Catfish is the largest (after beluga) fish in Russia, living in fresh water. Its size and weight depend on the conditions of the reservoir in which they are found and the availability of food resources. It lives in large rivers in the south and in the center of the European part.

Leonid Sabaneev wrote in his fundamental work on life and fishing that the most gigantic catfish was caught in the Dnieper. Its weight was 320 kg., And its body length exceeded 4 m. What can you say? Nice trophy!

At present, reports from the fishing front no longer shine with such sensations. But this does not mean that large catfish have died out. Often they just break off and go away. Or modest anglers hesitate to post a photo with a huge fish. Meanwhile, on the Volga, two-meter individuals are not uncommon.

It is clear that this huge predator poses a danger to all other fish, which are "lucky" to live with him in the same reservoir. He can even be called the "Tsar of the Russian rivers". Even huge pikes, inadvertently caught by his eyes, become his victims. But he attacks not only fish, but also people. They can easily bite the bather's leg!

In addition to fish, catfish also have other animals in their diet. They often attack waterfowl - ducks, geese and their chickens. The squirrel does not even rush to the crossing river big catfish at 30-40 kg. Even dogs that cannot offer any resistance to this large fish often become their prey.

Fishing a catfish caught on a hook can take more than an hour. They put up a lot of resistance. Often they drag the anchored boat far from the fishing spot, in the middle of the river. Many fishermen cannot stand their nerves from fighting this giant and they simply cut the line. This happens at the moment when a catfish with a length of 3-4 meters for a moment floats to the surface and the fisherman sees all the futility of his efforts and refuses to get a trophy.

Scary rumors and facts about large catfish.

They say that these fish eat the bodies of drowned people. Hungry catfish can drag a person under the water who has swum too far from the shore. They are unlikely to be able to swallow him, but they can drag him to the bottom, where he suffocates from lack of oxygen.

Underwater hunters note that a wounded catfish, like a boar, becomes very aggressive and attacks the shooter. Its bites are very sensitive and painful even through a diving suit. The predator's teeth are very sharp. In addition, the catfish can hit a person in the head, as a result of which the latter will lose consciousness.

Now, probably, everyone has heard a lot about cannibals. In the Middle Ages, there were many reports that the bodies of small children were found in the stomach of this, if I may say so, shark. In our country, there are also such rumors.

In the east of China, a large catfish was caught with a length of more than three meters. Its mouth was very large, about 90 cm. Human remains were found in the stomach of this giant. Previously, it was thought that these people simply drowned. Most often, people are attacked by large fish, which no longer eat up with ordinary food. Having once tasted human meat, they, one might say, move "to a new level" and purposefully hunt Homo Sapiens. In Russia, as far as I know, there are no documented facts of cannibalism of these fish.

The average lifespan of catfish is 40 years. Some sources indicate a maximum duration of more than 80 years.

Catfish - freshwater large fish without scales from the order Catfish, representing the Catfish family.

The species is distributed 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 distribution area 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 into their salty waters. In the upper reaches of rivers, fish is rare; the highest concentration of catfish occurs in large reservoirs and in river mouths.

Catfish appearance

Catfish are the owners of a long, scaly body, rounded in front and compressed from the sides at the back. On flat and wide head there are small eyes that are located closer to the forehead. The mouth of the fish is armed with a large number of small teeth. Salient feature catfish - long whiskers located on opposite sides of the upper jaw. There is a mustache on lower jaw, 2 on each side. The fish has a long anal fin, there is no adipose fin, and the dorsal fin is located closer to the head, small and sharp. The pectoral fins are broad and strong. In order to confuse its prey, the catfish creates swirls 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 on the sides, they are greenish brown with lighter areas. The belly is light gray in color. The color of the fish depends on the habitat. In stagnant waters, the body color of the catfish is rich and dark. In running water, the skin of the fish becomes lighter in color.

Catfish is a rather large fish.

Catfish sizes

Catfish are very large in size. The length can reach 4 meters, the weight reaches 180 kg, there are specimens much larger.

However, individuals with maximum weight are extremely rare in nature. For example, in the 19th century, there were giant catfish that reached a length of 3 meters and weighed 200-220 kg at the same time. There is a story that in the Dnieper, in 1856, a fish of this species was caught, which weighed about 400 kg and its length was 5 m.

