These fish have gray-green heads with streamlined bodies that blend to reddish brown in the tail. While their bellies are nearly white, the fins are often dark red.

It is not just their size that makes this taimen a true river monster. They are ferocious predators that will explode out of the water to attack any mammals—rats, ducks, even bats—that may be unfortunate enough to end up in the water. Primarily, however, they eat different kinds of fish. They sometime chase their prey in packs, a practice that has earned them the nickname “river wolves.” They’re also known to turn on each other for a meal.

Taimens are potamodromous, which means that—unlike most other salmonids—they spend their entire lives