Largest species of fish on Earth spotted off Texas coast

A man who was fishing off the Rio Grande Valley shores on Tuesday spotted the largest fish species in the world.

Dr. Tim Bonner, a professor of biology, was fishing in Port Mansfield when the whale shark came close, KRGV reported.

“We noticed then it was a bait ball there at the surface,” he said.

Bonner said the whale shark got as close as one of the sand bars, adding that they’ve been spotted in the area before.

“He’s probably sticking around because he was getting some meals,” Bonner said.

The species can often be seen off the coast of the Yucatan Peninsula and are drawn to warm water, according to Bonner.