The largest fish caught in the world. Photos of giant fish, record fish photos The largest fish caught by fishermen
Most big catfish(Catfish, Sheatfish) is the dream of any experienced fisherman. Predatory fish of record sizes are usually documented thanks to big game hunters who are always trying to record their incredible catch. Usually a person who manages to catch a giant trophy is perceived by other fishermen as nothing less than great.
The largest catfish (Catfish, Sheatfish) is the dream of any experienced fisherman
Catfish is one of the giant centenarians that can surprise you with its size and age. Determining its maximum possible size is very difficult, because in addition to documented reports of capture, there are many more unconfirmed ones. There are many references in historical archives to the capture of giant Sheatfish from the 19th century, which are more like fairy tales, but may well be true. Listed below are documented giant catfish of various varieties.
The largest channel Catfish caught was 1m 30cm long and weighed 26kg. There are relatively few unconfirmed reports of catching this species, so this fish probably does not reach large sizes. Blue Sheatfish are considered larger. The largest representative of this species in the world had a length of 1 m 70 cm and a weight of 45 kg. There is also information about unprecedented specimens that were caught in the 19th century. If you believe such reports, the weight of the largest blue catfish reached 68 kg. It is difficult to say how true this information is, but we can assume that a length of 1 m 70 cm is not the limit for this type of fish. The length of the largest flathead catfish was 1 m 55 cm, and it weighed 56 kg.
To date, there is no confirmed data on the capture of larger specimens, and we can conclude that the above figures correspond to the maximum sizes.
The common, or river, catfish is much larger in size compared to other species. This is exactly the type of Catfish that has lived in Russia for centuries. It is considered the largest in the world. These days, the largest fish caught usually weigh no more than 90 kg. There is confirmed information that the most big catch in the world - this is a specimen weighing 300 kg and 5 m long. If you believe unconfirmed records of the 19th century, the largest catfish in Russia reached 6 m in length, and its Weight Limit was 350 kg. However, no evidence was found that the record catfish could reach 400 kg.
The Stiletto Catfish is another giant species that reaches 3m in length. The largest representative of this species weighed 350 kg, which makes it an absolute record holder in terms of weight, although it is inferior in size to an ordinary catfish.
Despite the fact that Sheatfish is considered one of the largest bony fish, some varieties barely reach a maximum length of 12 cm. At the same time, they become sexually mature, having a length of 1 cm.
Gallery: big catfish (25 photos)
The largest catfish in the world (video)
Myths and legends associated with catfish
Raising a giant specimen in captivity is very difficult. The main problem is that catfish gain weight slowly, and it can take many years to reach record sizes. Additionally, wild varieties generally do not grow well in captivity, much like aquarium fish do not do well in the wild.
The huge difference between official data and historical chronicles greatly complicates the task of determining the maximum possible size of catfish. But we can assume that a length of 5 m is not the limit for such a fish. A catfish can only pull 300 kg if its age is several decades. This is the largest fish living in fresh water. For comparison, the largest carp in the world, according to L.P. Sabaneev, weighs only 70 kg. This fish is very strong, but is significantly smaller in size than Catfish. The largest silver carp was caught in 2015 on the Dnieper River. His weight was 50 kg. As you can see from these examples, the largest fish caught from other freshwater species cannot compete with Sheatfish.
Record-sized predatory fish are usually documented thanks to big game hunters who are always trying to record their incredible catch This fish can indeed pose a danger to human health, but the problem is not at all that the 300-kilogram catfish preys on people. Some varieties of this fish may have sharp spines on their fins. These thorns are not poisonous, but they must be handled with extreme caution.
Descriptions of cases when a huge river monster attacked a waterfowl do not resemble the truth, since the catfish actively hunts at night, and in the daytime behaves more calmly and prefers not to leave deep holes. These attacks are most likely associated with the activity of large pike (after all, it is not without reason that it is popularly nicknamed “duckfish”).
The legend about the huge mutant Catfish, weighing three hundred kilograms and living in the exclusion zone around the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, deserves special mention. There really is a giant catfish that no one is trying to catch, but its size has nothing to do with radiation exposure. This can be explained by the fact that the Pripyat River has become a kind of reserve for fish, free from the invasion of fishermen and poachers.
Catching catfish from a boat (video)
In this collection you will learn about the largest creatures ever caught in the water
1. The largest lobster ever caught
A 12-kilogram lobster was caught off the coast of Maine.
