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The largest catfish cannibals in the world.
The most big fish occurring in our band is . In our climate, the largest catfish can reach a weight of 300 kilograms and a length of 5 meters., although there are reports of a hundred years ago about catching catfish more than 400 kilograms. Sabaneev's book mentions a typical monument to the largest catfish, installed on Lake Issyk-Kul. The jaw of the catfish was set vertically in the ground in the form of an arch, while its size was such that an adult could pass through it without bending.
So if a similar giant lived in nature, now the largest catfish in the world has already been caught. On this moment it is difficult to establish what size that catfish could have been, but Lake Issyk-Kul is really known common fish, growing there to large sizes due to the very good local plankton. for example, 30-centimeter is not unique there, but the norm.
German sources mention the capture of a 400-kilogram catfish in 1830 on the Oder River. In Uzbekistan, about 100 years ago, a 430-kilogram specimen was caught, the largest catfish in the world.
But modern fishermen occasionally come across catfish more than 50 kilograms. The catfish spends a huge part of its life at the bottom, in muddy hollows and pits. Catfish feeds on fish, crayfish and mollusks, frogs and various carrion.
IN South America the growth of the largest catfish reaches 3 meters, but there have been no cases of these fish attacking a person. in India and Indonesia, the largest catfish up to 3.7 meters long have been fixed, which can simply eat a person, but there have been no such cases either.
Different types of large catfish are found in all regions of the world, but only in our Eastern European part of the country are true huge cannibal catfish found.
The largest European catfish turns out to be a lover of human flesh, and this has been proven historically. Even in the Middle Ages, the catfish was known for the fact that, in addition to its own ordinary food, it was not averse to eating sheep and dogs, and sometimes tasting a dozing bather. The largest petimeter catfish is simply able to completely swallow a baby, or drown an adult. I personally know the option when the catfish almost drowned a young lady who was swimming in the river. At the same time, large catfish do not eat large prey right away - it simply drowns the victim, and later sucks on the decaying corpse. 
Here are some historical facts: in 1754, the corpse of a seven-year-old baby was found in the stomach of a large catfish, in 1558, rings and a human hand were found inside a large catfish, in 1790 in Turkey, the corpse of a lady was found in a large catfish, and a few years later, in 1793 , in a year the biggest catfish ate 2 girls. in 1613, the catfish attacked the baby and ate it, which was proven by witnesses.
Of course, it cannot be argued that a large catfish specifically preys on people. most likely, he just finds the drowned and eats them. But one can imagine that in almost all cases of the disappearance of people, and especially babies, it is the huge catfish that are to blame on the river. On the Kuban and Don rivers, countless cases of catfish eating people are known, as well as the fact that when catching the largest catfish bite desperately and can cause severe injuries to a person.
The largest catfish in Europe.
The largest catfish in Europe was caught in Italy in March 2011. Its weight was equal to 114 kilograms, its length is exactly 2.5 meters. A fisherman named Robert Gody pulled the fish ashore for 50 minutes. And not just one, but with the help of several people. As a result, the catfish became the largest freshwater fish, which was caught in the reservoirs of Europe. she got the title the biggest catfish in the world who managed to catch.
On a fishing day, Roberto Godi was hunting for a, but he felt a bite and went into the river. After the catch, weighing 114 kg, was taken out of the water, everyone was taken aback. The fisherman weighed a large catfish, took a picture with him and released him back into the river.
And the previous record was recorded a little earlier. The largest European catfish weighed 111 kg. he was caught in the Spanish river Ebro. another catfish and also the owner of the title the biggest catfish in the world was caught May 1, 2009 in the Mekong River in Thailand.
Its weight was 293 kilograms, with a length of 2.7 meters. Such impressive dimensions were recorded by the Thai authorities in the presence of the head of the international research project WWF (Global Wildlife Fund) by Zeb Hogan. this project is dedicated to the study of the largest fish in the world. And at the moment, the Mekong catfish is the largest freshwater fish in the world.
In general, large catfish were caught at different times and in different countries. For example, in the Ukrainian Dnieper (where catfish is considered the king fish), according to unconfirmed reports, a 288-kilogram catfish 4 meters long was caught. In the Dniester, they took out a catfish weighing 320 kg. And again, according to unconfirmed reports, in 1830 the largest catfish in the world was caught on the Oder. His weight was 400 kg.
