregon Humongous Fungus Sets Record As Largest Single Living Organism On Earth (7 minute documentary video)|url=https://www.opb.org/television/programs/ofg/segment/oregon-humongous-fungus/ |publisher=Oregon Field Guide |access-date=23 September 2019 |date=12 February 2015}}</ref>


A spatial genetic analysis estimated that a specimen of ''Armillaria ostoyae'' growing over {{convert|91|acre|ha}} in northern ], United States weighs 440 ]s (4 x 10<sup>5</sup> kg).<ref name="Anderson">{{Cite journal
{| class="wikitable"
| last = Anderson | first = A. |author2=Sand, C. |author3=Petchey, F. |author4=Worthy, T. H.
|-
| title = Faunal extinction and human habitation in New Caledonia: Initial results and implications of new research at the Pindai Caves
! Rank
| journal = Journal of Pacific Archaeology | volume = 1 | issue = 1 | pages = 89–109
! Animal
| year = 2010 | hdl = 10289/5404
! Average mass<br />
}}</ref><ref name="daley">{{cite web |author1=Jason Daley |title=This humongous fungus is as massive as three blue whales: A new estimate suggests this mushroom is 2,500 years old and weighs 440 tons |url=https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/mushroom-massive-three-blue-whales-180970549/ |publisher=Smithsonian.com |access-date=23 September 2019 |date=15 October 2018}}</ref>
! Maximum mass<br />
! Average total length<br />
|-
| 1 || ]
|| 4.9<ref>. Animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu</ref><ref>Georges Frei. . Upali.ch</ref> || 12.7<ref name="Wood"/> || 6 (18): Height*<ref>. The Animal Files</ref>
|-
| 2 || ] || 4.15<ref name = "Wood"/><ref name= Elephas>Shoshani, J. and Eisenberg, J. F. . Mammalian Species (1982) 182:1–8</ref> || 8.0<ref name = "Wood"/> || 6.8 (22)<ref name= Elephas/>
|-
| 3 || ] || 2.8 || 6.0<ref>. ARKive</ref> || 6.2 (20)<ref>. Wildpro.twycrosszoo.org</ref>
|-
| 4 || ]{{dubious|Rhino|date=July 2012}} || 2.1<ref> {{dead link|date=June 2012}}</ref><ref>. ARKive (2004-08-06)</ref> || 4.5<ref>. (2012-08-21)</ref> || 4.4 (14.5)<ref>. Animals.nationalgeographic.com</ref>
|-
| 5 || ] || 1.9<ref>. ARKive</ref><ref>Laurie, W. A.; Lang, E. M. and Groves, C. P. . Mammalian Species (1983) 211:1–6</ref> || 4.0<ref name="BoitaniLuigi">Boitani, Luigi, ''Simon & Schuster's Guide to Mammals''. Simon & Schuster/Touchstone Books (1984), ISBN 978-0-671-42805-1</ref> || 4.2 (13.9)<ref>. Ultimateungulate.com</ref>
|-
| 6 || ] || 1.8<ref>Eltringham, S.K. (1999). ''The Hippos''. Poyser Natural History Series. London: Academic Press. ISBN 0-85661-131-X.</ref><ref>. Learnanimals.com</ref> || 4.5<ref>{{dead link|date=June 2012}}</ref> || 4 (13.2)<ref>. Animals.nationalgeographic.com</ref>
|-
| 7 || ] || 1.715<ref>. Animal Info (2005-11-26)</ref><ref>. Onehornedrhino.org</ref> || 2.3<ref>. ARKive</ref> || 3.8 (12.5)<ref> Edgeofexistence.org (2010-11-12)</ref>
|-
| 8 || ] || 1.1<ref>. Animals.nationalgeographic.com</ref> || 2.9<ref>Kes Hillman-Smith, A. K. and Groves, C. P. . Mammalian species (1994) 455:1–8</ref> || 4 (13.2)<ref name="ref141" />
|-
| 9 || ] || 1.0<ref name = "Wood"/> || 2<ref>Owen-Smith, R. Norman, ''Megaherbivores: The Influence of Very Large Body Size on Ecology''. Cambridge University Press (1992), ISBN 978-0-521-42637-4</ref> || 5.15 (16.9)<ref name="theanimalfiles" />
|-
| 10 || ] || 0.95<ref name= China>Smith, A. T., Xie, Y. (eds.) (2008) . Princeton University Press, Princeton Oxforshire. p. 472 ISBN 0691099847</ref> || 1.5<ref name=China/> || 3.8 (12.5)<ref name= Seaworld>. Seaworld.org</ref>
|}


In '']'', each individual mushroom (the fruiting body, similar to a flower on a plant) has only a {{convert|5|cm|in|abbr=on}} stipe, and a pileus up to {{convert|12.5|cm|in|abbr=on}} across. There are many other fungi which produce a larger individual size mushroom. The largest known fruiting body of a fungus is a specimen of '']'' (formerly ''Fomitiporia ellipsoidea'') found on ].<ref name=BBCFungalFruitingBody>Walker, Matt. (2011-08-01) . Bbc.co.uk</ref> The fruiting body masses up to {{convert|500|kg|lb|abbr=on}}.<ref name=ScienceFruitingBody>{{Cite journal | last1 = Dai | first1 = Y. C. | last2 = Cui | first2 = B. K. | doi = 10.1016/j.funbio.2011.06.008 | title = Fomitiporia ellipsoidea has the largest fruiting body among the fungi | journal = Fungal Biology | volume = 115 | issue = 9 | pages = 813–814 | year = 2011 | pmid = 21872178}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|last1= Cui|first1= Bao-Kai|last2= Decock|first2= Cony|year= 2013|title= ''Phellinus castanopsidis'' sp. nov (Hymenochaetaceae) from southern China, with preliminary phylogeny based on rDNA sequences|journal=Mycological Progress|volume=12|issue=2|pages= 341–351|doi= 10.1007/s11557-012-0839-5|bibcode= 2013MycPr..12..341C|s2cid= 17570036}}</ref>
===Vertebrates===


Until ''P. ellipsoideus'' replaced it, the largest individual fruit body came from '']''. ''R. ulmarius'' can grow up to {{convert|284|kg|lb|abbr=on}}, {{convert|1.66|m|ft|abbr=on}} tall, {{convert|1.46|m|ft|abbr=on}} across, and has a circumference of up to {{convert|4.9|m|ft|abbr=on}}.
====Mammals (])====
{{main|List of largest mammals}}


===Lichen===
The blue whale is the largest mammal. The largest land mammal is the elephant.
'']'' is among the largest lichens in the world. The ] of ''U. mammulata'' is usually {{convert|4|to|15|cm|in|abbr=on}} in diameter, but specimens have been known to reach {{convert|63|cm|ft|adj=on}} in the ] of ].<ref name=Brodo>{{cite book | last = Brodo | first = Irwin | title = Lichens of North America | publisher = Yale University Press | location = New Haven | year = 2001 | isbn = 978-0-300-08249-4 }}</ref>


The longest lichen is '']'', which may grow to exceed {{convert|20|feet}} in length.<ref>{{cite web |title=''Usnea longissima'' |url=https://www.lichen.com/bigpix/Ulongissima.html |website=lichen.com |publisher=Lichens of North America |access-date=10 July 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120503045319/https://www.lichen.com/bigpix/Ulongissima.html |archive-date=3 May 2012}}</ref>
====Stem-mammals (])====
]'', the largest of the non-mammal synapsids.]]
The ] era '']'', from what is now the southern United States, probably was the largest of all ]s (most of which went extinct 250 million years ago), at 6&nbsp;m (20&nbsp;ft) and 2 tonnes.<ref>. Fossils.valdosta.edu</ref> The largest carnivorous synapsid was '']'' from what is now South Africa during Middle ] era. ''Anteosaurus'' was 5–6 m (16–20&nbsp;ft) long, and weighed about 500–600&nbsp;kg (1,100–1,300&nbsp;lb).<ref>. Palaeos.org (2008-11-05)</ref>

*''']'''
:The largest ] was the pre-mentioned ''Cotylorhynchus'', and the largest predatory pelycosaurus was '']'' from what is now North America, with a length of 3.1 m (10 ft) and weight of 250 kg (550 lb).<ref>{{cite pmid|16780524}}</ref>
*''']'''
:'']'' was the largest ], with a weight of 700 to 1,000 kg (1,500 to 2,200 lb), and a length of about 5 m (16 ft).<ref>Palmer, D., ed (1999). ''The Marshall Illustrated Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs and Prehistoric Animals''. London: Marshall Editions. p. 189. ISBN 1-84028-152-9.</ref> The largest carnivorous therapsid was the aforementioned ''Anteosaurus''.

====Reptiles (])====
{{main|List of largest reptiles}}

] is the largest living reptile.]]
The largest living non-avian ], a representative of the order ], is the ] (''Crocodylus porosus'') of Southern Asia and Australia, with adult males being typically 3.9–5.5 m (13–18&nbsp;ft) long. The largest confirmed saltwater crocodile on record was 6.3&nbsp;m (20.7&nbsp;ft) long, and weighed over 1,360&nbsp;kg (3,000&nbsp;lbs).<ref name="ufl">, by Adam Britton from the Crocodilian Species List.</ref> Unconfirmed reports of much larger crocodiles exist, but examinations of incomplete remains have never suggested a length greater than 7&nbsp;m (23&nbsp;ft).<ref> Flmnh.ufl.edu</ref> Also, a living specimen estimated at 7&nbsp;m (23&nbsp;ft) and 2,000&nbsp;kg (4,400&nbsp;lb) has been accepted by the Guinness Book of World Records.<ref name= Salty>. News.boloji.com</ref> A specimen caught alive in the Philippines in 2011 (now enclosed at a zoo) was found to have measured 6.2&nbsp;m (20.3&nbsp;ft) in length.<ref name="pawb">. Pawb.gov.ph (2011-11-17). Retrieved on 2012-05-24.</ref><ref>. Crocodilian.blogspot.com (2011-11-12). Retrieved on 2012-05-24.</ref><ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/wildlife/8879042/Philippine-town-claims-worlds-largest-crocodile-title.html | location=London | work=The Daily Telegraph | title=Philippine town claims world's largest crocodile title | date=2011-11-09}}</ref><ref>. ABS-CNS News (2011-09-11)</ref>

;Table of heaviest living reptiles
The following is a list of the heaviest living reptile species, which is dominated by the crocodilians. Unlike the upper weights of mammals, birds or fish, mass in reptiles is frequently poorly documented and many are subject to conjecture and estimation.<ref name = "Wood"/>