Nowadays, as a rule, catfish are caught 1.3-1.6 m long. It is a great success and the greatest rarity if you manage to catch a fish more than 2 meters long and weighing 70 kg. Most often, there are 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 with ideal conditions, the weight of the fish may not exceed 90 kg, and the length - 2.5 meters. Maximum weight representatives of the species, registered at the present time, 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 a solitary life, gathering in large schools in cold weather. They are driven into deep holes and stop feeding until spring.

Catfish is a large underwater predator leading a near-bottom lifestyle. The fish feels comfortable in quiet areas of the reservoir, at the bottom of which there are caves, pits and driftwood.

Catfish hunt from ambush. Lurking in a secluded place, the fish makes a throw and catches a gaping prey. In shallow waters, where the movement of young fish is observed, you can see a large flock of hunting catfish. They stand upstream, open their mouths and swallow whole flocks of small fish.

During the day, catfish prefer to lie down in caves and pits; they go hunting at dusk and at night. Sensitive skin and mustache help detect the victim.

Contrary to the popular belief that catfish are only scavengers, it can be said that benthic species of fish serve as food for them. It can be carp, goby, perch, different types herring and sturgeon breeds. On the early stage Of life, catfish eat crustaceans, frogs, fry, aquatic insects and attack waterfowl and rodents. Catfish also does not disdain carrion.

Reproduction and life expectancy

The ability to reproduce occurs after the catfish reaches a size of 50-60 cm and a mass 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 servings of caviar. For one kilogram of weight, the female can spawn up to 30 thousand eggs. In general, the larger and heavier the female, the more eggs there will be. The size of the eggs varies from 1.7 to 3 mm.

Before the onset of spawning, a female catfish equips a nest at the bottom of a river or lake. Usually, this is a shallow rounded fossa 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 adheres firmly to the walls of the nest and to the bottom. The development of eggs lasts from 3 to 10 days and the male guards the nest throughout this time.

From the eggs, larvae are first formed. Then, the yolk sac dissolves and fry appear. Their length is 15 mm. They spread out of 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, there is a very high percentage of juvenile mortality. Only 5% of the young of this species of fish can survive to the age of one year. Catfish have a lifespan of 30-35 years.

Only young catfish serve as food for humans. As a rule, their weight does not exceed 15 kg. Large representatives of this species are very heavy and fatty, therefore it is not recommended to eat them. You cannot eat catfish caviar, as it is poisonous.

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Catfish is freshwater fish that can be found in bodies of water different countries the world. Surely, many have heard scary stories about man-eating 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.

Recorded in the Book of Records

Many stories testify to the fact that catfish can reach incredibly huge sizes. Moreover, some specimens of the caught giant catfish are included in the Guinness Book of Records. In 2005, a huge catfish was caught in the Mekong River (Thailand). The record for the size and weight of the predator is officially registered - for this, representatives of the Thai authorities were even invited. 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 it was possible to catch rather large trophies 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, surprise local residents there was no limit when they saw such a huge catch. This "monster" was decided to be sent to the environmental service, where they would be watched, but the predator did not survive.

The largest copies according to unconfirmed reports

However, som large size caught in many countries and at different times. For example, catfish of even larger sizes than the Mekong catfish were caught in Russia (in Lake Issyk-Kul) back in the 19th century. Most likely, this is due to the better ecology of that time - after all, catfish love clean water and are able to reproduce only in such bodies of water. 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 - a catfish, the weight of which, 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 like to swim in this lake, who are 100 percent sure that Big Mom will not be able to harm. However, everything can turn out completely differently, because there have been cases when huge catfish attacked people.

Killer catfish

Since the Middle Ages, there are rumors that the remains of people were found in the stomachs of huge catfish. And in our time, such information is passed. 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 a huntsman, biologist and forester. But it was not possible to find and catch this catfish. Experts say that if a catfish has tasted human meat at least once, then it will miss its usual food (fish, frogs, birds), and it will purposefully hunt people. Killer catfish go hunting at sunset, so you should not swim in those places where catfish are found.

Catfish are one of the biggest predators among fish. Only representatives of sturgeon fish are found more in freshwater reservoirs, fishing for which is currently prohibited. What size and mass does the largest catfish in the world have, and what trophies do happy anglers take with them?