The largest cannibal catfish
Hungry catfish are creepy enough. There are known facts when fish pounced on rotten rags and even snatched linen from the hands of ladies who rinsed clothes in ponds. a large catfish has the strength to turn the boat over, and if desired, they can break fishing net and take the fish with you.
Catfish is the largest river predator. Its weight can reach 230 kg with a length of 3 meters. But the fish can grow to huge sizes. For example, the South American zoologist David Wheeler mentions in his book "Killer Fish" a catfish of 500 kg and 6.3 meters.
The largest catfish is a cannibal.
Catfish live in virtually all large reservoirs of Russia and the CIS countries. Widespread in Europe, but not in the Nordic countries. can be found in the USA, Canada and Latin America. Specialists say that catfish can storm any living creature that is on the surface of the water. A predator always swallows its prey completely. They can't tear off pieces like a shark since it doesn't have teeth like that. small teeth are more like a brush. with all this, catfish, which can live up to 100 years, are sometimes not able to provide a constant breakfast for themselves. therefore, it is easier for him to find prey on the surface: ducks, birds, dogs and even people.
China
Once a year, bathers mysteriously disappeared in one of the Chinese reservoirs. the mystery of the disappearances has already been revealed. it turned out that there was a large three-meter catfish with a head over a meter in the pond. Inside the fish found human remains.
Catching a big catfish.
Holland
In one of the lakes of the Centerparcs holiday park in Holland, a 2.3-meter catfish is terrified. They named him Big Mom. It feeds, to a greater extent, on ducks that swim in the area of the lake. Per day, according to park officials, catfish can eat 2-3 birds. In addition, underwater fish have several small and huge dogs on their account. Catfish managed to grow to such a terrifying size thanks to the unusually clean water in the lake, the tranquility and variety of food around.
Kazakhstan
In Kazakhstan, the authorities initially kept quiet about the subsequent incident, and later it became a wealth of publicity. Man-eating fish are found in the reservoir on the banks of the Ilek River near the town of Aktobe. Therefore, swimming is prohibited there. in 2009, a large catfish frightened the inhabitants of a Kazakh town. Three people drowned in the water area near the Zhilgorodsky beach. Local residents say that the catfish is to blame for everything. One of the inhabitants saw how a large fish heated up on the surface.
The largest bather catfish.
Ukraine
Near Khortitsa a couple of years ago, at a depth of 15 meters, a missing tugboat was found. A hole was found on its board, and a 5-meter catfish was stuck in it. when the carcass of the fish was stretched and the stomach opened, everyone gasped. inside were the remains of 3 wanted Polish tourists. they escaped from the ship in distress, but never made it to shore. local residents say that in their memory there are already more than 10 attacks of killer catfish on sailing and motor boats. There are also cases of disappearance of fishermen.
Our homeland
In the Khopersky reserve, a large catfish attacked a young deer in the presence of rangers, a forester and a biologist. The predator, in front of people, dragged the animal to the bottom of the lake. And then the old-timers convince that this is far from the only case.
Albino big catfish
It was not possible to find and catch a large killer catfish. A special commission concluded that the fish behave this way especially because of the tectonic fault and the unusual state of the earth's crust in the area of the reserve. anger could be the result of an energy release in the fault zone. And in the summer of 1996, in the same Voronezh region, in the village of Kulakovo, a lady and a boy became victims of a voracious catfish.
Specialists say that if the prey for a large catfish is large, then he can throw it at the bottom until the corpse begins to decay and becomes soft. Only later does it begin to suck on pieces of flesh. The largest killer catfish went hunting at sunset, and the hunter continued until dawn. Therefore, swimming in the evening where large catfish are found is not recommended.
Real giant catfish
A recognizable ichthyologist named Richiuti tells of a number of historical cases when people fell into the mouth of a large catfish. For example, in 1613, in the area of today's Pressburg, a river predator caught a baby. in 1754, the corpse of a seven-year-old baby was found in the belly of another 1st huge killer catfish. And at the end of the 18th century, a fish was caught in Turkey, inside of which there was a female body. And in the same place in Turkey in 1793, cases were recorded when a large cannibal catfish ate 2 little girls.