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Rank
! Animal
! Average mass<br />
! Maximum mass<br />
! Average total length<br />
|-
| 1 || ] || 454 (1,000)<ref>. Animals.nationalgeographic.com</ref> || 2,000 (4,400)<ref name = Salty/> || 4.5 (14.8)<ref>. Animals.nationalgeographic.com</ref>
|-
| 2 || ] || 410 (900)<ref name=autogenerated2>. BBC Wildlife</ref><ref name="wildliferanching.com">. Wildliferanching.com</ref> || 1,360 (3,000){{citation needed|date=May 2013}} || 4.2 (13.8)<ref name=autogenerated2 /><ref name="wildliferanching.com"/>
|-
| 3 || ] || 380 (840)<ref name= Orinoco>. ARKive</ref> || 1,100 (2,400){{citation needed|date=May 2013}} || 4.1 (13.5)<ref name= Orinoco/><ref>. WAZA.org</ref>
|-
| 4 || ] || 364 (800)<ref>. euroturtle.org</ref><ref>. Vanaqua.org</ref> || 932 (2,050)<ref name = "Wood"/> || 2.0 (6.6)<ref name = "Wood"/>
|-
| 5 || ] || 350 (770)<ref name=autogenerated5>. kwata.net (2003).</ref> || 1,310 (2,900)<ref>. Sharonspetcare.com</ref> || 3.9 (12.8)<ref>. Crocodilian.com</ref><ref>. ARKive</ref><ref>. Seaworld.org</ref><ref>. IUCN.</ref>
|-
| 6 || ] || 335 (739)<ref>. ADW</ref> || 1,000 (2,200)<ref>. Seaworld.org</ref> || 4.0 (13.1)<ref>. Animals.nationalgeographic.com</ref><ref>. IFAS</ref>
|-
| 7 || ] || 250 (550)<ref name= Ghar>. WWF India</ref> || 977 (2,150)<ref>. Animals.nationalgeographic.com</ref> || 4.5 (14.8)<ref name= Ghar/>
|-
| 8 || ] || 240 (530)<ref name="sciencedaily.com">. Science Daily</ref> || 1,000 (2,200)<ref name = "Wood"/> || 3.4 (11.2)<ref name="nationalzoo.si.edu">. Smithsonian National Zoo</ref>
|-
| 9 || ] || 225 (495)<ref name="sciencedaily.com"/> || 600 (1,320){{citation needed|date=May 2013}} || 3.3 (10.8)<ref name="nationalzoo.si.edu"/>
|-
| 10 || ] || 210 (460)<ref>. Zoo Negara Malaysia</ref> || 500 (1,100){{citation needed|date=May 2013}} || 4.0 (13.1)<ref>. Tomistoma Task Force</ref>
|-
| 11 || ] || 205 (450)<ref>. Animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu</ref> || 360 (790)<ref name = "Wood"/> || 1.4 (4.6)<ref>{{cite pmid|5160860}}</ref>
|-
| 12 || ] || 180 (400)<ref name="marylandzoo.org">. Marylandzoo.org</ref><ref>. Sandiegozoo.org</ref> || 325 (720)<ref name="marylandzoo.org"/> || 3.3 (10.8)<ref name="marylandzoo.org"/>
|-
| 13 || ] || 175 (390)<ref>. Animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu</ref> || 400 (880)<ref name= Ebersbach>Ebersbach, V.K. (2001). ''Zur Biologie und Haltung der Aldabra-Riesenschildkröte (Geochelone gigantea) und der Galapagos-Riesenschildkröte (Geochelone elephantopus) in menschlicher Obhut unter besonderer Berücksichtigung der Fortpflanzun (PhD thesis)''. Hannover: Tierärztliche Hochschule. .</ref> || 1.5 (4.9)<ref>. Sandiegozoo.org</ref>
|}

====Dinosaurs (])====
{{Main|Dinosaur size}}
:''See also:'' '']''
]
:Now extinct, except for birds, which are descendants of theropods.
*'''Sauropods''' (])
**The largest dinosaurs, and the largest animals to ever live on land, were the plant-eating, long-necked ]. The tallest and heaviest sauropod known from a complete skeleton is an specimen of an immature '']'' discovered in ] between 1907 and 1912, now mounted in the ] of Berlin. It is 12&nbsp;m (40&nbsp;ft) tall and weighed 23–37 tonnes. The longest is a 25&nbsp;m (82&nbsp;ft) long specimen of '']'' discovered in ], and mounted in ]'s ] in 1907.
**There were larger sauropods, but they are known from only a few bones. The current record-holders had all been discovered before 1971, and include '']'', which may have weighed 73 tonnes; '']'' which might have reached 35&nbsp;m (112&nbsp;ft) in length and '']'' which might have been 18&nbsp;m (60&nbsp;ft) tall. Two other such sauropods include '']'' and '']''. Both are known only from fragments. ''Bruhathkayosaurus'' might have been between 40–44 m (130–145&nbsp;ft) in length and 175–220 tons in weight according to some estimates.<ref name="mortimer2001a">Mortimer, M. (2001), , discussion group, The Dinosaur Mailing List, 19 June 2001. Accessed 23 May 2008.</ref> ''A. fragillimus'' might have been approximately 58&nbsp;m long and 122.4&nbsp;metric tons in weight.

*'''Theropods''' (])
**The largest ] is arguably '']'' of the mid-Cretaceous, the largest ] ] known to exist (Although recent evidence suggests that spinosaurs spent a lot of time in the water filling a niche similar to modern day crocodiles and polar bears). Size estimates range from 12.6 to 18 m (41 to 59&nbsp;ft) long and 7 to 21 tonnes for the largest individual found. The lack of agreement lies in the lack of a complete skeleton, the unknown proportion of the head to the body and the unknown function of the massive sail.
**The largest theropod known from a complete skeleton is the '']'' specimen nicknamed "]", discovered in ] in 1990 and now mounted in the ] of Chicago. It was 12.3&nbsp;m (40&nbsp;ft) long, and weighted 6.8 to 9.1 tonnes depending of the methods used.<ref name= Theropod>{{cite doi|10.1671/0272-4634(2007)272.0.CO;2}}</ref>

*'''Armored Dinosaurs''' (])
:The largest ]ns were '']'' and '']'', from the Late Cretaceous and Late Jurassic periods (respectively) of what is now North America, both measuring up to 9 m (30 ft) in length and estimated to weigh up to 6 tonnes.<ref>. Chemistrydaily.com</ref><ref>. sciencekids.co.nz</ref>

*'''Ornithopods''' (])
:The largest ornithopods, were the ]ids '']'', a late Cretaceous dinosaur found in the Shandong Peninsula of China, and '']'' from the late Cretaceous of North America. Both species are known from fragmentary remains but are estimated to have reached over 15&nbsp;m (50&nbsp;ft) in length<ref name=XZetal07>{{cite doi|10.1007/s10114-005-0808-x}}</ref><ref name=WJM81>{{cite journal |last=Morris |first=William J. |year=1981 |title=A new species of hadrosaurian dinosaur from the Upper Cretaceous of Baja California: ?''Lambeosaurus laticaudus'' |jstor=1304231|journal=Journal of Paleontology |volume=55 |issue=2 |pages=453–462 }}</ref> and were likely the heaviest non-sauropod dinosaurs, estimated at over 23&nbsp;tonnes.<ref name=WJM81/>

*'''Ceratopsians''' (])
:The largest ]ns were '']'' and its ancestor '']'' from the late Cretaceous of North America. Both estimated to have reached about 9&nbsp;m (30&nbsp;ft) in length<ref name="Dodhorned">{{cite book|title=The Horned Dinosaurs|year=1996|author=Dodson, P.|publisher=Princeton University Press, Princeton, New Jersey|isbn=0-691-02882-6}}</ref> and weighed 12&nbsp;tonnes.<ref name="Alexander">{{Cite doi| 10.1111/j.1096-3642.1985.tb00871.x}}</ref><ref name="wuetal2007">{{Cite doi |10.1139/E07-011}}</ref>

====Birds (])====
{{main|List of largest birds}}
] is the largest living bird.]]
The largest living ], a member of the ], is the ] (''Struthio camelus''), from the plains of ] and ]. A large male ostrich can reach a height of 2.8&nbsp;m (9.2&nbsp;ft) and weigh over 156&nbsp;kg (345&nbsp;lb).<ref name="birding"> records</ref> A mass of 200&nbsp;kg (440&nbsp;lb) has been cited for the ostrich but no wild ostriches of this massive weight have been verified.<ref name=autogenerated3>. avianmedicine.net</ref> Eggs laid by the Ostrich can weigh 1.4&nbsp;kg (3&nbsp;lb) and are the largest eggs in the world today.

The largest bird in the fossil record may be the extinct ]s (''Aepyornis'') of Madagascar, which were related to the ]. They exceeded 3&nbsp;m (10&nbsp;ft) in height and 500&nbsp;kg (1,120&nbsp;lb).<ref name = "Wood"/> The last of the elephant birds became extinct about 300 years ago. Of almost exactly the same upper proportions as the largest elephant birds was '']'' of ], part of a 26,000-year-old group called ]s of the family ].<ref>Murray, Peter F.; Vickers-Rich, Patricia (2004). ''Magnificent Mihirungs: The Colossal Flightless Birds of the Australian Dreamtime''. Indiana University Press. ISBN 978-0-253-34282-9</ref> The largest carnivorous bird was '']'', an extinct flightless bird from ] which reached a weight of 350 to 400&nbsp;kg (770 to 880&nbsp;lb) and a height of about 2.8&nbsp;m (9&nbsp;ft&nbsp;2&nbsp;in).<ref>Alvarenga, H.; Chiappe, L.; Bertelle, S. (2011-05-03), ''Phorusrhacids: the Terror Birds'', in Dyke, G.; Kaiser, G., Living Dinosaurs: The Evolutionary History of Modern Birds, Wiley, pp. 187–208, ISBN 978-0-470-65666-2</ref> The tallest bird ever however was the ] (''Dinornis maximus''), part of the moa family of ] that went ] around 1500 ACE. This particular species of moa stood up to 3.7&nbsp;m (12&nbsp;ft) tall,<ref name=birding/> but weighed about half as much as a large elephant bird or ] due to its comparatively slender frame.<ref name = "Wood"/>

The largest bird ever capable of flight was '']'', the largest member of the now extinct ] ], found in Miocene-aged fossil beds of Argentina, with a wingspan up to 8.3&nbsp;m (28&nbsp;ft), a length of up to 3.5&nbsp;m (11&nbsp;ft), a height on the ground of up to 2&nbsp;m (6.6&nbsp;ft) and a body weight of at least 80&nbsp;kg (176&nbsp;lb).<ref name = "Wood"/><ref>{{cite doi|10.1073/pnas.0702040104 }}</ref>

;Table of heaviest living birds
The following is a list of the heaviest living bird species. These species are almost all flightless, which allows for these particular birds to have denser bones and heavier bodies. Flightless birds comprise less than 2% of all living bird species. One flying species, the corpulent ], ranks on the list.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Rank
! Animal
! Average mass<br />
! Maximum mass<br />
! Average total length<br />
|-
| 1 || ] || 104 (230)<ref name= Davies>Davies, Stephen, ''Ratites and Tinamous''. Oxford University Press (2002), ISBN 978-0-19-854996-3</ref> || 156.8 (346)<ref name= Davies/> || 210 (6.9)<ref name= Handbook1>del Hoyo, et al.,''Handbook of the Birds of the World. Volume 1: Ostrich to Ducks''. Lynx Edicons (1992), ISBN 978-84-87334-10-8</ref>
|-
| 2 || ] || 45 (99)<ref name= Davies/> || 85 (190)<ref>Christopher P. Kofron (1999). ''Attacks to humans and domestic animals by the southern cassowary (Casuarius casuarius johnsonii) in Queensland, Australia''. Journal of Zoology, 249, pp 375–381</ref> || 155 (5.1)<ref name= Davies/>
|-
| 3 || ] || 44 (97)<ref name= Davies/> || 75 (170)<ref name= Davies/> || 149 (4.9)<ref name= Handbook1/>
|-
| 4 || ] || 33 (73)<ref name= Davies/><ref name = "CRC">{{harvnb|Dunning|1992|pp= }}</ref> || 70 (150)<ref>. gov.ns.ca</ref> || 153 (5)<ref name= Davies/>
|-
| 5 || ] || 31.5 (69)<ref name= Handbook1/><ref name= Penguin>Marion, Remi, ''Penguins: A Worldwide Guide''. Sterling Publishing Co. (1999), ISBN 0-8069-4232-0</ref> || 46 (100)<ref name= Handbook1/> || 114 (3.7)<ref name= Handbook1/>
|-
| 6 || ] || 23 (51)<ref name="CRC"/> || 40 (88)<ref name= Handbook1/> || 134 (4.4)<ref name= Davies/>
|-
| 7 || ] || 19.7 (43)<ref name= Davies/> || 34 (75)<ref name= Davies/> || 105 (3.4)<ref name="ref141">. (2009-04-09)</ref>
|-
| 8 || ] || 19.6 (43)<ref name= Davies/> || 28.6 (63)<ref name= Davies/> || 96 (3.2)<ref name= Handbook1/>
|-
| 9 || ] || 13.6 (30)<ref name= Handbook1/><ref name = Penguin/> || 20 (44)<ref>. Authorstream.com (2009-03-31)</ref> || 92 (3)<ref name="theanimalfiles">. The Animal Files</ref>
|-
| 10 || ] || 11.5 (25)<ref name= Handbook1/> || 15 (33)<ref>. Robertotoole.com (2011-02-28)</ref> || 170 (5.6)<ref name= Handbook1/>
|}