The largest catfish according to Guinness

In the Guinness Book of Records in the spring of 2011, a case of the capture of the largest specimen was recorded. The length of the fish was equal to 250 centimeters, and the weight was equal to 114 kilos. You can see this freshwater giant in the photo. Such wonderful catch went to the Italian Robert Godi, who fished out 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 has also become the largest freshwater predator in Europe to be caught.

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 it was decided to release, this trophy was not lucky.

The largest catfish were caught about a century ago. Predatory fish that live in Eurasian reservoirs can reach lengths of up to 5 meters, and in weight - up to 300 kilograms or more. A catfish weighing 430 kilograms was caught in Uzbekistan about 100 years ago. 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 is no evidence to support these catch cases.

Other records

Catfish representatives can reach very large sizes. Young individuals are often caught, the weight of which is comparable to the weight trophy pike... But more and more anglers are trying only to shoot a photo and make a video with their trophy, and then let the fish go back. If the largest specimen weighed 114 kilograms, then other trophies weigh slightly less:

In 1998, a 110 kilogram specimen was caught on the Rena River in France. 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 120 kilogram monster pulled out of the water. This is more than the current record, but the fact of the 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 the catfish in 96 kg and 238 centimeters was caught in Germany. It is the largest predator ever caught in the waters of a German country;
A year earlier, a Russian fisherman caught in Germany a giant weighing 95 kg, 236 centimeters long;
In 2004, the 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);
A real giant of 96 kilos and 2.72 meters was caught on a river called Ili;
A large freshwater predator was caught on the Syr Darya River. Its mass was 110 kilograms, its size was 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 fish from the Guinness World Record. However, each of these cases has not been reported. And it is not possible to determine the mass and length of the fish from photographs or videos. In Russia, the most large 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 gigantic ichthyofauna. All record specimens were caught in the 18-19th centuries. There is information about them in printed sources. So, the largest trophy from the catfish family was caught 2 centuries ago. It weighed 347 kilos and was 4.5 meters in size. Since then, it has not been heard that predators of similar sizes have been caught.

Currently, anglers from all over the country are hunting giants. But they are constantly pursued by failure. The most common trophies are fish from 30-40 kilos. But in the European part of the country, there are cases of catching rather large individuals - about 70-80 kg. It is very difficult to pull such giants out of the water. A single angler is unlikely to cope with a fish. It will take at least a pair of strong male hands.

The fact that there are few large representatives of ichthyofauna in Russia is influenced by several factors:

Poor environmental situation;
Active activity of poachers;
Unfavorable climate: water bodies freeze over strongly in winter;
Decrease in the population of fish, which are fed by representatives of catfish.

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.

04/9/2016 at 17:14 · Pavlofox · 6 590

The largest catfish in the world

Catfish are rightfully considered to be one of the largest river representatives among fish. Under favorable conditions of existence, these fish are able to live up to several hundred flax, reach a size of 4-5 meters and gain weight up to 100-500 kg. The largest representative was caught in Uzbekistan 100 years ago, its weight was 430 kg, and the length was as much as 5 m. But there is no official confirmation of this. There is also unconfirmed data that the largest catfish weighing 288 kg and 4 m in height was caught in the Dnieper in Ukraine.

Large fish of this species are capable of swallowing an adult at once. Such cases have already happened and were officially recorded. It is believed that among these river dwellers there are cannibals. But this version has not yet been confirmed by anything. The corpses found in the belly of the giants, according to experts, were already dead when they fell into the womb of a river creature.

IN recent times the catfish population is shrinking due to environmental conditions and human fishing. But even today there are quite old and large specimens. To prove this, we have compiled a rating - the largest catfish in the world.

10. Catfish from Belarus | Length 2 m

The ten largest river representatives opens. One of the largest catfish was caught in Belarus in 2011. A local fishing enthusiast became the owner of a large catch. Together with his comrades, the fisherman caught prey with tackle. When the men tried to collect the catch, the tackle did not want to be pulled out. It took the fishermen about an hour to pull a large river monster ashore. They decided to immediately measure and weigh the giant. The fish pulled 60 kg, and its length was 2 m. The fishermen did not let go of the catfish and made a real fish feast.

