A virus discovered off the coast of Chile is now considered the biggest of its kind after scientists found it was 10 to 20 times longer than the average virus and has more genes than the previous record-holder.

Scientists called the virus Megavirus chilensis, whose genome consisting of more than 1,000 genes if 6.5 percent larger than that of the Mimivirus.

The study on the Megavirus, including the sequencing of its DNA codes, is published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences journal.

Professor Jean-Michel Claverie from Aix-Marseille University in France said the virus is even larger than some bacteria.

"You don't need an electron microscope to see it - you can see it with an ordinary light microscope." Claverie said, according to BBC.

Claverie also said the virus is not harmful.

Viruses cannot reproduce on their own and have to live in another cell to replicate. But the host organism of the Megavirus was unknown, according to the researchers.

The Megavirus was accidentally discovered while scientists were taking samples of sea water near a protected marine sanctuary in Las Cruces in El Tabo town, San Antonio Province.