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Catfish is a freshwater fish that can be found in water bodies. different countries peace. Surely many have heard horror stories about cannibal catfish, who are just waiting for the right moment to drag their prey to the depths. But was it really, and what size was the largest catfish caught? Let's figure this out.
Listed in the Book of Records
The fact that catfish can reach incredibly huge sizes is evidenced by many stories. Moreover, some specimens of the caught giant catfish are listed in the Guinness Book of Records. In 2005, a huge catfish was caught in the Mekong River (in Thailand). The record for the size and weight of the predator is officially registered - representatives of the Thai authorities were even invited for this. The length of the caught catfish was 2.7 m, and it weighed 293 kg. Because of its incredible size, this predator was listed in the Red Book as the largest catfish.
This river was previously famous for the fact that quite large trophies could be caught in it. However, with the pollution of the reservoir, the number of catfish in it began to decrease, and then the predator disappeared altogether. Therefore, the surprise of the locals knew no bounds when they saw such a huge catch. This “monster” was decided to be sent to the environmental service, where it would be watched, but the predator did not survive.
The largest specimens according to unconfirmed data
However, large-sized catfish were caught in many countries and at different times. For example, a catfish even larger than the Mekong catfish was caught in Russia (in Lake Issyk-Kul) back in the 19th century. Most likely, this is due to the best ecology of that time - after all, catfish love clean water and are able to breed only in such reservoirs. The weight of the caught catfish was 347 kg. The mouth of this fish was so large that an adult could easily fit in it. On the lake, in honor of such an event, an arch was erected depicting the giant jaw of the largest catfish.
Also, according to unconfirmed reports, it is known that in 1830 in Germany (on the Oder River) an even larger specimen was caught - catfish, whose weight, according to eyewitnesses, was 400-450 kg.
In Holland, a catfish was caught, the length of which is 2.3 m. He was given the nickname "Big Mom" - now he lives in a lake, which is located in a local park. Divers love to swim in this lake, who are 100 percent sure that the “Big Mom” will not be able to cause harm. However, everything can turn out quite differently, because there have been cases when huge catfish attacked people.
Killer catfish
Since the Middle Ages, there have been rumors that human remains were found in the stomachs of huge catfish. And in our time passes such information. In the east of China, a catfish was caught, the length of which was more than three meters. When this huge predator was opened, they found human remains inside. Most likely, these were the people who were officially considered drowned, but their bodies were never found.
There was a case in Russia - in the Khopersky Reserve, a predator dragged a deer to the depths, and in front of the huntsman, biologist and forester. But it was not possible to find and catch this catfish. Experts say that if a catfish has tried human meat at least once, then it will not have enough of its usual food (fish, frogs, birds), and it will purposefully hunt people. Killer catfish go hunting at sunset, so swimming in places where catfish are found is not worth it.
Catfish is one of the biggest predators among fish. More than it in freshwater reservoirs, only representatives of sturgeons are found, catching of which is currently prohibited. What are the dimensions and weight of the largest catfish in the world, and what trophies do happy anglers take with them?
The largest catfish according to Guinness
In the spring of 2011, the Guinness Book of Records recorded the case of the capture of the largest specimen. The length of the fish turned out to be 250 centimeters, and the weight was 114 kilos. You can see this freshwater giant in the photo. Such wonderful catch went to the Italian Robert Godi, who fought the fish for almost an hour. And he did it not alone, but with the help of several adult men. This largest catfish in the world was also the largest freshwater predator in Europe, the catch of which was recorded.
The previous record holder - one of the largest catfish - was caught shortly before the capture of the previous trophy. The weight of the fish shown in the photo was 111 kg, which is only 3 kilos less than the real world record. This giant fish was caught in Spain on the Ebro River. But unlike the trophy caught in the spring, which was decided to be released into the wild, this trophy was not lucky.
The largest catfish were caught about a century ago. Predatory fish living in the Eurasian reservoirs can reach a length of up to 5 meters, and in weight - up to 300 kilograms or more. In Uzbekistan, about 100 years ago, a catfish weighing 430 kilograms was caught. And in the first half of the 19th century, a fish weighing 400 kilograms was caught. The length of these giants was just 5 meters, but there are no facts confirming these cases of catching.
