Record-Breaking 3-Ton Fish Found In Portugal

A giant sunfish in Portugal is believed to be the largest and heaviest bony fish ever discovered, experts say.

• The dead fish, which was discovered floating in the Atlantic near Faial Island, tips the scales at 6,000 pounds, according to a report in the Journal of Fish Biology. The creature -- which measures 10.67 feet by 11.78 feet -- is more than 882 pounds heavier than the previous record holder, a 5,070-pound sunfish caught near Japan in 1996, the report indicates.

"It's sad to see the animal in this situation as it must have been a king of open ocean," says researcher José Nuno Gomes-Pereira. The giant sunfish has been buried in the Natural Park of Faial Island, he adds.