] is the biggest of the living birds of prey]]

====Amphibians (])====
], the largest of the surviving ]s.]]
The largest living ] is the ] (''Andrias davidianus''). The maximum size of this nearly man-sized river-dweller is 64&nbsp;kg (140&nbsp;lb) and almost 1.83&nbsp;m (6.0&nbsp;ft).<ref name = "Wood"/> Before ]s became the dominant ]s, several giant amphibian proto-tetrapods existed and were certainly the dominant animals in their ecosystems. The largest known was the ]-like '']'', which reached a length of 9&nbsp;m (30&nbsp;ft).<ref>{{cite journal|author=Cox, C. B. and Hutchinson, P.|year= 1991|title=Fishes and amphibians from the Late Permian Pedrado Fogo Formation of northern Brazil|journal= Palaeontology|volume=34|pages= 561–573|url=http://palaeontology.palass-pubs.org/pdf/Vol%2034/Pages%20561-573.pdf}}</ref>

*'''Frogs''' (])
:The largest member of the largest order of ]s is the African ] (''Conraua goliath''). The maximum size this species is verified to attain is a weight of 3.8&nbsp;kg (8.4&nbsp;lb) and a snout-to-vent length of 39 cm (15 in).<ref name = "Wood"/> The largest of the ]s, the ] (''Bufo marinus''), is also the second largest member of the frog order. This infamous, often invasive species can grow to maximum mass of 2.65 kg (5.8 lb) and measure a maximum of 33 cm (13 in) from snout-to-vent.<ref name = "Wood"/> Rivaling the previous two species, the ] (''Pyxicephalus adspersus'') can range up to a weight of 2 kg (4.4 lb) and 25.5 cm (10.0 in) from snout to vent.<ref>. Honoluluzoo.org</ref> However, the toad '']'', found in fossil from the ] era in what is now Madagascar, could grow to be 41&nbsp;cm (16&nbsp;in) long and weigh up to 4.5&nbsp;kg (10&nbsp;lb), making it the largest frog ever known.<ref>. News.nationalgeographic.com (2010-10-28)</ref> The largest ] is the Australasian ] (''Litoria infrafrenata''), the females of which can reach a length of 14 cm (5.5 in) from snout to vent and can weigh up to 115 g (4.1 oz).<ref>. The Animal Files</ref> The family Leptodactylidae, one of the most diverse anuran families, also has some very large members. The largest is the ] (''Ceratophrys cornuta''), which can reach 20 cm (7.9 in) in length from snout to vent and weigh up to 0.48 kg (1.1 lb).<ref>. Bullafina.com (2008-06-11)</ref> While not quite as large as ''Ceratophrys cornuta'', '']'' is often heavier; it can reach 18.5 cm (7.3 in) long and weigh 0.60 kilograms (1.3 lb). The largest ] is the Colombian ] (''Phyllobates terribilis''), which can attain a length of 6 cm (2.4 in) and nearly 28.3 g (1.00 oz).<ref>. Animals.nationalgeographic.com</ref> Most frogs are classified under the suborder ], although nearly 200 species are part of the ] suborder, or ancient frogs. The largest of these are the little-known '']'' or Karin Hill frogs, of South Asia, which can grow to a maximum snout-to-vent length of 17 cm (6.7 in) and a maximum weight of 0.54 kg (1.2 lb).<ref>Zweifel, Richard G. (1998). Cogger, H.G. & Zweifel, R.G.. ed. ''Encyclopedia of Reptiles and Amphibians''. San Diego: Academic Press. ISBN 0-12-178560-2.</ref>
] ranks as the largest toad in the world]]
*'''Caecilians''' (])
:The largest of the worm-like ] is the Colombian Thomson's Caecilian ('']''), which reaches a length of 1.5&nbsp;m (5&nbsp;ft), a width of about 4.6 cm (1.8 in) and can weigh up to about 1&nbsp;kg (2.2&nbsp;lb).<ref name = "Wood"/>
*'''Salamanders''' (])
:Besides the previously mentioned Chinese giant salamander, the closely related ] (''Andrias japonicus'') is also sometimes cited as the largest living amphibian, but salamanders of a greater size than 1.53 m (5.0 ft) and 36 kg (79 lb) have never been verified for this species. Another giant of the amphibian world is the North American ] (''Cryptobranchus alleganiensis''), which can measure up to 0.76 m (2.5 ft). The largest of the newts is the ] (''Pleurodeles waltl''), which can grow up to 30 cm (12 in) in length.<ref>. Buzzle.com</ref>

====Fish====
{{main|List of largest fish}}

===Invertebrates===

====Sponges (])====
]'' is indeed an animal]]
Arguably the most primitive form of animals in existence, the largest species of ] is the giant barrel sponge, '']''. These massively built sponges can reach 8&nbsp;feet (2.4&nbsp;m) in height and can be of about the same number of feet across at the thickest part of the "body".<ref>. Care2.com (2009-03-04)</ref> Some of these creatures have been estimated to be over 2,400 years of age.<ref>. Encyclopedia of Life</ref>
*'''Calcareous sponges''' (])
:The largest of these small, inconspicuous sponges is probably the species '']'', attaining a height of 30&nbsp;cm (1&nbsp;ft). Most ]s do not exceed 10&nbsp;cm (4&nbsp;in) tall.<ref>. Jiffynotes.com (2003-07-02)</ref>
*'''Hexactinellid sponges''' (])
:A relatively common species, '']'', can reach a height of 1&nbsp;m (3.3&nbsp;ft) once they are of a very old age.<ref>{{cite doi|10.3354/ame045181}}</ref> This is the maximum size recorded for a hexactinellid sponge.

====Cnidarians (])====
], one of the longest living animals]]
The ] (''Cyanea capillata'') is the largest ] species, of the class ]. The largest known specimen of this giant, found washed up on the shore of ] in 1870,<ref>. waterford-today.ie</ref><ref>{{dead link|date=October 2011}}</ref><ref>. redOrbit (2003-06-12)</ref> had a bell diameter of 2.5&nbsp;m (8&nbsp;ft), a weight of 150&nbsp;kg (330&nbsp;lb). The ]s of this specimens were as long as 37&nbsp;m (121&nbsp;ft) and were projected to have a tentacular spread of about 75&nbsp;m (246&nbsp;ft) making it one of the longest extant animals.<ref name = "Wood"/>

*'''Corals and sea-anemones''' (])
:The largest individual species are the ]s of the genus '']'', which can attain a mouth disc diameter of 60&nbsp;cm (2&nbsp;ft).<ref>. Northrup.org</ref> Longer, but much less massive overall, are the anemones of the genus '']'', at up to 2&nbsp;m (6.6&nbsp;ft) tall.<ref>. Seawater.no</ref> Communities of ] can be truly massive, a single colony of the '']'' genus can be over 10&nbsp;m (33&nbsp;ft), but the actual individual organisms are quite small.
*'''Box jellyfish''' (])
:The largest of the ] is the species '']'' of the Australasian and South Pacific oceans, which can attain a mass of 6&nbsp;kg (13&nbsp;lb), a 30&nbsp;cm (1&nbsp;ft) bell and a ] length up to 2&nbsp;m (6.6&nbsp;ft). This species is also the most common and dangerous box jelly.<ref>. Outback-australia-travel-secrets.com</ref>
*'''Hydrozoans''' (])
:The colonial ] '']'' can attain lengths of 40–50&nbsp;m :(130–160&nbsp;ft).<ref>. Lifesci.ucsb.edu</ref> The ]'s (''Physalia physalis'') tentacles can attain a length of up to 50 m (170 ft).<ref>. Animals.nationalgeographic.com</ref>

====Flatworms (])====
], the largest flatworm]]
The largest terrestrial species of this phylum of mostly ]s, called ]s in common language, is the ] (''Bipalium kewense''). This planarian can reach a length of 60&nbsp;cm (2&nbsp;ft) and is quite massive for a ].<ref>. Earthlife.net</ref>

*'''Monogenean flatworms''' (])
:The largest members of this group of very small parasites are among the genus of ], '']'', reaching a length of 2&nbsp;cm (0.8&nbsp;in).<ref>{{cite journal|url=http://www.actaparasitologica.pan.pl/archive/PDF/Kearn.pdf|title=Neoentobdella gen. nov. for species of Entobdella Blainville in Lamarck, 1818 (Monogenea, Capsalidae, Entobdellinae) from stingray hosts, with descriptions of two new species|journal=Acta Parasitologica|year= 2005|volume=50|issue=1|pages=32–48}}</ref>
*'''Flukes''' (])
:The largest species of ] is '']'', which most often attacks ]s and ]. One of these flukes can be up to 7.5&nbsp;cm (3&nbsp;in) long and 2 cm (0.79 in) thick.<ref>. Dpd.cdc.gov</ref>
*'''Tapeworms''' (])
:The largest species of ] is the whale tapeworm, '']'', which can grow to over 30 m (98 ft).<ref name="time-1957">. ] (1957-04-08)</ref><ref name="hargis">Hargis, William J. . ] (1985)</ref>

====Roundworms (])====
The largest ], '']'',<ref>Gubanov N.M. Giant nematode from the placenta of ]; Placentonema gigantissima nov. gen., nov. sp. Dokl Akad Nauk SSSR. (1951) 21;77(6):1123-5. .</ref> is a ] found in the ]s of ]s which can reach up to 9&nbsp;m (30&nbsp;ft) in length.<ref>. Nhc.ed.ac.uk</ref>

====Segmented worms (])====
The largest of the ]s (commonly called earthworms) is the ] (''Microchaetus rappi''). Although it averages about 1.36&nbsp;m (4.5&nbsp;ft) in length, this huge worm can reach a length of as much as 6.7&nbsp;m (22&nbsp;ft) and can weigh over 1.5&nbsp;kg (3.3&nbsp;lb).<ref>. Worm Digest (2005-10-02).</ref> Only the ], '']'', and a few giant ]s reach nearly comparable sizes, reaching 4&nbsp;m (13&nbsp;ft) and 3.6&nbsp;m (11.9&nbsp;ft), respectively.<ref name = "Wood"/>

====Echinoderms (])====
The largest species of ] in terms of bulk is the ] species '']'', of the class ], which reaches a weight of over 6&nbsp;kg (13&nbsp;lb). However, at a maximum span of 63&nbsp;cm (25&nbsp;in), it is quite a bit shorter than some other echinoderms.<ref name = "Wood"/> The longest-bodied echinoderm is the brisingid sea star '']'', reaching a span of 1.4&nbsp;m (4.5&nbsp;ft), despite being quite slender.<ref name = "Wood"/> '']'' is another giant echinoderm and can measure up to 1&nbsp;m (3&nbsp;ft) across and weigh 5.1&nbsp;kg (11&nbsp;lb).<ref name = "Wood"/>

*'''Crinoids''' (])
:The largest species of ] is the unstalked feather-star ('']''), reaching a total width of 78&nbsp;cm (31&nbsp;in) and an individual arm length of 35&nbsp;cm (14 &nbsp;in). A width of 91.4 cm (36.0 in) was claimed for one unstalked feather-star but is not confirmed.<ref name = "Wood"/> The genus '']'' has a stalk span of 61 cm (24 in) but, due to its bulk and multiple arms, it is heavier than '']''.<ref name = "Wood"/> In the past, ] grew much larger, and stalk lengths up to 40&nbsp;m (130&nbsp;ft) have been found in the fossil record.<ref>Ponsonby, David and Dussart, George ''The Anatomy of the Sea'', Raincoast Books (2005) ISBN 0-8118-4633-4 p. 129</ref>
*'''Sea urchins and allies''' (Echinoidea)
:The largest ] is the species '']'', which can reach a ] width of 33&nbsp;cm (13&nbsp;in).
*'''Sea cucumbers''' (Holothuroidea)
:The bulkiest species of ] is '']'', weighing several pounds, being about 21&nbsp;cm (8.3&nbsp;in) in diameter, and reaching a length of 1&nbsp;m (3.3&nbsp;ft) when fully extended. Species of sea cucumber in the genus '']'' can reach an extended length of 2&nbsp;m (6.6&nbsp;ft), but are extremely slender and weigh much less than ''Stichopus''.<ref name = "Wood"/>
*'''Brittle stars''' (])
:The largest known specimen of ] is ''] agassizii''. This species can grow to have a span of 1 m (3 ft).<ref name = "Wood"/> Sometimes, ''Gorgonocephalus stimpsoni'' is considered the largest but the maximum this species is can measure 70&nbsp;cm (28&nbsp;in) and a disk diameter of about 14.3&nbsp;cm (5.63&nbsp;in).