Other records
Representatives of catfish can reach very large sizes. Young individuals are often caught, the weight of which is comparable to the weight of a trophy pike. But more and more anglers are trying to just take a photo and make a video with their trophy, and then release the fish back. If the largest specimen weighed 114 kilograms, then other trophies weigh slightly less:
- In 1998, in France, an individual of 110 kilograms was caught on the Rena River. At the same time, its length was a little more than 2.5 meters. You can see the photo below;
- On the same river in 2009, fishing ended with a monster of 120 kilograms being pulled out of the water. This is more than the current record, but the fact of capture was not registered. Therefore, it cannot be argued that this miracle fish really weighed so much. According to some sources, the length of the fish was 255 centimeters;
- In the same place in 2005, fishing ended with the capture of a specimen weighing 106 kilograms. The length of the trophy is 241 centimeters. Catfish were caught on live bait. In the photo you can see the happy faces of the anglers;
- In 2008, a representative of catfish was caught in Germany at 96 kg and 238 centimeters. This is the largest predator that was caught in the waters of the German country;
- A year earlier, a Russian fisherman caught a giant weighing 95 kg and 236 centimeters long in Germany;
- In 2004, fishing ended with the capture of a giant of 83 kilos and 217 centimeters;
- On the Ili River in Kazakhstan (2007), a woman caught a fish measuring 274 centimeters;
- A German tourist in Kazakhstan caught a giant weighing 130 kilos and measuring 2.69 meters (2004);
- On the river called Ili, a real giant was caught at 96 kilos and 2.72 meters;
- A large freshwater predator was caught on the Syrdarya River. Its mass was equal to 110 kilos, the size - 2.44 meters.
There are many cases of catching truly gigantic individuals, the mass of which is one and a half times the weight of the fish from the Guinness World Record. However, each of these cases was not registered. And it is not possible to determine the mass and length of a fish from photographs or videos. In Russia the most big catfish comes across only in deep rivers, and the mass of such fish rarely exceeds 50 kilograms. Below is a video about the capture of a large catfish in Russia.
Russian records
In Russia, for many years there have been no cases of catching representatives of the ichthyofauna of gigantic sizes. All record specimens were caught in the 18th and 19th centuries. There is information about them in printed sources. So, the largest trophy from the catfish family was caught 2 centuries ago. He weighed 347 kilos, his size was equal to 4.5 meters. Since then, it has not been heard that predators of this size have been caught yet.
Currently, anglers from all over the country are hunting for giants. But they are constantly haunted by failure. The most frequent trophies are fish from 30-40 kilos. But in the European part of the country, cases of catching quite large individuals are known - about 70-80 kg. It is very difficult to pull such giants out of the water. One angler is unlikely to cope with a fish. You will need at least a pair of strong male hands.
The fact that there are few large representatives of the ichthyofauna in Russia is influenced by several factors:
- Poor environmental conditions;
- Active activity of poachers;
- Unfavorable climate: reservoirs freeze strongly in winter;
- Decline in the population of fish that catfish feed on.
All this greatly affects the fish size. Most often, the largest specimens are found in forgotten by man places. This suggests that human activity is the main factor influencing the growth and reproduction of fish.
Catfish is a freshwater large fish without scales from the catfish order, representing the catfish family.
The species has a distribution in lakes and rivers throughout Europe, except for Norway, Italy, England, Scotland and Spain. There are representatives of this species in the south of Finland and Sweden. The area of distribution of catfish in the south is limited by the coastal waters of the Black and Aegean Seas, in Asia - by the Aral Sea. Catfish that live in rivers that flow into the Black, Baltic, Caspian Seas often swim in their salty waters. In the upper reaches of the rivers, fish is rare, the highest concentration of catfish occurs in large reservoirs and in the mouths of the rivers.
The appearance of catfish
Catfish are owners of a long, scaleless body, rounded in front and laterally compressed in the back. On a flat and wide head are small eyes, which are located closer to the forehead. The mouth of the fish is armed with a large number of small teeth. A characteristic feature of catfish is long whiskers located on opposite sides of the upper jaw. Mustaches are also on the lower jaw, 2 on each side. The fish has a long anal fin, no adipose fin, and the dorsal fin is located closer to the head, small and sharp. The pectoral fins are wide and strong. In order to confuse its prey, the catfish creates turbulences in the water with its pectoral fins. The skin of the fish is smooth and slippery.
