The biggest catfish: the maximum weight and size of the record holder, where they caught

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 related to this giant is its size. Thanks to its size, the fish has repeatedly come out on top in world rankings. Below are the largest catfish caught in different waters.

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. It happened at the end of the nineteenth century.According to legend, an arch resembling the jaws of a catfish was installed on the shore near this place. But to this day, it has not been possible to save this attraction.

Thai catfish

In May 2005, Thailand's largest predator was caught. It happened on the Mekong River. Its weight was 293 kilograms, and its length was 2.7 meters. The accuracy of this information was established by Zeb Hogan, who was responsible for the implementation of the international WWF project. He was researching the world's largest fish.

In Thailand, we managed to catch an albino catfish. It became one of the largest freshwater fish that Zeb Hogan recorded. This individual even got into the Guinness Book of Records. Soma was planned to be released, but he did not survive.

Catch in Russia

Large individuals are found not only in European or Asian water bodies, but also in Russia. They are often caught in the Volga and Don basins.They are also found in the Oka and Akhtuba. The record holder was a catfish weighing more than 200 kilograms. He 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 big fish and immediately fired. It turned out that this was done very accurately.

At the same time, 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 with a tractor. The locals were extremely surprised. They said that they had never seen catfish of this size and did not expect such monsters to be found in the river.

Record holder in Poland

Big predators are found not only in Russia. One of the giants managed to get on the Oder River. This fish is famous for the fact that a human corpse was found in its stomach. The experts found that the catfish was not the cause of death of a person. It is likely that the giant simply found the body at the bottom and ate it.

Kazakhstani catch

The largest individuals are found not only in Europe. In 2007, in Kazakhstan, they managed to catch a barbel of the maximum size. Its length was 2.7 meters, and weight - 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 individual. Indeed, many fishing tourists have also managed to catch similar barbels weighing approximately 130 kilograms.

The biggest catfish from France

One of the largest predators in France managed to catch the tourist Yuri Grisendi. The prey was caught in the Rhone River. After measurements, it was found that the length of the fish is 2.6 meters, and the weight is 120 kilograms. The angler who managed to get this trophy purposefully hunts such giants.At the same time, his sphere of interests includes not only catfish, but also other large inhabitants of reservoirs. Therefore, this loot cannot be called random.

After catching another monster, the fisherman films it and releases it. This is not surprising since hunting giants is a man's hobby.

Italian record holder

Italian record catch dates back to 2011. Local resident Robert Godi, together with friends, decided to catch small bream. Instead, a giant catfish weighing 114 kilograms caught on the hook. Its length was almost 2.5 meters. The fishermen tried to pull the monster out for a long time, and an hour later he was on the shore. The Italians took a picture of 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 about 2 meters in size. The man who pulled this giant out spoke about it more than once and gave interviews to the media.

After the extraction of this trophy, the park has become extremely popular among locals and tourists. At the same time, in recent years, catfish could grow to even more impressive sizes. The local administration has turned the predator into a star. Catching it in the park is strictly prohibited. At the same time, employees of the natural site are closely monitoring compliance with this norm.

Spanish catfish

In 2009, Spanish fishermen managed to catch a large albino catfish. It 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 prey himself, but he failed to do this. Then Chris turned to friends with whom he came fishing. The giant was pulled out in half an hour. After that, the fishermen took a photo and released their prey into the pond.

Belarusian som

In Belarus, we managed to catch a catfish 2 meters in size. It was caught by a local fisherman.This happened in 2011. A man with assistants was fishing with nets. After one of the casts, it was not possible to pull out the tackle. For an hour the fishermen tried to get their nets. When the catfish was pulled out, it was measured. The weight of the fish was 60 kilograms, and the length was 2 meters. The fishermen did not release their prey, but cooked a roast out of it.

Mustache from USA

In the States, large catfish are somewhat less common 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 think that his fishing on the Mississippi would be so successful. The weight of his prey was 51 kilograms. Of course, by European standards, this is an average catfish. However, the fact that a teenager caught him is surprising.

