Where is the largest catfish?

Catfish, due to its prevalence and large dimensions, is a coveted object of catch for many anglers. Usual soms are considered with a weight of up to fifty kilograms. But large specimens already can not be raised to one person - their mass is calculated by centners, and in length some representatives of this species of fish can reach three meters. There are quite a few cases of catching catfish of extraordinary size, however, fishermen do not rush, usually, Somehow record a similar fact, so it is possible to reliably determine which largest catfish was caught and where, simply it is not possible. I must say that the range of freshwater catfish in the world is very large - it likes temperate and warm latitudes, but in the northern regions it does not occur at all.

Officially, the Hynesian record holder is a Thai inhabitant of the Mekong River. The mass of the giant was 292 kilograms. Since the catch was recorded in the presence of witnesses, it is this freshwater fish - the largest catfish in the world. Another interesting fact is that almost ten years have passed since the capture of the giant, and this record has not yet been overcome.

Ichthyologists say that giant catfish are not so remarkable, it's all about the purity of water and abundant food. By the way, catfish are predators. The main diet - crawfish, fish, frogs, leeches, does not disdain carrion. Giants prefer ducks and other birds, do not disdain squirrels and any short-lived small animal.
But, according to historical sources, modern catfish are small in comparison with their predecessors. For example, in the German Oder in the early nineteenth century, a catfish weighing from 400 to 450 kilograms was caught! This is to the fact that the modern largest Europe's catfish weighed only 150 kilograms. The lucky owner of the catch was the Italian Armando Friezer.
Native expanses are also famous for their giants. The largest catfish in Russia was caught in the nineteenth century. Its weight was 347 kilograms at a length of four and a half meters! At present, there are no recorded cases of catching huge Russian catfish, alas. And it's not that the fish has been transferred - on the Volga, for example, a catfish of two meters in length - the most common phenomenon. Most likely, the whole point is that attesting the catch is a rather troublesome business, and fishermen do not consider it necessary to waste time on such trifles. Or maybe just modesty is hindering. Anyway, but the record holder of the Russian scale at the moment does not officially exist.

In addition to gigantic sizes, catfish can also have an unusual color. For example, in the British river Ebro there are soma-albinos. The largest catfish with a lack of melanin was caught by Chris Grimmer. The weight of albino was 88 kilograms.
Presumably, the largest catfish is an inhabitant of the Dutch lake in the recreation park "Centerparcs". The giant up to three meters long is a local landmark and bears the name of Big Mommy. By the way, this lady has a good appetite, because she daily snacks with two or three waterfowl in addition to the usual food .

Despite the fact that the catfish is not able to grab the prey by teeth because of their fineness, it bites pribolno. There are also known cases of Som attack on people. All this makes the reservoirs inhabited by these unusual creatures unsafe for bathing.