2. The largest catfish
The largest catfish ever caught was almost 3 meters long. She was caught by villagers in Thailand, but despite their best efforts, she eluded them.
3. The largest stingray
This giant freshwater stingray weighed more than 250 kilograms. It took more than 90 minutes to pull him out of the water.
4. The biggest salmon
The king of salmon weighed as much as 40 kilograms, 2 times more than salmon usually weigh
5. The largest squid
The largest squid ever caught was caught in the Arctic Ocean. Its length was more than 6 meters and weighed about half a ton. Previously, the largest squid was caught in New Zealand and weighed 70 kilograms less 
6. The biggest marlin
This marlin was caught in Hawaii in 1984. Its length was more than 5 meters and its weight was almost 700 kilograms. 
7. Huge sea bass
It took more than an hour to pull this sea bass out of the water. His weight was more than 200 kilograms 
8. The largest king crab
The largest king crab ever caught weighed a whopping 15 kilograms 
9. Mediterranean shark
The largest Mediterranean shark was 7 meters long 
10. Alligator Garfish
This fish is also called sea pike. The largest garfish was caught off the coast of Texas and weighed more than 100 kilograms
You are probably wondering what kind of miracle fish is in the very first photo, this is one of the rarest fish ever caught - the king oar, or belt fish
Fish a little more than half a meter long, living in fresh water, look very large, but among freshwater fish there are a variety of species that are so large in length and weight that it is difficult to imagine.
Of course, the inhabitants of the deep sea have a wider variety of shapes and sizes, but in some rivers and lakes they live unique species largest freshwater fish in the world.
For lovers fishing You should always be very careful, especially when fishing in unfamiliar waters. It is unknown to what size a catfish or perch could grow in the deep waters of an unvisited lake. So it won’t be long before you yourself become the prey of some two-meter pike. 🙂
10. Carp (Cyprinus carpio)
Carp (carp)- a large omnivorous fish that lives in fresh water bodies with standing water and muddy bottom. The body is covered with large scales and has a golden hue. A very voracious fish, capable of eating almost the whole day. Carps eat young shoots of reeds and other aquatic plants, as well as mollusks, aquatic insects and even the eggs of other fish and frogs. Since the average size of this fish is small, it ranks last among the ten largest freshwater fish in the world. The largest carp was caught in 2015 in Hungary. His weight was 48 kg.
9.
paddlefish is a large freshwater fish that inhabits bodies of water in the eastern United States, particularly rivers flowing into the Gulf of Mexico. Most common in Mississippi and its associated lakes. On average, adult individuals reach a size of 221 cm and a weight of 90.7 kg. They live long, up to 55 years. These freshwater fish are the only sturgeon species that feed on zooplankton, phytoplankton, as well as the remains (detritus) and secretions of invertebrate animals.
8.
Siberian taimen (Russian salmon)– a species of predatory freshwater fish belonging to the salmon family. These fish inhabit the fast and cold waters of Siberia, Altai and the Far East. It is not in vain that it is considered the largest salmon in the world: such a fish can be 1 m in length and weigh 50-60 kg. The taimen is not whimsical in its choice of food; it preys on all types of fish that are smaller in size. It has different colors, but you can recognize it by its olive-green head, reddish-brown tail and 8-10 transverse stripes on the sides. The lifespan of taimen is significantly longer than that of other salmon. Thanks to this, fish can grow to above average sizes.
The largest taimen in the world was caught in the Krasnoyarsk Territory on the Kotui River in 1943. The weight of this fish was 105 kg and the length was 210 cm.
7.
Shelled pike- ray-finned fish of the armored family. Swims in fresh and brackish waters of the Central and North America. This is not only one of the largest freshwater fish on the planet, but also one of the most ancient - the ancestors of this species lived on Earth more than 100 million years ago. It got its name for its truly terrifying appearance: long body covered with thick, shell-like scales, and a sharp muzzle with powerful jaws with four rows of teeth. Armored freshwater pikes can reach 3 m in length and weigh up to 136 kg. It mainly eats small fish, but can also attack humans.
6. Nile perch (Lates niloticus)
Nile perch- the largest freshwater fish in the world from the genus Perciformes. Found in water bodies of Africa (Nile, Senegal, Congo, etc.). We are used to catching perches “on the palm” and more, but this type grows up to 2 m in length with a weight of up to 200 kg. The average length of the African freshwater perch will be 120-140 cm. The fish has a silver color with a blue tint. It feeds on smaller fish, insects, crayfish, and also does not disdain its relatives.