Also in the USA, we managed to catch a rare piebald blue catfish. It is worth noting that piebald is a mutation.It results in the animal pigment being a mixture of pigmented and non-pigmented coloration. American fishermen were very surprised when they first saw a white fish, after which they noticed dark-colored fins.

The piebald variety resembles albinism. In this case, animals often lack some kind of color. They look white and have pink eyes. Another fisherman from Missouri recently caught a rare blue albino catfish. The fact is that white-colored fish stands out strongly in nature and attracts enemies. Therefore, it is difficult to find adults of this color.

Interesting facts

Catfish is an unusual fish with many interesting facts:

1. Such individuals have a long lifespan. At the same time, they grow until death.
2. In nature, there are albino individuals. They are characterized by a white skin tone and even eyes.
3. Ichthyologists have found that the age of giant individuals exceeds 80 years.
4. Teeth in catfish form several rows and resemble a fine grater. Anglers pull out such individuals, holding on to the lower part. This helps to catch fish and not get hurt.
5. Fishermen who want to release big fish use a special glove. With her help, the giant is dragged onto the boat. It is worth noting that the hook can damage the fish and even cause its death.
6. In the region of the upper lip, the catfish has 2 large whiskers. There are 4 small antennae on the lower lip.
7. The fish's whiskers are an organ of touch. With their help, she is able to detect electrical phenomena in the pond, which are caused by the contraction of the muscle tissues of possible prey.
8. Catfish has very small eyes and is very nearsighted. Therefore, the fish is not able to search for food at a distance with the help of the organ of vision.
9. Large individuals eat snails. They collect prey from the bottom and gnaw it with their teeth. Also, giant catfish often pick up frogs and crayfish.
10. In ancient times, the catfish was called the water devil. They tried not to catch him.
11. Catfish almost always attacks its prey. The fish does this even when it is completely full. This happens in individuals at the level of instincts.
12. 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 a change in the bottom topography for natural or technical reasons. These individuals live long enough. Their life expectancy reaches 60-70 years. At the same time, adults can weigh up to 300 kilograms.
13. Catfish is considered a loner. These fish only form schools when they are feeding.
14. It's no secret that the whiskers of this fish are an organ of touch. However, catfish can also use them to lure their prey. The fish burrows into the silt or hides in the snag and begins to move its whiskers. When attractive prey swims up, the catfish immediately attacks it and immediately swallows it with its giant mouth.
15. This fish prefers to hunt at night. However, there are exceptions in the form of daytime hunting. This often happens on cloudy days. Also, situations are sometimes observed when a fish floats to the surface of the water during the day and lies belly up. It is not related to the disease. Thus, the fish is resting. If the catfish is frightened off at this moment, it will immediately go to the bottom.
16. Asian anchor catfish is literally 2.5 centimeters long. This fish is very popular with aquarists. It has the same structure as a large catfish, including small antennae. Such catfish are distinguished by a yellowish-golden color and are covered with a spotted brown pattern. This peaceful fish is active at night. However, even in this case, she often stays in one place.
17. Catfish has 100,000 taste buds. In some varieties, this figure reaches 175 thousand. These receptors are located throughout the body. This allows the fish to feel where the food is.Most of the taste buds are present on the antennae. Thanks to this, catfish can feel food for many kilometers. Many individuals live at the bottom and often move in muddy water. Because their sense of taste is a tool for finding food in conditions of limited visibility.
18. Catfish are distinguished by a variety of species. This affects the differences in the methods of their reproduction. The most common channel catfish lays large eggs in the cracks of rocks or plants. After that, the male guards her. After the appearance of the fry, the male watches them for several more weeks. Another species of individuals, sea catfish, refers to oral breeders. It is able to hold up to 50 eggs in its mouth. After the fry appear, they remain in the male's mouth for another 2 weeks.

Catfish is a large fish that is considered a real champion. This giant is found in various countries of the world. It is not surprising that the fishermen were able to catch real monsters weighing several hundred kilograms and more than two meters long.

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