====Ribbon worms (])====
The largest ] and possibly the longest animal is the ], ''Lineus longissimus''. A specimen found washed ashore on a beach in ], ] in 1864 was recorded at a length of 55&nbsp;m (180&nbsp;ft).<ref>] 1995. ''The Guinness Book of Animal Records''. Guinness Publishing. p. 232.</ref>

====Mollusks (])====
].]]
Both the largest mollusks and the largest of all ]s are the largest squids. The ] (''Mesonychoteuthis hamiltoni'') is projected to be the largest invertebrate.<ref>. News.nationalgeographic.com (2010-10-28)</ref> Current estimates put its maximum size at 12 to 14 m (39–46&nbsp;ft) long, based on analysis of smaller specimens. On February 22, 2007, authorities in New Zealand announced the capture of the largest known colossal squid specimen. It was later measured at 10&nbsp;m (33&nbsp;ft) long and 495&nbsp;kg (1,091&nbsp;lb) in weight.<ref name="NZ_Herald_10430435">Kathy Marks. . ] (2007-03-23)</ref> The mantle alone can be 5&nbsp;m (16&nbsp;ft) long based on a transverse slice of the pen of one specimen.<ref name = "Wood"/>

The ] (''Architeuthis dux'') was previously thought to be the largest squid, and while it is less massive and has a smaller mantle than the colossal squid, it may exceed the colossal squid in overall length including tentacles. One giant squid specimen that washed ashore in 1878 in ] reportedly measured 18&nbsp;m (60&nbsp;ft) in total length (from the tip of the mantle to the end of the long tentacles), 4.6&nbsp;m (15&nbsp;ft) in diameter at the thickest part of mantle, and weighed about 900&nbsp;kg (2,000&nbsp;lb). This specimen is still often cited as the largest invertebrate that has ever been examined.<ref name = "Wood"/><ref>. Marinebio.org</ref><ref>. Animals.nationalgeographic.com (2006-12-04)</ref> However, no animals approaching this size have been scientifically documented and, according to giant squid expert ], such lengths were likely achieved by greatly stretching the two tentacles like elastic bands.<ref name=OShea>O'Shea, S. 2003. The Octopus News Magazine Online.</ref>

*'''Aplacophorans''' (Aplacophora)
:The largest of these worm-like, shell-less ]s are represented in the genus '']'', which can reach 30&nbsp;cm (12&nbsp;in) long. Most aplacophorans are less than 5&nbsp;cm (2&nbsp;in) long.<ref>{{cite doi|10.1093/mollus/63.2.131}}</ref>
*'''Chitons''' (Polyplacophora)
:The largest of the ]s is the ], ''Cryptochiton stelleri'', which can reach a length of 33&nbsp;cm (13&nbsp;in) and weigh over 2 kg (4.4 lb).<ref>. alaska.gov</ref>
], the largest bivalve]]
*'''Bivalves''' (Bivalvia)
:The largest of the ] ]s is the ], ''Tridacna gigas''. Although even larger sizes have been reported for this passive animal, the top verified size was for a specimen from the ]. This creature weighed 270 kg (600 lb), had an axial length of 1.14 m (3.7 ft) and depth of 0.75 m (2.5 ft).<ref name = "Wood"/> The largest bivalve ever was '']'', a ] giant that reached an axial length of up to 3&nbsp;m (nearly 10&nbsp;ft).<ref>{{cite doi|10.1666/0022-3360(2007)812.0.CO;2}}</ref>
*'''Gastropods''' (])
:The "largest" of this most diverse and successful ] class of ]s and ]s can be defined in various ways.
:The living gastropod species that has the largest (longest) shell is '']'' with a maximum shell length of 0.91 m (3.0 ft), a weight of 18 kg (40 lb) and a width of 96&nbsp;cm (38&nbsp;in).<ref>John D. Taylor and Emily A. Glover. , in F. E. Wells, D. I. Walker and D. S. Jones (eds.) 2003. The Marine Flora and Fauna of Dampier, Western Australia. Western Australian Museum, Perth.</ref><ref>. largestfastestsmartest.co.uk</ref> Another giant species is '']'', which in a 1974 specimen from West Australia, measured 0.71 m (2.3 ft) long, had a maximum girth of 0.97 m (3.2 ft) and weighed 16 kg (35 lb).<ref name = "Wood"/>
:The largest shell-less gastropod is the giant black ] ('']'') at 0.99 m (3.2 ft) in length and almost 14 kg (31 lb) in weight.
:The largest of the land snails is the ] (''Achatina achatina'') at up to 1&nbsp;kg (2.2&nbsp;lb) and 35&nbsp;cm (14&nbsp;in) long.
*'''Cephalopods''' (])
:(See ].) While generally much smaller than the giant '']'' and '']'', the largest of the octopuses, the ] (''Enteroctopus dofleini''), can grow to be very large. The largest confirmed weight of a giant octopus is 74 kg (160 lb),<ref>Cosgrove, J.A. 1987. Aspects of the Natural History of ''Octopus dofleini'', the Giant Pacific Octopus. M.Sc. Thesis. Department of Biology, University of Victoria (Canada).</ref> with a 7 m (23 ft) arm span (with the tentacles fully extended) and a head-to-tentacle-tip length of 3.9 m (13 ft).<ref>. octopus.com</ref> Specimens have been reported up to 125 kg (280 lb) but are unverified.<ref name = "Wood"/>

====Arthropods (])====
].]]
The largest arthropod known to have existed is the ] (sea scorpion) '']'', reaching up to 2.5&nbsp;m (8.2&nbsp;ft) in body length, followed by the millipede relative '']'' at around 2.1&nbsp;m (7&nbsp;ft) in length.<ref>{{cite doi|10.1098/rsbl.2007.0491}}</ref> Among living arthropods, the ] (''Macrocheira kaempferi'') is the largest in overall size, the record specimen, caught in 1921, had an extended arm span of 3.8&nbsp;m (12.5&nbsp;ft) and weighed about 19&nbsp;kg (41&nbsp;lb).<ref name = "Wood"/> The heaviest is the ] (''Homarus americanus''), the largest verified specimen, caught in 1977 off of ] weighed 20&nbsp;kg (44&nbsp;lbs) and its body length was 1.1&nbsp;m (3.5&nbsp;ft).<ref name = "Wood"/> The largest land arthropod and the largest land invertebrate is the ] (''Birgus latro''), up to 40&nbsp;cm (1.3&nbsp;ft) long and weighing up to 4&nbsp;kg (8.8&nbsp;lb) on average. Its legs may span 1&nbsp;m (3&nbsp;ft).<ref name = "Wood"/>
*'''Arachnids''' (])
]]]
:The largest species of arachnid by length is probably the ] (''Heteropoda maxima'') of Laos, which in 2008 replaced the ] (''Theraphosa blondi'') of Northern South America as the largest spider by leg-span.<ref>. ]</ref> However the most massive arachnids, of comparable dimensions and possibly even greater mass, are the ], '']'', and the ], '']''. The huntsman spider may span up to 29 cm (11 in) across the legs, while in the ] "]s" like ''Theraphosa'' it can range up to 26 cm (10 in).<ref name = "Wood"/> In ''Grammostola'', ''Theraphosa'' and ''Lasiodora'', the weight is projected to be up to at least 150 g (5.3 oz) and body length is up to 10 cm (3.9 in).<ref>. Library.thinkquest.org</ref> The largest of the ]s is the species '']'' of the Indian subcontinent, which have a maximum length of 29.2 cm (11.5 in) and weigh around 60 g (2.1 oz). Another extremely large scorpion is the African ] (''Pandinus imperator''), which can weigh 57 g (2 oz) but is not known to exceed a length of 23 cm (9.1 in).<ref name = "Wood"/> However, they were dwarfed by '']'', a giant extinct species of scorpion from Scotland, at an estimated length of 0.7 m (2.3 ft) and weight of 15 kg (33 lb), and the aquatic '']'', at up to 1 m (3.3 ft) and a similar weight.<ref>. SDNHM</ref><ref>{{cite journal|jstor=1302906|title=Brontoscorpio anglicus: A Gigantic Lower Paleozoic Scorpion from Central England| author= Erik N. Kjellesvig-Waering|journal=Journal of Paleontology|year= 1972|volume=46|pages=39–42}}</ref><ref>. Animalesprehistoricos.com (August 2009)</ref>
*'''Branchiopods''' (])
:The largest of these primarily freshwater ]s is probably '']'', which can reach a length 10&nbsp;cm (3.9&nbsp;in).<ref>. Britannica Online Encyclopaedia</ref>
*'''Centipedes''' (Chilopoda)
]'']]
:The biggest of the ]s is '']'' of the neotropics, reaching a length of 33&nbsp;cm (13&nbsp;in).<ref>. Arachnoboards.com (2003-08-13)</ref>
*'''Millipedes''' (])
:Two species of ] both reach a very large size '']'' of East Africa and ''Scaphistostreptus seychellarum'', endemic to the Seychelles islands. Both of these species can slightly exceed a length of 28&nbsp;cm (11&nbsp;in) and measure over 2 cm (0.79 in) in diameter.<ref name = "Wood"/>
*'''Barnacles and allies''' (])
:The largest species is a ] (''Pennella balaenopterae''), known exclusively as a ] from the backs of ]s (''Balaenoptera physalus''). The maximum size attained is 32&nbsp;cm (about 13&nbsp;in).<ref>. Animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu</ref> The largest of the ]s is the ], ''Balanus nubilis'', reaching 7&nbsp;cm (2.8&nbsp;in) in diameter and 12.7&nbsp;cm (5&nbsp;in) high.<ref>. Oregon Coast Aquarium</ref>
*'''Horseshoe crabs''' (])
:The four modern ]s are of roughly the same sizes, with females measuring up to 60&nbsp;cm (2&nbsp;ft) in length and 5 kg (11 lb) in weight.<ref>. Marinebio.org</ref> Easily the best known species is '']'' of North America.
*'''Ostracods''' (])
:The largest living representative of these small and little-known but numerous ]s is the species ''Gigantocypris australis''<ref>. Species.wikimedia.org</ref> females of which reaching a maximum length of 3&nbsp;cm (1.3&nbsp;in).
*'''Amphipods, isopods, and allies''' (])
]]]
:The largest species is the ] (''Bathynomus pergiganteus''), which can reach a length of 45&nbsp;cm (18&nbsp;]es) and a weight of 1.7&nbsp;kg (3.7&nbsp;]).<ref>Knight, J.D. . Seasky.org</ref>
*'''Sea spiders''' (])
:The largest of the ]s is the deep-sea species ''Colossendeis colossea'', attaining a leg span of nearly 60&nbsp;cm (2&nbsp;ft).<ref>. work=Encyclopedia.com (2004-10-22)</ref>
*'''Remipedes''' (])
:The largest of these cave-dwelling ]s is the species ''Godzillius robustus'', at up to 4.5&nbsp;cm (1.8&nbsp;in).<ref>. Crustacea.net (2002-10-02)</ref>
*'''Trilobites''' (])
:Some of these extinct marine arthropods exceeded 60&nbsp;cm (24&nbsp;inches) in length. A nearly complete specimen of ''] rex'' from ] attained a length over 70&nbsp;cm (27&nbsp;in), and an ''] forteyi'' from Portugal was almost as long. Fragments of trilobites suggest even larger record sizes. An isolated pygidium of ''Hungioides bohemicus'' implies that the full animal was 90&nbsp;cm (36&nbsp;in) long.<ref>{{cite doi|10.1130/G25513A.1}}</ref><ref>. Dsc.discovery.com (2009-05-07).</ref>

=====Insects (])=====
]]]
]s, a ] of ]a, are easily the most numerous class of organisms, with over one million identified species, and probably many undescribed species. The heaviest insect is almost certainly a species of ], which incidentally is the most species-rich order of organisms. Although heavyweight ]s (''Deinacrida heteracantha'') are known, the ]s of Central and South America, (''Megasoma elephas'') and (''M. actaeon''), the ] (''Titanus giganteus'') of the neotropical rainforests or the ]s, (''Goliathus goliatus'') and (''G. regius''), of Africa's rainforests are believed to reach a higher weight.<ref name="weta"> (2011). source: The University of Florida Book of Insect Records</ref> The most frequently crowned are the Goliath beetles the top known size of which is at least 100 g (3.5&nbsp;oz) and 11.5&nbsp;cm (4.5&nbsp;in).<ref name = "Wood"/> The elephant beetles and titan beetle can reach greater lengths than the Goliath, at up to 13.1&nbsp;cm (5.2&nbsp;in) and 15.2&nbsp;cm (6.0&nbsp;in), respectively, but this is in part thanks to their rather large horns. The Goliath beetle's wingspan can range up to 25&nbsp;cm (9.8&nbsp;in).<ref name = "Wood"/>

Some moths and butterflies have much larger areas than the heaviest beetles, but weigh a fraction as much.