5.
Brazilian arapaima is a tropical freshwater fish from the Aravan family. Distributed in lakes and rivers South America. The body of this fish has a greenish color in the front, with a smooth transition to red in the tail, and incredibly durable scales. Thanks to its reliable protection, the arapaima coexists with such ferocious predators as piranhas. It mainly feeds on fish, and on occasion birds and small animals. The average length is 2 meters, but there are individuals up to 3 meters and weighing 200 kg.
The Brazilian arapaima has a unique feature - it is able to breathe atmospheric air.
4.
Mekong catfish (shilbo catfish)- ray-finned fish of the pangasian catfish family. Inhabits the rivers of Thailand: Mekong and Tonle Sap. The largest specimen was 2.7 m in length and weighed 293 kg. These freshwater fish eat phytoplankton and algae and also prey on fish and small animals. Due to excessive fishing, there is a possibility of complete extinction of this species. According to some data, over the past 14 years, its population in the world has decreased by 80%. Therefore, the Shilbo catfish is included in the International Red Book.
3.
Common catfish- a large bottom-dwelling fish without scales, living in deep fresh waters of lakes and rivers in Europe, Asia and parts of Russia. This fish is a real giant among aquatic creatures. Therefore, it is included in the same list with the largest freshwater fish in the world. With great depth and sufficient food, it can grow up to 5 m long and weigh up to 400 kg. There is no official confirmation of the second figure, but there are many eyewitness accounts. For such sizes, you need a lot of food. Some sources say that catfish feed exclusively on carrion. In fact, these fish prefer to hunt small fish, crustaceans, waterfowl, aquatic insects, small mammals and even their relatives.
Catfish are very big predatory fish with an aggressive character, living in fresh water, including in places where people bathe. In this regard, they pose a danger to humans, because can cause enough serious injuries. There is official evidence of attacks by two-meter catfish on people.
2.
White sturgeon is the third largest in the sturgeon family. Inhabits the fresh waters of North America and is considered the largest cultural heritage British Columbia. The sturgeon loves to live in the calm waters of the west coast and is large in size: up to 6 m long and weighing up to 816 kg. The fish is very aggressive, has a characteristic gray color with white spots and diamonds on the sides and back. Sturgeons live for a very long time, longer than humans, up to 100-110 years, and can reproduce only from the age of 14 (males) and 18 (females). The predator eats mollusks, crustaceans, worms and fish.
1. Beluga (Huso huso)
Beluga- a large freshwater fish from the sturgeon family, living in the Caspian, Black and Seas of Azov. This fish grows to enormous sizes: 4-5 meters in length and weighs up to one and a half tons. According to unconfirmed reports, there were individuals 9 m long and weighing up to 2 tons. That is why the beluga is the largest freshwater fish in the world. Feeds different types fish, shellfish, but prefers sprat, gobies, and herring. Beluga is a valuable commercial fish because... it contains the most expensive caviar in the world – black. The cost of a kilogram of black caviar in Europe can exceed 7,000 euros. Beluga is listed in the Red Book.
Another large commercial fish also belongs to the beluga genus - kaluga (Huso dauricus). We did not include it in the ranking of the largest freshwater fish in the world to make our TOP 10 more diverse. Lives in the Amur River. Grown-up individuals feed on minnows and other small fish, and later they eat silver carp, carp, salmon, grass carp, and sometimes their relatives. It can grow up to 5-6 meters long, and the maximum recorded weight of the “Queen of Amur” is 600 kg. This giant was caught by a Chinese fisherman in 2012. There is an assumption that previously there were fish weighing up to a ton. Included in the international and Russian Red Book. Kaluga is a freshwater fish, but is able to adapt to life in salty sea water.
Gray bull shark (bluntnose) lives in tropical and subtropical waters of all oceans. Belongs to the family of gray sharks, whose representatives can live in both salt and fresh water and is the largest of them. Among all species of sharks living today, it has greatest strength bite - up to 6000 Newton. According to some data, it reaches a length of 3.5-4 m and a weight of up to 400 kg. Females are larger than males, aggressive and merciless. The bull shark hunts in the shallowest freshwater bodies near sandy beaches. Although this is big fish we did not include it in the rating because freshwater rivers and lakes are not its main habitat.
- The smallest freshwater fish in the world is dwarf pandaka (Pandaka pygmaea). It has an almost transparent colorless body. Found in the lakes of the Philippine island of Luzon. It grows no more than 1 centimeter and weighs 4-5 mg.