The color of the fish is not uniform. The back is very dark in color. Slightly lighter than the sides, they are greenish-brown with lighter areas. The belly has a light gray tint. The color of the fish depends on the habitat. In stagnant waters, the body color of the catfish is saturated dark. In running water, the skin of the fish acquires a lighter color.
Catfish is a fairly large fish. Catfish sizes
Catfish are very large. The length can reach 4 meters, the weight reaches 180 kg, there are specimens much larger.
However, individuals with a maximum weight are extremely rare in nature. For example, in the 19th century, giant catfish came across, which reached a length of 3 meters and weighed 200-220 kg. There is a story that in the Dnieper, in 1856, they caught a fish of this species, which weighed about 400 kg and its length was 5 m.
Nowadays, catfish are usually caught in a length of 1.3-1.6 m. Great luck and the greatest rarity if you manage to catch a fish more than 2 meters long and weighing 70 kg. Most often come across specimens of 1.5 meters in length with a weight of 15-20 kg.
In order for the catfish to grow to a decent size, very good conditions for his life. Even if there is ideal conditions, the weight of the fish may not exceed 90 kg, and the length - 2.5 meters. Weight Limit representatives of the species, currently registered, reaches 144 kg with a length of 2.78 meters.
Catfish behavior and nutrition
Catfish do not migrate far from their usual habitat. Feeding and spawning areas are located nearby. Fish prefer to lead single image life, gathering in large flocks in cold weather. They hide in deep holes and stop feeding until spring.
Catfish is a large underwater predator leading a benthic lifestyle. The fish feels comfortable in quiet areas of the reservoir, at the bottom of which there are caves, pits and snags.
Catfish hunt from ambush. Hiding in a secluded place, the fish makes a throw and catches a gaping prey. In shallow water, where the movement of young fish is observed, you can see a large flock of hunting catfish. They stand against the current, open their mouths and swallow whole flocks of small fish.
During the day, catfish prefer to rest in caves and pits, they go hunting at dusk and at night. Sensitive skin and mustache help to detect the victim.
Contrary to the popular belief that catfish are only scavengers, it can be said that bottom fish species serve as food for them. It can be carp, goby, perch, different types herring and sturgeon breeds. At an early stage of life, catfish eat crustaceans, frogs, fry, aquatic insects and attack waterfowl and rodents. Catfish also does not disdain carrion.
Reproduction and lifespan
The ability to reproduce occurs after the catfish reaches a size of 50-60 cm and a weight of 2-3 kg. The fish has such parameters in the fifth year of life. Depending on the region of habitat, spawning occurs in spring and summer. The required water temperature for this is 17-20 degrees. Under favorable conditions, females of this species throw 2 portions of caviar. For one kilogram of weight, the female can sweep up to 30 thousand eggs. In general, the larger and heavier the female, the more caviar will be. The sizes of eggs vary from 1.7 to 3 mm.
Before spawning, the female catfish builds a nest at the bottom of a river or lake. Usually, this is a shallow, rounded hole covered with aquatic plants. Such a nest is always located in shallow water, at a distance of 50-70 cm from the surface of the water. Sticky caviar is securely glued to the walls of the nest and to the bottom. The development of eggs occurs from 3 to 10 days, and throughout this time the nest is guarded by the male.
Larvae are first formed from eggs. Then, the yolk sac dissolves and fry appear. Their length is 15 mm. They disperse from the nest and lead an independent life.
Young catfish grows rapidly, especially in the rivers of the southern regions. During the first year of its life, the fry grows up to 30-40 cm and gains weight of 300-500 grams. At the age of 10 years, the fish can weigh 15-20 kg and grow up to 1.25 m. However, a very high percentage of death of young individuals is observed. Up to a year old, only 5% of the young of this species of fish can survive. The life expectancy of catfish is 30-35 years.
Only young individuals of catfish serve as food for people. As a rule, their weight does not exceed 15 kg. Large representatives of this species are very heavy and fatty, so it is not recommended to eat them. You can not eat catfish caviar, as it is poisonous.
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