The longest insects are the stick insects, see below.

Representatives of the extinct dragonfly-like ] ] such as the ] '']'' of what is now France and the ] '']'' of what is now North America are the largest ] species yet known to have existed. These creatures had a wingspan of some 75&nbsp;cm (30&nbsp;in) and a mass of over 1&nbsp;lb (450&nbsp;g), making them about the size of a ].<ref name = "Wood"/>

*'''Cockroaches and termites''' (])
]]]
:The largest ] is the Australian ] (''Macropanesthia rhinoceros''). This species can attain a length of 8.3&nbsp;cm (3.3&nbsp;in) and a weight of 36&nbsp;g (1.3&nbsp;oz).<ref>. Abc.net.au</ref> The giant cockroach ('']'') of the neotropics reaches comparable lengths although is not as massive as the burrowing species.<ref>. Bio.umass.edu (2005-05-03)</ref> The termites, traditionally classified in their own order (]), have recently been re-considered to belong in ]. The largest of the ]s is the African species '']''. The queen of this species can attain a length of 14 cm (5.5 in) and breadth of 5.5 cm (2.2 in) across the abdomen; other adults, on the other hand, are about a third of the size.<ref name = "Wood"/>
*'''Beetles''' (])
:The ]s are the largest order of organisms on earth, with about 400,000 species so far identified. The most massive species are the '']'', '']'' and '']'' beetles already mentioned. Another fairly large species is the ] (''Dynastes hercules'') of the neotropic rainforests with a maximum overall length of at least 19 cm (7.5 in) including the extremely long pronotal horn. The weight in this species does not exceed 16.5 g (0.6 oz).<ref name = "Wood"/> The longest overall beetle is ] (''Batocera wallacei'') of New Guinea, which can attain a length of 26.6 cm (10.5 in), about 19 cm (7.5 in) of which is comprised by the long antennae.<ref name = "Wood"/>
*'''Earwigs''' (])
:The largest of the ]s is the ] (''Labidura herculeana''), endemic to the island of its name, which is up to 8 cm (3.1 in) in length.<ref>. Earwig Research Centre. Earwigs-online.de</ref>
*'''True flies''' (])
]'', the largest fly]]
:The largest species of this order, which includes the common ], is the neotropical species '']'', which can reach a length of 6&nbsp;cm (2½&nbsp;in) and a wingspan of 10&nbsp;cm (4&nbsp;in).<ref name = "Wood"/> Species of ], the largest of which is ''] brobdignagius'', can attain a length of 23&nbsp;cm (9&nbsp;in) but are extremely slender and much lighter in weight than ''Gauromydas''.
*'''Mayflies''' (])
:The largest mayflies are members of the genus ''Proboscidoplocia'' from ]. These insects can reach a length of 7 cm (2.8 in).<ref>. The BioFresh blog (2011-05-24)</ref>
*'''True bugs''' (])
] walking over land]]
:The largest species of this diverse order is usually listed as the ] (''Lethocerus maximus'') of the West Indies and neotropics. This species can attain a length of 11.6&nbsp;cm (4.6&nbsp;in), although it is more slender and less heavy than most other insects of this size (principally the huge ]s). Challenging or surpassing this size, the ] ''] imperatoria'' which can reportedly grow to 15 cm (5.9 in) in length.<ref>. Bugman123.com</ref> The cicadas of the genus '']'' can also grow to comparably large sizes. The largest type of ] is the Giant oak aphid (''Stomaphis quercus''), which can reach an overall length of 2 cm (0.79 in).<ref>. The Telegraph (2007-08-08)</ref> The biggest species of ] is ''Ledromorpha planirostris'', which can reach a length of 2.8 cm (1.1 in).<ref>. Bugs.bio.usyd.edu.au</ref>
]'', the largest bee.]]
*'''Ants and allies''' (])
:The largest of the ]s, and the heaviest species of the order, are the females of the African ''] helvolus'', reaching a length of 5.1 cm (2.0 in) and a weight of 8.5 g (0.3 oz).<ref name = "Wood"/> The ant that averages the largest for the mean size of the whole colony is ] (''Dinoponera gigantea'') of South America, averaging up to 3.3 cm (1.3 in) from the mandibles to the end of abdomen.<ref name = "Wood"/> Workers of the ] (''Mymecia brevinoda'') of Australia are up to 3.7 cm (1.5 in) in total length, although much of this is from their extremely large mandibles.<ref name = "Wood"/> The largest of the ] species, also in the order ], is '']'' of Indonesia, the females of which can be 3.8 cm (1.5 in) long, with a 6.3 cm (2.5 in) wingspan. Nearly as large, the ]s can range up to 2.53 cm (1.00 in).<ref name = "Wood"/> The largest wasp is probably the so-called ] species ''Pepsis pulszkyi'' of South America, at up to 6.8 cm (2.7 in) long and 11.6 cm (4.6 in) wingspan, although many other '']'' approach a similar size.<ref name = "Wood"/>
*'''Moths and allies''' (])
].]]
:The largest species overall is probably either the ] (''Ornithoptera alexandrae''), a butterfly from Papua New Guinea, or the Atlas moth ('']''), a moth from Southeast Asia. Both of these species can reach a length of 8 cm (3.1 in), a wingspan of 28&nbsp;cm (11&nbsp;in) and a weight of 12 g (0.42 oz). One Atlas moth allegedly had a wingspan of 30 cm (12 in) but this measurement was not verified.<ref name = "Wood"/> The larvae in the previous species can weigh up to 58 g (2.0 oz) and 54 g (1.9 oz), respectively. However, the ] (''Thysania agrippina'') of Central and South America, has the longest recorded wingspan of the order, and indeed of any living insect. Although the White Witch is exceeded in surface area and mass by both '']'' and '']''. The verified record-sized ''Thysania'' spanned 30.8 cm (12.1 in) across the wings, although specimens have been reported to 36 cm (14 in).<ref name = "Wood"/> This challenged by the ] (''Coscinocera hercules'') of New Guinea and Northern Australia, which is confirmed to 28 cm (11 in) while unconfirmed specimens have spanned up to 35.5 cm (14.0 in). The heaviest mature moths have been cited in the giant carpenter moth (''Xyleutes boisduvali'') of Australia, which has weighed up to 20 g (0.71 oz) although the species doesn't surpass 25.5 cm (10.0 in) in wingspan.<ref name = "Wood"/>
*'''Praying mantises''' (])
:The largest species of this order is ''] denticulata'' from ], which has been measured up to 20 cm (7.9 in) in overall length.<ref>. Bugsincyberspace.com</ref> However, an undescribed species from the ] jungle is allegedly much larger than any other mantis and may rival the larger stick insects for the longest living insect.<ref>{{cite book|author=Craig Glenday|title=Guinness World Records 2009|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=aHYt0RNSDfgC&pg=PA53|year=2009|publisher=Random House Digital, Inc.|isbn=978-0-553-59256-6|page=53}}</ref> Among widespread mantis species, the largest is the ] (''Tenodera aridifolia''). The females of this species can attain a length of up to 10.6 cm (4.2 in).

*'''Alderflies and allies''' (])
:This relatively small insect order includes some rather large species, many of which are noticeable for their elongated, imposing mandibles. The ] reach the greatest sizes of the order and can range up to 12.5 cm (4.9 in) in length.<ref>. Real Monstrosities (2011-01-26)</ref>
*'''Net-winged insects''' (])
]]]
:These flying insects reach their largest size in ''Palparellus voeltzkowi'', which can have a wingspan over 16 cm (6.3 in).<ref>. Researcharchive.calacademy.org</ref> The largest ] is the ] (''Nymphes myrmeleonides'') of Australia, which can measure up to 4 cm (1.6 in) in length and span 11 cm (4.3 in) across the wings.<ref>, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta</ref> Some forms of this ancient order could grow extremely large during the ] and may have ranked among the largest insects ever.<ref>{{cite journal|author=Michael S. Engel|year=2005|title=A remarkable kalligrammatid lacewing from the Upper Jurassic of Kazakhstan (Neuroptera: Kalligrammatidae)|journal= Transactions of the Kansas Academy of Science |volume=108 |issue=1|pages= 59–62|jstor=3628206}}</ref>

