Catfish is one of the largest freshwater predators that live in Russia and other countries of the world. There are many legends associated with this fish, but the most common topic of conversation associated with this giant is its size. Thanks to its size, the fish has repeatedly taken first place in world rankings. Below are the largest catfish caught in different bodies of water.
Kyrgyzstani som
According to unofficial information, the weight of the largest catfish caught was 350 kilograms. It was caught on one of the Kyrgyz lakes - Issyk-Kul.This happened at the end of the nineteenth century. According to legend, an arch similar to the jaws of a catfish was installed on the shore near this place. But to this day it has not been possible to preserve this landmark.
Catfish from Thailand
In May 2005, the largest predator in Thailand was caught. This happened on the Mekong River. Its weight was 293 kilograms and its length was 2.7 meters. The accuracy of this information was determined by Zeb Hogan, who was responsible for the implementation of the WWF international project. He studied the world's largest fish.
An albino catfish was caught in Thailand. It became one of the largest freshwater fish that Zeb Hogan recorded. This individual was even included in the Guinness Book of Records. They planned to release Soma, but he did not survive.
Catch in Russia
Large individuals are found not only in European or Asian reservoirs, but also in Russia. They are often caught in the Volga and Don basins. They are also found in Oka and Akhtuba. The record holder was a catfish weighing more than 200 kilograms. It was caught in the Seim River, which is located in the Kursk region. This happened in 2009. It was then that the underwater hunters noticed the large fish and immediately shot. It turned out that this was done very accurately.
However, it was not possible to pull the prey out of the water. To get the catfish, the hunters had to turn to a local tractor driver. He helped pull the giant ashore using a tractor. Local residents were extremely surprised. They said they had never seen catfish of this size and did not expect such monsters to be found in the river.
Record holder in Poland
Large predators are found not only in Russia. One of the giants was caught on the Oder River.This fish is famous for the fact that a human corpse was found in its stomach. Experts determined that the catfish was not the cause of the person's death. It is likely that the giant simply found the body at the bottom and ate it.
Kazakhstan catch
The largest individuals are found not only in Europe. In 2007, a barbel of maximum size was caught in Kazakhstan. Its length was 2.7 meters and its weight was 130 kilograms. This trophy attracted the attention of many fishermen to the Ili River.
This giant was caught by local fishermen. According to them, this is not the only large specimen. Indeed, many fishing tourists also managed to catch similar barbel weighing approximately 130 kilograms.
The largest catfish from France
Tourist Yuri Grisendi managed to catch one of the largest predators in France. The prey was caught in the Rhone River. After measurements, it was found that the length of the fish was 2.6 meters and the weight was 120 kilograms. The fisherman who managed to get this trophy purposefully hunts such giants. Moreover, his area of interest includes not only catfish, but also other large inhabitants of reservoirs. Therefore, this production cannot be called accidental.
After catching the next monster, the fisherman films it and releases it. This is not surprising, since hunting giants is a man's hobby.
Italian record holder
Italy's record catch dates back to 2011. Local resident Robert Godey and his friends decided to catch small bream. Instead, a giant catfish weighing 114 kilograms was hooked. Its length was almost 2.5 meters. The fishermen tried for a long time to pull out the monster, and after an hour it was on the shore. The Italians photographed the fish and released it.
Record from Holland
In one of the parks in Holland, a fisherman managed to catch a catfish weighing 104 kilograms and measuring approximately 2 meters in size. The man who pulled out this giant spoke about it more than once and gave interviews to the media.
After obtaining this trophy, the park became extremely popular among local residents and tourists. Moreover, in recent years the catfish could have grown to even more impressive sizes. The local administration turned the predator into a star. Catching it in the park is strictly prohibited. At the same time, employees of the natural site carefully monitor compliance with this norm.
Spanish catfish
In 2009, Spanish fishermen managed to catch a large albino catfish. This happened in the Ebro River. The length of the prey exceeded 2 meters, and the weight was 88 kilograms. Briton Chris managed to catch this fish. At first, the man tried to pull out the loot himself, but he was unable to do so. Then Chris turned to his friends with whom he came fishing. They managed to pull out the giant in half an hour. After this, the fishermen took a photo and released their catch into the pond.
Belarusian som
In Belarus, we managed to catch a catfish measuring 2 meters. He was caught by a local fisherman. This happened in 2011. A man and his assistants were catching fish with nets. After one of the casts it was not possible to pull out the gear. For an hour the fishermen tried to get the nets. When the catfish was pulled out, it was measured. The weight of the fish was 60 kilograms and its length was 2 meters. The fishermen did not release their catch, but cooked it into a roast.