- The largest fish in the world, among the inhabitants of both fresh and salt waters - whale shark (Rhincodon typus).
Interesting facts about the largest freshwater fish in the world.
Catfish is one of the largest predators inhabiting the underwater river world. With a sufficient food supply, catfish can live for hundreds of years, gaining weight up to 500 kg and growing in length up to 4-5 meters. It is indicated that the largest catfish was caught in Uzbekistan about 100 years ago. It weighed about 430 kg and was up to 5 meters long. Unfortunately, there is no official confirmation of this fact. You can find a mention that in Ukraine, in the Dnieper River, a catfish was caught, weighing 288 kg, which managed to grow up to 4 meters in length.
A catfish of this size can easily swallow an adult, as evidenced by official data. Some experts claim that there are cannibal catfish. But such statements have no scientific evidence. If human corpses are found in the belly of a river giant, it is assumed that the people were already dead. Simply put, these people drowned in due time, and only after that they were swallowed by a catfish.
Nowadays, the number of large catfish has sharply decreased due to the difficult environmental situation, as well as uncontrolled human fishing. In addition, modern gear has enormous potential in terms of catching fish. Despite this, weighty underwater predators are still occasionally encountered. In order not to be unfounded, we can present to your attention a review of the largest catfish in the world, caught not so long ago.
In tenth place was a catfish from Belarus, whose length was 2 meters. It was caught by a local fisherman in 2011. When he and his assistants were catching fish with nets, after another cast, the nets suddenly refused to be pulled out of the water. For a whole hour, the fisherman and his comrades pulled the nets out of the water. After the catfish was pulled ashore, it was weighed and measured. With a length of two meters, its weight was 60 kg. The fishermen did not release the catfish, but let it go to fry.
2 – Weighty catfish from Spain
In 2009, local fishermen caught an albino catfish in the Ebro River, which was more than two meters long and weighed 88 kg. A Briton from Sheffield, Chris, managed to catch him. He tried to pull the catfish out on his own, but he failed. Chris had to ask for help from his friends, who also came to fish with him. It took more than 30 minutes for the catfish to reach the shore. The catfish was released after Chris and his friends, who helped pull the catfish out of the water, took a photo with it.
3 – Catfish from Holland
Eighth place goes to a catfish from Holland, who lives in the Centerparcs holiday park. The park is very popular among tourists and local residents. Moreover, everyone knows that a huge catfish, up to 2.3 meters long, lives in the park’s reservoir. This huge representative of the underwater world received the nickname “Big Momma”. The river monster eats up to three birds swimming on the lake a day, as evidenced by park guards. “Big Momma” is protected by the state, so fishing here is prohibited.
4 – Catfish from Italy
At the beginning of 2011, Italian Robert Godi managed to catch one of the largest catfish. He rightfully occupies the seventh position in this rating. With a length of about 2.5 meters, its weight was 114 kg. The experienced fisherman did not even hope that he would be so lucky. It took six people to pull the catfish out for almost an hour. Robert admitted that he arrived at the pond with friends in the hope of catching bream. The fact that instead of a bream a huge catfish pecked is very rare and unexpected. But most importantly, the catfish was pulled out. After determining its size and weight, the catfish was released back into the reservoir.
5 – French som
In the Rhone River, tourist Yuri Grisendi caught the largest catfish in France. After measurements, it became known that the catfish has a length of 2.6 meters and a weight of up to 120 kilograms. The man who caught him is engaged in a targeted hunt for such giants. Moreover, he catches not only catfish, but also other large representatives of the underwater world. Therefore, the catch cannot be called accidental, as in previous cases. After another monster is caught, it is filmed as evidence and released back into the water. There is nothing strange about this, because this is the hobby of this fisherman.
6 – Som from Kazakhstan
In fifth place is a giant from Kazakhstan, which was caught on the Ili River in 2007. He was caught by local fishermen. The giant had a weight of 130 kilograms and a length of 2.7 meters. As they say local residents, they had never seen such a giant in their lives.
7 – Huge catfish from Thailand
In 2005, in May, the largest catfish of these places was caught on the Mekong River. He weighed 293 kg, with a length of 2.7 meters. The reliability of the data was established by Zeb Hogan, responsible for the WWF international project. During this period, he investigated the presence of the largest fish in the world. The albino catfish that was caught is one of the largest representatives of freshwater fish that he noted in his work. At one time it was noted in the Guinness Book of Records. They wanted to release Soma, but unfortunately, he did not survive.