*'''Dragonflies''' (])
:The largest living species of ] is '']'' of the ]s, attaining a size of as much as 19&nbsp;cm (7.5&nbsp;in) across the wings and a body length of over 12&nbsp;cm (4.7&nbsp;in).<ref name = "Wood"/> Spanning up to 17.6 cm (6.9 in) and measuring up to 11.8 cm (4.6 in) long, ''] plagiata'' of Southeast Asia is bulkier and heavier than ''Megaloprepus'' at up to 7 g (0.25 oz).<ref name = "Wood"/> The largest species of dragonfly ever is the extinct aforementioned '']'', although it is not certain to be included in the modern dragonfly order.
*'''Grasshoppers and allies''' (])
]]]
:The largest of this widespread, varied complex of insects are the ]s of New Zealand, which is now split among 12 species. The largest of these is the Little Barrier Island giant weta ('']''), the largest specimen was weighed at 71.3 g (2.52 oz), one of the largest insects weights ever known. These heavyweight insects can be over 9 cm (3.5 in) long.<ref name = "Wood"/> The largest grasshopper species is often considered to be the Australian Giant Grasshopper (''Valanga irregularis''), which ranges up to 9 cm (3.5 in) in length.<ref>. Brisbaneinsects.com</ref> The American ] (''Romalea guttata'') can allegedly range up to 10 cm (3.9 in) in length.<ref>. Wildflorida.com</ref> However, the greatest grasshopper sizes known, to 12 cm (4.7 in), have been cited in the South American Giant Grasshopper ('']'').<ref>. Bobbybok.mysites.nl</ref> The longest members of this order (although much less heavier than the giant wetas) is the ] ''Macrolyristes corporalis'' of Southeast Asia which can range up to 21.5 cm (8.5 in) with its long legs extended and can have a wingspan of 20 cm (7.9 in).<ref>. Animals.jrank.org</ref><ref>. Hmns.org</ref>
*'''Stick insects''' (])
:The longest known ], and indeed the longest insect ever known, is '']'' of the Bornean rainforests, with one specimen held in the ] in London measuring 56.7 cm (22.3 in) in total length.<ref>. Natural History Museum (2008-10-16)</ref> This measurement is, however, with the front legs fully extended. The body alone still measures 35.7 cm (14.1 in).<ref>{{cite journal |authors= Hennemann, F.H. & Conle, O.V.|title= Revision of Oriental Phasmatodea: The tribe Pharnaciini Günther, 1953, including the description of the world's longest insect, and a survey of the family Phasmatidae Gray, 1835 with keys to the subfamilies and tribes (Phasmatodea: "Anareolatae": Phasmatidae)|journal= Zootaxa|volume= 1906|pages= 1–316|publisher= Magnolia Press|place= Auckland, New Zealand|url= http://www.mapress.com/zootaxa/2008/f/z01906p316f.pdf|format=PDF|year=2008}}</ref> The species with the second longest body is '']'', also of Borneo, which measures up to 32.8 cm (12.9 in),<ref name=Brock>Brock, P.D. 1999. ''The amazing world of stick and leaf-insects''. Cravitz Printing Co., Essex, England.</ref> while the overall length (from the hind to the front legs) is up to 54.6 cm (21.5 in).<ref name=Brock /> The second longest insect in terms of total length is '']'' of Malaysia and Singapore, measuring up to 55.5 cm (21.9 in).<ref>{{Cite journal|last1 = Seow-Choen|first1 = F.|year = 1995|title = The longest insect in the world|journal = Malayan Nat.|volume = 48|page = 12}}</ref> Another extremely long stick insect is ''Pharnacia maxima'', which measured 51 cm (20 in) with its legs extended.<ref name = "Wood"/> The ] (''Heteropteryx dilatata'') of Malaysia does not reach the extreme lengths of its cousins, the body reaching up to 16 cm (6.3 in) long, but it is much bulkier. The largest ''Heteropteryx'' weighed about 65 g (2.3 oz) and was 3.5 cm (1.4 in) wide across the thickest part of the body.<ref name = "Wood"/>
*'''Lice''' (])
:These insects, which live parasitically on other animals, are as a rule quite small. The largest known species is the hog louse, '']'', a ] that lives on large livestock like ]s and ]. It can range up to 6 mm (0.24 in) in length.<ref>. Animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu</ref>
*'''Stoneflies''' (])
]'']]
:The largest species of ] is '']'' of western North America, a species favored by fishermen as lures. This species can attain a length of 5 cm (2 inch) and a wingspan of over 9.5 cm (3.7 in).<ref>. Riverwood Blog – Fly Fishing Gear & Guided Fishing Trips in Oregon (2009-04-20)</ref>
*'''Booklice''' (])
:The largest of this order of very small insects are the barklouse of the genus ''Psocus'', the top size of which is about 1 cm.<ref>. Brc.ac.uk</ref>
*'''Fleas''' (])
:The largest species of ] is ''Hystrichopsylla schefferi''. This parasite is known exclusively from the fur of the ] (''Aplodontia rufa'') and can reach a length of 1.2&nbsp;cm (0.5&nbsp;in).<ref name = "Wood"/>
*'''Silverfishes and allies''' (])
:These strange-looking insects, known to feed on human household objects, can range up to 4.3 cm (1.7 in) in length. A 350 million year old form was known to grow quite large, at up to 6 cm (2.4 in).<ref>. Animals.jrank.org</ref>
*'''Thrips''' (])
:Members of the genus ''Phasmothrips'' are the largest kinds of ]s. The maximum size these species attain is approximately 1.3&nbsp;cm (0.5&nbsp;in) in length.<ref>. Paulsquiz.com</ref>
*'''Caddisflies''' (])
:The largest of the small, moth-like caddisflies is ''Eubasilissa maclachlani''. This species can range up to 7 cm (2.8 in) across the wings.<ref>.</ref>

==Fungi==
]'']]
The largest living fungus may be a ]<ref name=amarilla>. Botit.botany.wisc.edu.</ref> of the ] '']''.<ref name=BBCfungus>. BBC News (2000-08-07).</ref>
A mushroom of this type in the ] in the ] of eastern ], U.S. was found to be the largest fungal colony in the world, spanning 8.9&nbsp;km² (2,200 acres) of area.<ref name=UW> at the University of Wisconsin, Department of Botany.</ref><ref name=ABCfungus>Beale, Bob. 10 April 2003. at Environment & Nature News, ABC Online.</ref> This organism is estimated to be 2400 years old. The fungus was written about in the April 2003 issue of the '']''. While an accurate estimate has not been made, the total ] of the colony may be as much as 605 ]s{{Vague|which tons?|date=January 2010}}. If this colony is considered a single organism, then it is the largest known organism in the world by area, and rivals the aspen grove "]" as the known organism with the highest living ]. It is not known, however, whether it is a single organism with all parts of the ] connected.<ref name=ABCfungus/>

In '']'' each individual mushroom (the fruiting body, similar to a flower on a plant) has only a 5&nbsp;cm (2&nbsp;inch) stipe, and a pileus up to 12.5&nbsp;cm (5&nbsp;in) across. There are many other fungi which produce a larger individual size mushroom. The largest known fruiting body of a fungus is a specimen of '']'' (formerly ''Fomitiporia ellipsoidea'') found on ].<ref name=BBCFungalFruitingBody>Walker, Matt. (2011-08-01) . Bbc.co.uk</ref> The fruiting body masses up to 500 kg (1100 lb).<ref name=ScienceFruitingBody>{{cite doi|10.1016/j.funbio.2011.06.008}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|last1= Cui|first1= Bao-Kai|last2= Decock|first2= Cony|year= 2013|title= ''Phellinus castanopsidis'' sp. nov. (Hymenochaetaceae) from southern China, with preliminary phylogeny based on rDNA sequences|journal=Mycological Progress|volume=12|issue=2|pages= 341–351|doi= 10.1007/s11557-012-0839-5}}</ref>

Until ''P. ellipsoideus'' replaced it, the largest individual fruit body came from '']''. ''R. ulmarius'' can grow up to 284&nbsp;kg (630&nbsp;lb), 1.66&nbsp;m (5.4&nbsp;ft) tall, 1.46&nbsp;m (4.8&nbsp;ft) across, and has a circumference of up to 4.9&nbsp;m (16&nbsp;ft).


==Protists== ==Protists==
]'', the largest species of giant kelp]] ]'', the largest species of giant kelp|283x283px]]
(Note: the group '']'' is not used in current taxonomy.) (Note: the group ] is not used in current taxonomy.)


===Amoebozoans (])=== ===Amoebozoans (])===
:Among the organisms that are not ], the largest are the ]s, such as '']'', some of which can cover an area of more than 1,000&nbsp;cm² (1 sq ft).<ref>. Waynesword.palomar.edu</ref> These organisms are ], but they are ]. :Among the organisms that are not ], the largest are the ]s, such as '']'', some of which can reach a diameter over {{convert|12|in|cm|abbr=on|order=flip}}.<ref> {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150630192009/http://waynesword.palomar.edu/slime1.htm |date=2015-06-30 }}. Waynesword.palomar.edu</ref> These organisms are ], but they are ].


===Euglenozoans (])=== ===Euglenozoans (])===
Line 416: Line 64:


===Rhizarians (])=== ===Rhizarians (])===
:The largest species traditionally considered ] are giant ]s like ]ns. One such species, the ] '']'', can attain a size of 20&nbsp;cm (8&nbsp;in).<ref>. Deep Sea News (2008-10-10).</ref> :The largest species traditionally considered ] are giant ]s like ]ns. One such species, the ] '']'', can attain a size of {{convert|20|cm|in|abbr=on}}.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2008-10-10|title=The 27 Best Deep-Sea Species: #22 Xenophyophores &#124; Deep Sea News|url=https://www.deepseanews.com/2008/10/the-27-best-deep-sea-species-22-xenophyophores/|access-date=2022-12-26|website=www.deepseanews.com|language=en-US}}</ref>


===Alveolates (])=== ===Alveolates (])===
:The largest ]s, such as '']'', can attain a length over 4 mm (.16").<ref>Wim van Egmond. . Microscopy-uk.org.uk.</ref> :The largest ]s, such as '']'', can attain a length over {{convert|4|mm|in|abbr=on}}.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Micscape Microscopy and Microscope Magazine|url=http://www.microscopy-uk.org.uk/mag/indexmag.html?http://www.microscopy-uk.org.uk/mag/artoct98/spiro.html|access-date=2022-12-26|website=www.microscopy-uk.org.uk}}</ref>


===Stramenopiles (])=== ===Stramenopiles (])===
:The largest ] are ] from the northwestern Pacific. The floating stem of ''] pyrifera'' can grow to a height of over 45&nbsp;m (150&nbsp;ft).<ref>. Nhm.ac.uk.</ref><ref>. Montereybayaquarium.org</ref> :The largest ] are ] from the northwestern Pacific. The floating stem of ''] pyrifera'' can grow to a height of over {{convert|45|m|ft|abbr=on}}.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Discover|url=https://www.nhm.ac.uk/discover.html|access-date=2022-12-26|website=www.nhm.ac.uk|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Giant kelp|url=https://www.montereybayaquarium.org/animals/animals-a-to-z/giant-kelp|access-date=2022-12-26|website=www.montereybayaquarium.org}}</ref>
:Macrocystis also qualifies as the largest ], the largest ], and the largest protist generally. :Macrocystis also qualifies as the largest ], the largest ], and the largest protist generally.


==Bacteria== ==Bacteria==
The largest known species of ] is named '']'', which grows to {{convert|1|cm|in|abbr=on}} in length,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Wong |first=Carissa |title=Largest known bacteria in the world are visible to the naked eye |url=https://www.newscientist.com/article/2325909-largest-known-bacteria-in-the-world-are-visible-to-the-naked-eye/ |access-date=2022-06-24 |website=New Scientist |language=en-US}}</ref> making it visible to the naked eye and also about five thousand times the size of more typical ].<ref name="science1">{{cite web|url=https://www.science.org/content/article/largest-bacterium-ever-discovered-has-unexpectedly-complex-cells |first = Elizabeth |last = Pennisi|author-link = Elizabeth Pennisi|title=Largest bacterium ever discovered has unexpectedly complex cells |date=|work=]|publisher=science.org|accessdate=2022-02-24|language=en}}</ref> ] described it as possessing the "size and shape of a human ]."<ref>{{Cite news |date=2022-06-23 |title=Record bacterium discovered as long as human eyelash |language=en-GB |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-61911817 |access-date=2022-06-24}}</ref> ] published a new paper on the bacterium on June 23, 2022.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Volland |first1=Jean-Marie |last2=Gonzalez-Rizzo |first2=Silvina |last3=Gros |first3=Olivier |last4=Tyml |first4=Tomáš |last5=Ivanova |first5=Natalia |last6=Schulz |first6=Frederik |last7=Goudeau |first7=Danielle |last8=Elisabeth |first8=Nathalie H. |last9=Nath |first9=Nandita |last10=Udwary |first10=Daniel |last11=Malmstrom |first11=Rex R. |date=2022-06-24 |title=A centimeter-long bacterium with DNA contained in metabolically active, membrane-bound organelles |url=https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.abb3634 |journal=Science |language=en |volume=376 |issue=6600 |pages=1453–1458 |doi=10.1126/science.abb3634 |pmid=35737788 |bibcode=2022Sci...376.1453V |s2cid=249990020 |issn=0036-8075}}</ref> According to a study coauthored by Jean-Marie Volland, a marine biologist and scientist at California's Laboratory for Research in Complex Systems, and an affiliate at the US Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, ''T. magnifica'' can grow up to 2 centimeters long.<ref>{{Cite web |author=Amarachi Orie |date=June 23, 2022 |title=World's largest bacterium discovered is the size of a human eyelash |url=https://www.cnn.com/2022/06/23/world/worlds-largest-bacteria-magnifica-intl-scli-scn/index.html |access-date=2022-06-28 |website=CNN}}</ref>
]'', a rare bacterium visible to the naked eye]]
The largest known species of ] is '']'', which grows to 0.75&nbsp;mm (0.03&nbsp;in) in diameter, making it visible to the naked eye and up to a million times the size of more typical ].