9. Catfish from Spain | Length 2 m

The ninth place goes to the largest soma from Spain... In 2009, in the small river Ebro, local fishermen caught an albino catfish. The body length of the river albino exceeded 2 m, and the weight was 88 kg. Briton Chris from Sheffield managed to catch a rare fish. Trying to pull out the catch, the fisherman realized that he could not cope and called for help from his friends who had come with him. It took the man more than half an hour to pull the albino ashore. With a live catch, they arranged a photo session and released.

8. Catfish from Holland | Length 2.3 m

The eighth line goes to the biggest one. In Holland, the Centerparcs recreation park is very popular, as one of the largest catfish in the world lives in the reservoir on its territory. The body of the fish is 2.3 m long. The river creature has received the nickname "Big Mom". According to the park's guard, she loves to feast on ducks, and eats at least 3 floating birds daily. Catfish is under state protection.

7. Catfish from Italy | Length 2.5 m

In seventh place is the largest catfish caught in Italy... In early 2011, one of the largest catfish in the world was caught by the Italian Robert Godi. The length of the fish was 2.5 m and the weight was 114 kg. The experienced fisherman admitted that he had encountered such a giant fish for the first time in his entire life. To pull the prey ashore, Robert needed the help of six people, who took catfish for about an hour. Robert says that on this day, together with other fishermen, he went out to fish for bream. No one imagined that the hunt would end with the capture of a living colossus. The fish was weighed, measured and allowed to swim further.

6. Catfish from France | Length 2.6 m

The sixth line is occupied by the largest catfish from France... One of the largest catfish in the world was caught by the tourist Yuri Grisendi in the Rhone River. The giant's weight was 120 kg, and its body length was 2.6 m. Hunting for big fish is a man's hobby. Each time he tries to break his previous record. The tourist shoots the caught large fish on video and releases it.

5. Catfish from Kazakhstan | Length 2.7 m

The fifth line is occupied by the river representative from Kazakhstan... In 2007, on the Ili river, local fishermen caught the largest catfish weighing 130 kg and 2.7 m long. This is the largest fish that the local residents have seen ever.

4. Catfish from Thailand | Length 2.7 m

The fourth line goes to the biggest somu from thailand... In May 2005, one of the largest catfish with a weight of 293 kg was caught on the Mekong River. Its length was about 2.7 m. These parameters were recorded by the head of the WWF international research project Zeb Hogan. This year he was researching the largest fish in the world. The captured albino catfish became the largest freshwater fish recorded in his work. This giant was able to get into the Guinness Book of Records. They were going to give him under the supervision of the environmental service and release him, but the catfish, unfortunately, died.

3. Catfish from Russia | Length 3 m

The honorary three is opened by the largest catfish caught in Russia some years ago. In 2009, from the Seim River to Kursk region fishermen caught one of the largest catfish. The weight of the recovered colossus exceeded 200 kg, and the length of the fish was about 3 m. This was witnessed by the employees of the Kursk Fishery Inspectorate, who confirmed the fact of the caught catfish. Quite by chance, the fishermen were lucky enough to find a monster. One of the men managed to shoot and harpoon the giant. Several men tried to pull out a huge fish on their own. But soon the hunters realized that they could not cope and decided to come to the help of a rural tractor. When the fish was pulled ashore, everyone gasped in surprise: many had seen huge catfish here, but the villagers saw such a huge catfish for the first time.

2. Catfish from Poland | Length 4 m

The second line is occupied by the largest catfish of Poland... One of the largest catfish in the world was caught by Polish fishermen on the Oder River. The giant was over 100 years old. The size of the river creature was slightly more than 4 m, and its body weight was 200 kg. Imagine the surprise of the fishermen when they found the corpse of a Nazi officer in the belly of a catfish. The men rushed to inform the police about this fact. The experts who arrived at the place of the find conducted a study and concluded that the fish swallowed the officer when he was already dead. And again, rumors about the cannibalism of these river monsters were not confirmed.

1. Catfish from Russia | Length 4 m

The first place goes to the biggest soma from Russia... According to some reports, this giant was caught at the end of the 19th century. Its length exceeded 4 m, and it weighed about 347 kg. Such a find was caught in Lake Issyk-Kul. There is an opinion that in honor of the capture of the largest fish in this place, an arch was erected in the form of giant catfish jaws.

Fish is a big catfish. The largest catfish in Russia and in the world: weight, size, length