8 – Big catfish from Russia
It’s not for nothing that this huge catfish is in third place. He was caught several years ago in Russia. This event took place on the Seim River, which flows through the Kursk region. It was certified by employees of the Kursk Fishery Supervision Authority in 2009. The weight of the catfish reached 200 kg, and its length was about 3 meters. Underwater fishermen-hunters saw him underwater absolutely by accident and managed to shoot at him with an underwater gun. The shot was successful, and the fishermen tried to pull it out on their own, but they were unable to do so. Therefore, they took the help of a rural tractor driver on a tractor.
After it was pulled ashore, local residents noted that this was the first such huge catfish that they had seen in their lives.
9 – Catfish caught in Poland
In second place is the largest catfish caught in Poland. He was caught on the Oder River. According to experts, this fish is more than 100 years old. This specimen weighed up to 200 kilograms and was 4 meters long.
A human corpse was discovered in the belly of this animal, so experts had to be invited. They concluded that the man was already dead when he was swallowed by this giant. So the rumors that the catfish could be a cannibal were again not confirmed.
10 - The giant that was caught in Russia
According to some statements, this huge fish was caught in Russia back in the 19th century. They caught him in Lake Issyk-Kul and this giant weighed 347 kg with a length of more than 4 meters. Some experts claim that at that time, at the place where this catfish was caught, an arch was built, reminiscent in appearance of the jaws of this huge underwater representative.
Unfortunately, recently there has been a sharp decline in the fish stocks of our lakes and rivers. Fish are increasingly suffering from pollution of water bodies by various chemicals that enter rivers, ponds and lakes from fields. In addition, waste from industrial enterprises is dumped into the water. Unfortunately, the state does not conduct a special fight against such pests in human form. At this rate, there is every reason to believe that humanity will soon be left without fish at all.
Every fisherman dreams of a good big catch. Professional fishermen are trying to catch the biggest fish and set a new world record. Each of us understands that an absolute record for all times is impossible. There will certainly be craftsmen who are capable of achieving greater results than their predecessors, but there are people for whom the desire to become the most successful fisherman becomes the goal of their whole life. The names of such lucky ones were included in the list International Association sport fishing.
Ken Fraster caught the world's largest Atlantic tuna (Thunnus thynnus) in the waters of Olds Cove in Nova Scotia, Canada. This event occurred on October 26, 1979. The fish weighed 678 kg and Ken managed to catch it in just 45 minutes, for which he became famous for the rest of his life.
The record-breaking Atlantic blue marlin (lat. Makaira nigricans) was caught by Paulo Amorim on February 29, 1992. He wrestled with the hulk for 80 minutes and pulled it out onto the coast of Victoria in Brazil. The marlin weighed almost 635 kg and beat the previous record by 54 kilograms.
A swordfish (lat. Xiphias gladius) of record size was caught on May 7, 1953 in the waters of Chile off the coast of Iquique. The lucky one was Lou Maron, who pulled out the giant in 2 hours. It was 4.55 meters long and weighed more than 536 kilograms.
4. The giant of the Mekong River - the Grizzly Bear catfish
On May 1, 2005, a fisherman from northern Thailand caught what many world scientists consider to be the largest freshwater fish in the world - the giant catfish (Pangasianodon gigas). Its length was 2.74 meters and it weighed 293 kilograms. Since it was similar in size to an adult grizzly bear, the locals called it that.
On October 16, 1986, a fisherman named Lothar Lewis caught a giant pike 152 centimeters long in Lake Greffern, in western Germany. Rybina weighed 25 kg, which is almost 5 kilograms more than the previous record set by Peter Dubuc. It took Lothar Lewis 40 minutes to cope with the giant and pull him ashore.
This huge trout perch (lat. Micropterus salmonides) is a record holder for two reasons: firstly, it weighs 10 kilograms, and secondly, it is also the oldest trout perch in the world - it is 77 years old. He was caught by Manabu Kurita from Aichi City in Japan on July 2, 2009.
This fearsome species is usually found in the southwestern United States, but also occasionally travels as far north as Illinois and as far south as Veracruz, Mexico. This fish was shot by John Paul Morris and weighed 104 kg.
The giant tiger fish (lat. Hydrocynus goliath) lives in the waters of the rivers of central Africa and is famous for its large teeth. A tiger fish of record size was caught on July 9, 1988 by Raymond Houtmans. The weight of the fish was almost 44 kilograms.