*'''Cyanobacteria'''
'''Cyanobacteria''', one of the largest "]" is '']'', whose filamentous cells can be 50 μm wide.<ref name = Stal2007>{{Cite book|last = Stal|first = Lucas J.|year = 2007
|contribution = Diversity and Versatility, Clues to Life in Extreme Environments|title = Algae and Cyanobacteria in Extreme Environments|series = Cellular Origin, Life in Extreme Habitats and Astrobiology|volume = Volume 11, Part 7|editor= Seckbach, J.|pages = 659–680 (666)|place = Dordrecht, The Netherlands|publisher = Springer :One of the largest "]" is '']'', whose filamentous cells can be 50 μm wide.<ref name = Stal2007>{{Cite book|last = Stal|first = Lucas J.|year = 2007|contribution = Diversity and Versatility, Clues to Life in Extreme Environments|title = Algae and Cyanobacteria in Extreme Environments|series = Cellular Origin, Life in Extreme Habitats and Astrobiology|volume = 11, Part 7|editor = Seckbach, J.|pages = |place = Dordrecht, The Netherlands|publisher = Springer|doi = 10.1007/978-1-4020-6112-7_36|isbn = 978-1-4020-6111-0|url = https://archive.org/details/algaecyanobacter0000unse/page/659}}</ref>
|url = http://www.springerlink.com/content/g868700080j14466/|doi = 10.1007/978-1-4020-6112-7_36}}</ref>


==Viruses== ==Viruses==
]
Until recently the largest known ] was the ] (''Megavirus chilensis''), with a ] diameter of 440&nbsp;], and a genome of 1,259,197 ]; containing 1120 ]s.<ref>{{cite doi|10.1073/pnas.1110889108}}</ref>
The largest virus on record is '']'', with the length of 4 micrometres, comparable to the typical size of a bacterium and large enough to be seen in light microscopes. It was discovered in 2018 (being mistaken for ]s beforehand), having been found on an ] in the genus '']''.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Barthélémy |first1=Roxane-Marie |title=Serendipitous Discovery in a Marine Invertebrate (Phylum Chaetognatha) of the Longest Giant Viruses Reported till Date |journal=Biology |date=8 January 2019}}</ref> Prior to this discovery, the largest virus was the peculiar virus genus '']'', which have a size of approximately 1 ] and whose genome contains 1,900,000 to 2,500,000 base pairs of DNA.<ref name="Brumfiel">{{cite news | url=https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2013/07/18/203298244/worlds-biggest-virus-may-have-ancient-roots | title=World's Biggest Virus May Have Ancient Roots | work=National Public Radio | date=18 July 2013 | access-date=18 July 2013 | author=Brumfiel, Geoff}}</ref>


'']'' infects ] specifically, however '']'' infects '']'' ].
In July 2013, however,<ref name="Phillippe">{{cite journal | title=Pandoraviruses: Amoeba Viruses with Genomes Up to 2.5 Mb Reaching That of Parasitic Eukaryotes | author=Nadège Philippe, Matthieu Legendre, Gabriel Doutre, ''et al.'' | journal=Science | year=2013 | month=July | volume=341 | issue=6143 | pages=281–286 | doi=10.1126/science.1239181}}</ref> a team of French scientists announced the discovery of the peculiar '']'' genus of viruses, which have a size of approximately 1 ] and whose genome contains 1,900,000 to 2,500,000 base pairs of DNA.<ref name="Brumfiel">{{cite news | url=http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2013/07/18/203298244/worlds-biggest-virus-may-have-ancient-roots | title=World's Biggest Virus May Have Ancient Roots | work=National Public Radio | date=18 July 2013 | accessdate=18 July 2013 | author=Brumfiel, Geoff}}</ref>

The largest known viruses—including ''Pandoravirus'', ''Megavirus'', and '']''—infect ] specifically.


==See also== ==See also==
{{div col|colwidth=30em}}
*]
*] * ]
*] * ]
*] * ]
*] * ]
*] * ]
*] * ]
*] * ]
*] * ]
* ]
*]
* ]
*]
* ]
{{clear}}
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
{{div col end}}
{{Records|state=collapsed}}


==References== ==References==
===Notes===
{{Notelist}}

===Citations===
{{Reflist|35em}} {{Reflist|35em}}

== External links ==
* Melissa Breyer. ] April 28, 2015
{{Records}}


{{DEFAULTSORT:Largest Organisms}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Largest Organisms}}
] ]
] ]

Latest revision as of 00:47, 18 January 2025

List of largest organisms on Earth
Although it appears to be multiple trees, Pando is a clonal colony of an individual quaking aspen with an interconnected root system. It is widely held to be the world's most massive single organism.

This article lists the largest organisms for various types of life and mostly considers extant species, which found on Earth can be determined according to various aspects of an organism's size, such as: mass, volume, area, length, height, or even genome size. Some organisms group together to form a superorganism (such as ants or bees), but such are not classed as single large organisms. The Great Barrier Reef is the world's largest structure composed of living entities, stretching 2,000 km (1,200 mi) but contains many organisms of many types of species.

When considering singular entities, the largest organisms are clonal colonies which can spread over large areas. Pando, a clonal colony of the quaking aspen tree, is widely considered to be the largest such organism by mass. Even if such colonies are excluded, trees retain their dominance of this listing, with the giant sequoia being the most massive tree. In 2006, a huge clonal colony of the seagrass Posidonia oceanica was discovered south of the island of Ibiza. At 8 kilometres (5 mi) across, and estimated at 100,000 years old, it may be one of the largest and oldest clonal colonies on Earth.

Among animals, the largest species are all marine mammals, specifically whales. The blue whale is believed to be the largest animal to have ever lived. The living land animal classification is also dominated by mammals, with the African bush elephant being the largest of these.

Plants

Main article: List of largest plants

The largest single-stem tree by wood volume and mass is the giant sequoia (Sequoiadendron giganteum), native to Sierra Nevada and California; it typically grows to a height of 70–85 m (230–280 ft) and 5–7 m (16–23 ft) in diameter.

The largest organism in the world, according to mass, is the aspen tree whose colonies of clones can grow up to 8 kilometres (5 mi) in size. The largest such colony is Pando, in the Fishlake National Forest in Utah.

A form of flowering plant that far exceeds Pando as the largest organism on Earth in area and potentially also mass, is the giant marine plant, Posidonia australis, living in Shark Bay, Australia. Its length is about 180 km (112 mi) and it covers an area of 200 km (77 sq mi). It is also among the oldest known clonal plants.

Another giant marine plant of the genus Posidonia, Posidonia oceanica discovered in the Mediterranean near the Balearic Islands, Spain may be the oldest living organism in the world, with an estimated age of 100,000 years.

The largest individual flower in the world is Rafflesia arnoldii, while the flowering plant with the largest unbranched inflorescence in the world is Amorphophallus titanum. Both are native to Sumatra in Indonesia.

Green algae

Green algae are photosynthetic unicellular and multicellular green plants that are related to land plants. The thallus of the unicellular mermaid's wineglass, Acetabularia, can grow to several inches (perhaps 0.1 to 0.2 m) in length. The fronds of the similarly unicellular, and invasive Caulerpa taxifolia can grow up to a foot (0.3 m) long.

Animals

The blue whale is the largest animal alive today.
Bruhathkayosaurus is potentially the largest animal to have walked the earth.
This section is an excerpt from Largest and heaviest animals. Clockwise from top left: an African bush elephant, the largest extant terrestrial animal; a blue whale, the largest animal ever to exist; and a colossal squid, the largest invertebrate

The largest animal currently alive is the blue whale. The maximum recorded weight was 190 tonnes (209 US tons) for a specimen measuring 27.6 metres (91 ft), whereas longer ones, up to 33 metres (108 ft), have been recorded but not weighed. It is estimated that this individual could have a mass of 250 tonnes or more. The longest non-colonial animal is the lion's mane jellyfish (37 m, 120 ft).

In 2023, paleontologists estimated that the extinct whale Perucetus, discovered in Peru, may have outweighed the blue whale, with a mass of 85 to 340 t (94–375 short tons; 84–335 long tons). However, more recent studies suggest this whale was much smaller than previous estimates putting its weight at 60 to 113 tonnes. While controversial, estimates for the weight of the sauropod Bruhathkayosaurus suggest it was around 110–170 tons, with the highest estimate being 240 tons, if scaled with Patagotitan, although actual fossil remains no longer exist, and that estimation is based on described dimensions in 1987. In April 2024, Ichthyotitan severnensis was established as a valid shastasaurid taxon and is considered both the largest marine reptile ever discovered and the largest macropredator ever discovered. The Lilstock specimen was estimated to be around 26 metres (85 ft) whilst the Aust specimen was an even more impressive 30 to 35 metres (98 to 115 ft) in length. While no weight estimates have been made as of yet, Ichthyotitan would have easily rivalled or surpassed the blue whale. The upper estimates of weight for these prehistoric animals would have easily rivaled or exceeded the largest rorquals and sauropods.

The African bush elephant (Loxodonta africana) is the largest living land animal. A native of various open habitats in sub-Saharan Africa, males weigh about 6.0 tonnes (13,200 lb) on average. The largest elephant ever recorded was shot in Angola in 1974. It was a male measuring 10.67 metres (35.0 ft) from trunk to tail and 4.17 metres (13.7 ft) lying on its side in a projected line from the highest point of the shoulder, to the base of the forefoot, indicating a standing shoulder height of 3.96 metres (13.0 ft). This male had a computed weight of 10.4 to 12.25 tonnes.

Fungi

Armillaria ostoyae
Main article: Largest fungal fruit bodies

The largest living fungus may be a honey fungus of the species Armillaria ostoyae. A mushroom of this type in the Malheur National Forest in the Blue Mountains of eastern Oregon, U.S. was found to be the largest fungal colony in the world, spanning 8.9 km (2,200 acres) of area. This organism is estimated to be 2,400 years old. The fungus was written about in the April 2003 issue of the Canadian Journal of Forest Research. If this colony is considered a single organism, then it is the largest known organism in the world by area, and rivals the aspen grove "Pando" as the known organism with the highest living biomass. It is not known, however, whether it is a single organism with all parts of the mycelium connected. Approximations of the land area of the Oregon "humongous fungus" are 3.5 square miles (9.1 km) (2,240 acres (910 ha), possibly weighing as much as 35,000 tons as the world's most massive living organism.

A spatial genetic analysis estimated that a specimen of Armillaria ostoyae growing over 91 acres (37 ha) in northern Michigan, United States weighs 440 tons (4 x 10 kg).

In Armillaria ostoyae, each individual mushroom (the fruiting body, similar to a flower on a plant) has only a 5 cm (2.0 in) stipe, and a pileus up to 12.5 cm (4.9 in) across. There are many other fungi which produce a larger individual size mushroom. The largest known fruiting body of a fungus is a specimen of Phellinus ellipsoideus (formerly Fomitiporia ellipsoidea) found on Hainan Island. The fruiting body masses up to 500 kg (1,100 lb).

Until P. ellipsoideus replaced it, the largest individual fruit body came from Rigidoporus ulmarius. R. ulmarius can grow up to 284 kg (626 lb), 1.66 m (5.4 ft) tall, 1.46 m (4.8 ft) across, and has a circumference of up to 4.9 m (16 ft).

Lichen

Umbilicaria mammulata is among the largest lichens in the world. The thallus of U. mammulata is usually 4 to 15 cm (1.6 to 5.9 in) in diameter, but specimens have been known to reach 63-centimetre (2.07 ft) in the Smoky Mountains of Tennessee.

The longest lichen is Usnea longissima, which may grow to exceed 20 feet (6.1 m) in length.

Protists

Macrocystis pyrifera, the largest species of giant kelp

(Note: the group Protista is not used in current taxonomy.)

Amoebozoans (Amoebozoa)

Among the organisms that are not multicellular, the largest are the slime molds, such as Physarum polycephalum, some of which can reach a diameter over 30 cm (12 in). These organisms are unicellular, but they are multinucleate.

Euglenozoans (Euglenozoa)

Some euglenophytes, such as certain species of Euglena, reach lengths of 400 μm.

Rhizarians (Rhizaria)

The largest species traditionally considered protozoa are giant amoeboids like foraminiferans. One such species, the xenophyophore Syringammina fragilissima, can attain a size of 20 cm (7.9 in).

Alveolates (Alveolata)

The largest ciliates, such as Spirostomum, can attain a length over 4 mm (0.16 in).

Stramenopiles (Stramenopila)

The largest stramenopiles are giant kelp from the northwestern Pacific. The floating stem of Macrocystis pyrifera can grow to a height of over 45 m (148 ft).
Macrocystis also qualifies as the largest brown alga, the largest chromist, and the largest protist generally.