Barbel from USA
In the States, large catfish are found somewhat less frequently than in Europe and Asia. According to the latest information, the largest trophy belongs to a teenager from Louisiana.The young man could not even imagine that his fishing on the Mississippi would be so successful. The weight of his catch was 51 kilograms. Of course, by European standards this is an average som. However, the fact that he was caught by a teenager is surprising.
A rare piebald blue catfish was also caught in the United States. It is worth noting that piebald is a mutation. It results in animal pigment being a mixture pigmented and non-pigmented coloring. American fishermen were very surprised when they first saw a white fish, and then noticed dark-colored fins.
The piebald variety resembles albinism. At the same time, animals often lack some color. They appear white and have pink eyes. Another Missouri fisherman recently caught a rare blue albino catfish. The fact is that white fish stand out strongly in nature and attract enemies. Therefore, it is difficult to find adults of this color.
Interesting Facts
Catfish is an unusual fish with many interesting facts associated with it:
- Such individuals have a long life expectancy. At the same time, they grow until they die.
- In nature there are albino individuals. They are characterized by a white tint to their skin and even their eyes.
- Ichthyologists have established that the age of the giant individuals exceeds 80 years.
- Catfish teeth form several rows and resemble a fine grater. Fishermen pull out such individuals by holding the lower part. This helps you catch fish without getting injured.
- Fishermen who want to release large fish use a special glove. With its help, the giant is dragged onto the boat. It is worth noting that the hook can damage the fish and even cause its death.
- In the area of the upper lip, the catfish has 2 large whiskers.There are 4 small antennae on the lower lip.
- The fish's whiskers are an organ of touch. With their help, it is able to detect electrical phenomena in a body of water, which are caused by the contraction of muscle tissue of possible prey.
- The catfish has very small eyes and is very nearsighted. Therefore, fish are not able to search for food at a distance using the organ of vision.
- Large individuals consume snails. They collect prey from the bottom and chew it with their teeth. Also, giant catfish often pick up frogs and crayfish.
- In ancient times, catfish were called water devil. They tried not to catch him.
- Catfish almost always attack their prey. The fish does this even when it is completely full. This occurs in individuals at the level of instincts.
- This fish can spend its entire long life in one hole. The only thing that can force a catfish to change its place of residence is considered to be a change in the bottom topography for natural or technical reasons. These individuals live quite a long time. Their life expectancy reaches 60-70 years. Moreover, adult individuals can weigh up to 300 kilograms.
- The catfish is considered a loner. These fish form schools only when feeding.
- It's no secret that the mustache of this fish is an organ of touch. However, catfish are also able to use them to lure their prey. The fish burrows into the mud or hides in snags and begins to move its whiskers. When attractive prey swims up, the catfish immediately attacks it and immediately swallows it with its giant mouth.
- This fish prefers to hunt at night. However, there are exceptions in the form of daytime hunting. This often happens in cloudy weather. Also, situations are sometimes observed when a fish floats to the surface of the water during the day and lies belly up. This is not related to the disease.This way the fish rests. If the catfish is scared away at this moment, it will immediately go to the bottom.
- The Asian anchor catfish is literally 2.5 centimeters long. This fish is very popular among aquarists. It has the same structure as a large catfish, including small antennae. These catfish are yellowish-golden in color and covered with a spotted brown pattern. This peaceful fish is active at night. However, even in this case, it often remains in one place.
- Catfish have 100 thousand taste buds. In some varieties this figure reaches 175 thousand. Such receptors are located throughout the body. This allows the fish to sense where the food is. Most of the taste buds are present on the antennae. Thanks to this, the catfish can sense food for many kilometers. Many individuals live on the bottom and often move in muddy water. Therefore, their sense of taste is a tool for searching for food in conditions of limited visibility.
- Catfish are distinguished by a variety of species. This influences the differences in their methods of reproduction. The most common channel catfish lays large eggs in crevices of rocks or plants. After this, the male guards her. After the fry appear, the male watches them for several more weeks. Another species, the sea catfish, is a mouth breeder. It is capable of holding up to 50 eggs in its mouth. After the fry hatch, they remain in the male’s mouth for another 2 weeks.
Catfish is a large fish that is considered a real record holder. This giant is found in various countries of the world. It is not surprising that fishermen every now and then managed to catch real monsters weighing several hundred kilograms and more than two meters long.