Bacteria

The largest known species of bacterium is named Thiomargarita magnifica, which grows to 1 cm (0.39 in) in length, making it visible to the naked eye and also about five thousand times the size of more typical bacteria. BBC News described it as possessing the "size and shape of a human eyelash." Science published a new paper on the bacterium on June 23, 2022. According to a study coauthored by Jean-Marie Volland, a marine biologist and scientist at California's Laboratory for Research in Complex Systems, and an affiliate at the US Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, T. magnifica can grow up to 2 centimeters long.

  • Cyanobacteria
One of the largest "blue green algae" is Lyngbya, whose filamentous cells can be 50 μm wide.

Viruses

A collection of viruses along with the bacterium E. coli, including M. horridgei - the largest virus

The largest virus on record is Megaklothovirus horridgei, with the length of 4 micrometres, comparable to the typical size of a bacterium and large enough to be seen in light microscopes. It was discovered in 2018 (being mistaken for bristles beforehand), having been found on an arrow worm in the genus Spadella. Prior to this discovery, the largest virus was the peculiar virus genus Pandoravirus, which have a size of approximately 1 micrometer and whose genome contains 1,900,000 to 2,500,000 base pairs of DNA.

Pandoravirus infects amoebas specifically, however Megaklothovirus infects Spadella arrow worms.

See also

Records
World records
People
Sporting records
Athletics
Weightlifting
In Australia
In the US
In India
National records
Motion records
Speed
Vehicle
Distance
Endurance
Structures
Physical phenomena

References

Notes

  1. The organism sizes listed are frequently considered "outsized" and are not in the normal size range for the respective group.

Citations

  1. Mihai, Andrei (9 February 2015). "The Heaviest Living Organism in the World". ZME Science. Retrieved 10 February 2016.
  2. "The Giant Sequoia National Monument". Sequoia National Forest. United States Department of Agriculture - Forest service. Retrieved 10 February 2016.
  3. "Portuguese scientists discover world's oldest living organism". www.theportugalnews.com. Archived from the original on 2019-01-19. Retrieved 2019-02-14.
  4. "Ibiza's Monster Marine Plant". Ibiza Spotlight. 28 May 2006. Archived from the original on 27 August 2006. Retrieved 2007-05-09.
  5. Pearlman, Jonathan (7 February 2012). "'Oldest living thing on earth' discovered". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 7 February 2012. Retrieved 11 February 2012.
  6. Arnaud-Haond, Sophie; Duarte, Carlos M.; Diaz-Almela, Elena; Marbà, Núria; Sintes, Tomas; Serrão, Ester A.; Bruun, Hans Henrik (2012). "Implications of Extreme Life Span in Clonal Organisms: Millenary Clones in Meadows of the Threatened Seagrass Posidonia oceanica". PLOS ONE. 7 (2): e30454. Bibcode:2012PLoSO...730454A. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0030454. PMC 3270012. PMID 22312426.
  7. Zimmer, Carl (29 February 2024). "Researchers Dispute Claim That Ancient Whale Was Heaviest Animal Ever - A new study argues that Perucetus, an ancient whale species, was certainly big, but not as big as today's blue whales". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 29 February 2024. Retrieved 3 March 2024.
  8. "Scientists discover 'biggest plant on Earth' off Western Australian coast". TheGuardian.com. 31 May 2022.
  9. Edgeloe, Jane M.; Severn-Ellis, Anita A.; Bayer, Philipp E.; Mehravi, Shaghayegh; Breed, Martin F.; Krauss, Siegfried L.; Batley, Jacqueline; Kendrick, Gary A.; Sinclair, Elizabeth A. (2022-06-08). "Extensive polyploid clonality was a successful strategy for seagrass to expand into a newly submerged environment". Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences. 289 (1976): 20220538. doi:10.1098/rspb.2022.0538. PMC 9156900. PMID 35642363. S2CID 249204370.
  10. Ibiza's Monster Marine Plant Archived 2007-12-26 at the Wayback Machine. Ibiza Spotlight (2006-05-28).
  11. ^ Wood, Gerald The Guinness Book of Animal Facts and Feats (1983) ISBN 978-0-85112-235-9
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  14. Motani, Ryosuke; Pyenson, Nicholas D. (29 February 2024). "Downsizing a heavyweight: factors and methods that revise weight estimates of the giant fossil whale Perucetus colossus". PeerJ. 12: e16978. doi:10.7717/peerj.16978. ISSN 2167-8359. PMC 10909350. PMID 38436015.
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  16. "How big are blue whales? And what does 'big' mean? By palaeozoologist on DeviantArt". February 2014.
  17. McClain, Craig R.; Balk, Meghan A.; Benfield, Mark C.; Branch, Trevor A.; Chen, Catherine; Cosgrove, James; Dove, Alistair DM; Gaskins, Leo C.; Helm, Rebecca R. (13 January 2015). "Sizing ocean giants: patterns of intraspecific size variation in marine megafauna". PeerJ. 3: E715. doi:10.7717/peerj.715. ISSN 2167-8359. PMC 4304853. PMID 25649000.
  18. Bianucci, Giovanni; Lambert, Olivier; Urbina, Mario; Merella, Marco; Collareta, Alberto; Bennion, Rebecca; Salas-Gismondi, Roberto; Benites-Palomino, Aldo; Post, Klaas; de Muizon, Christian; Bosio, Giulia; Di Celma, Claudio; Malinverno, Elisa; Paolo Pierantoni, Pietro; Maria Villa, Igor; Amson, Eli (2 August 2023). "A heavyweight early whale pushes the boundaries of vertebrate morphology". Nature. 620 (7975): 824–829. Bibcode:2023Natur.620..824B. doi:10.1038/s41586-023-06381-1. hdl:10281/434998. PMID 37532931. S2CID 260433513. Retrieved 2 August 2023.
  19. Pester, Patrick (8 March 2024). "Colossus the enormous 'oddball' whale is not the biggest animal to ever live, scientists say". Lve Science. Retrieved 11 March 2024.
  20. Paul, Gregory S.; Larramendi, Asier (11 April 2023). "Body mass estimate of Bruhathkayosaurus and other fragmentary sauropod remains suggest the largest land animals were about as big as the greatest whales". Lethaia. 56 (2): 1–11. Bibcode:2023Letha..56..2.5P. doi:10.18261/let.56.2.5. ISSN 0024-1164. S2CID 259782734.
  21. News Staff (11 April 2018). "Giant Triassic Ichthyosaur is One of Biggest Animals Ever". SciNews. Archived from the original on 20 April 2024. Retrieved 20 April 2024.
  22. Marshall, Michael (29 December 2022). "Largest ever animal may have been Triassic ichthyosaur super-predator". NewsScientist. Archived from the original on 18 April 2024. Retrieved 22 April 2024.
  23. "Why the Blue Whale Might Not Be the Largest Animal in History". World Atlas. January 2024.
  24. Emanuelson, Karen (2006). "Neonatal Care and Hand Rearing". Biology, Medicine, and Surgery of Elephants. pp. 223–241. doi:10.1002/9780470344484.ch16. ISBN 978-0-470-34448-4.
  25. ^ "Armillaria gallica, the humongous fungus humungus. Tom Volk's Fungus of the Month for April 2002". botit.botany.wisc.edu. Retrieved 2022-12-26.
  26. "BBC News | SCI/TECH | Fantastic fungus find". news.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 2022-12-26.
  27. ^ "Environment & Nature News - Humungous fungus: world's largest organism? - 10/04/2003". www.abc.net.au. Retrieved 2022-12-26.
  28. Vince Patton (12 February 2015). "Oregon Humongous Fungus Sets Record As Largest Single Living Organism On Earth (7 minute documentary video)". Oregon Field Guide. Retrieved 23 September 2019.
  29. Anderson, A.; Sand, C.; Petchey, F.; Worthy, T. H. (2010). "Faunal extinction and human habitation in New Caledonia: Initial results and implications of new research at the Pindai Caves". Journal of Pacific Archaeology. 1 (1): 89–109. hdl:10289/5404.
  30. Jason Daley (15 October 2018). "This humongous fungus is as massive as three blue whales: A new estimate suggests this mushroom is 2,500 years old and weighs 440 tons". Smithsonian.com. Retrieved 23 September 2019.
  31. Walker, Matt. (2011-08-01) Giant fungus discovered in China. Bbc.co.uk
  32. Dai, Y. C.; Cui, B. K. (2011). "Fomitiporia ellipsoidea has the largest fruiting body among the fungi". Fungal Biology. 115 (9): 813–814. doi:10.1016/j.funbio.2011.06.008. PMID 21872178.
  33. Cui, Bao-Kai; Decock, Cony (2013). "Phellinus castanopsidis sp. nov (Hymenochaetaceae) from southern China, with preliminary phylogeny based on rDNA sequences". Mycological Progress. 12 (2): 341–351. Bibcode:2013MycPr..12..341C. doi:10.1007/s11557-012-0839-5. S2CID 17570036.
  34. Brodo, Irwin (2001). Lichens of North America. New Haven: Yale University Press. ISBN 978-0-300-08249-4.
  35. "Usnea longissima". lichen.com. Lichens of North America. Archived from the original on 3 May 2012. Retrieved 10 July 2022.
  36. Slime Mold Photos Archived 2015-06-30 at the Wayback Machine. Waynesword.palomar.edu
  37. "Protist Images: Euglena gigas". Protist Information Server. 2004.
  38. "The 27 Best Deep-Sea Species: #22 Xenophyophores | Deep Sea News". www.deepseanews.com. 2008-10-10. Retrieved 2022-12-26.
  39. "Micscape Microscopy and Microscope Magazine". www.microscopy-uk.org.uk. Retrieved 2022-12-26.
  40. "Discover". www.nhm.ac.uk. Retrieved 2022-12-26.
  41. "Giant kelp". www.montereybayaquarium.org. Retrieved 2022-12-26.
  42. Wong, Carissa. "Largest known bacteria in the world are visible to the naked eye". New Scientist. Retrieved 2022-06-24.
  43. Pennisi, Elizabeth. "Largest bacterium ever discovered has unexpectedly complex cells". Science. science.org. Retrieved 2022-02-24.
  44. "Record bacterium discovered as long as human eyelash". BBC News. 2022-06-23. Retrieved 2022-06-24.
  45. Volland, Jean-Marie; Gonzalez-Rizzo, Silvina; Gros, Olivier; Tyml, Tomáš; Ivanova, Natalia; Schulz, Frederik; Goudeau, Danielle; Elisabeth, Nathalie H.; Nath, Nandita; Udwary, Daniel; Malmstrom, Rex R. (2022-06-24). "A centimeter-long bacterium with DNA contained in metabolically active, membrane-bound organelles". Science. 376 (6600): 1453–1458. Bibcode:2022Sci...376.1453V. doi:10.1126/science.abb3634. ISSN 0036-8075. PMID 35737788. S2CID 249990020.
  46. Amarachi Orie (June 23, 2022). "World's largest bacterium discovered is the size of a human eyelash". CNN. Retrieved 2022-06-28.
  47. Stal, Lucas J. (2007). "Diversity and Versatility, Clues to Life in Extreme Environments". In Seckbach, J. (ed.). Algae and Cyanobacteria in Extreme Environments. Cellular Origin, Life in Extreme Habitats and Astrobiology. Vol. 11, Part 7. Dordrecht, The Netherlands: Springer. pp. 659–680 (666). doi:10.1007/978-1-4020-6112-7_36. ISBN 978-1-4020-6111-0.
  48. Barthélémy, Roxane-Marie (8 January 2019). "Serendipitous Discovery in a Marine Invertebrate (Phylum Chaetognatha) of the Longest Giant Viruses Reported till Date". Biology.
  49. Brumfiel, Geoff (18 July 2013). "World's Biggest Virus May Have Ancient Roots". National Public Radio. Retrieved 18 July 2013.

External links

Records
World records
People
Sporting records
Athletics
Weightlifting
In Australia
In the US
In India
National records
Motion records
Speed
Vehicle
Distance
Endurance
Structures
Physical phenomena
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