The sea giant has no competitors for this title. It lives safely in the waters of the world's oceans to this day. The whale shark feeds exclusively on plankton, which includes crustaceans, squid and small fish. Usually it swims with its mouth open, collecting its prey along the way and filtering it through a special filtering apparatus, which is also found only in giant fish. This giant is very slow, it is known for its apathetic and lethargic disposition. The whale shark is absolutely safe for people. Experienced divers are very fond of these calm and balanced giants, often touching them with their hands or swinging on their backs. Whale sharks reach a length of 23 meters, their weight is approximately 18-20 tons.
With the largest sea fish, of course, everything is clear; its leadership is undeniable. But with freshwater species, not everything is so simple. Among the contenders for the same title are the giant arapaima, beluga, and Mekong catfish. So which of them is the record holder for mass and length? If we refer to historical facts, then the largest fish living in the region was caught in the 19th century. It was an ordinary catfish weighing 336 kg and a length of 4.6 m. Nowadays, a fish whose weight reaches 90 kg and a length of 1.5 m can confidently be called large.
Another large fish that deserves attention is the Mississippi shellfish, or, as it is also called, alligator gar. This species lives in fresh water, but many scientists claim that these fish occasionally enter salty sea water. Shellfish are found in Central and North America. They can be seen on the shore, where they breathe air and bask in the sun. Outwardly it looks very unusual. In the front of her body there is a huge “beak” with strong, powerful jaws that can easily injure even a crocodile. The body of the fish is protected by thick diamond-shaped scales. The greatest length of the carapace reaches three meters, but there is unofficial evidence that specimens up to five meters long have been caught.
Another contender for the mentioned title is the moon fish. The shape of her body resembles a circle. This is a large fish of the bony class. Its length is more than three meters, its weight reaches 1.5 tons. The Guinness Book of Records records a case of catching an individual weighing 2235 kg on the shores of Australia in 1908. The body of the moon fish is short and at the same time high. This gives it a very strange and original appearance. The anus, caudal and dorsal fins are interconnected. The skin of these extravagant fish is very thick. Experienced sailors talk about cases when a sharp harpoon launched at a moonfish bounced off without causing harm. Therefore, it rarely becomes prey for such large predators as sharks and killer whales. You can meet it in the waters of the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian oceans. The moon fish is also a record holder for fertility. At one time, she lays up to 300 million eggs. As for its diet, it feeds on plankton and
The largest fish, both freshwater and marine, despite their impressive size, are very vulnerable and require careful handling. Their future depends only on the person.
Fishing is a very popular hobby not only in Russia, but also in Europe. And one of the most popular trends among European fishermen is “carp fishing”. As I think many have guessed, this is sport carp fishing. Carp fishing is an activity for passionate people who want to achieve results, and it should consist of more than one kilogram of fish caught.
A particularly popular place for this is Lake Etched, in Hungary. Thanks to the excellent conditions and wonderful scenery that this place offers, it is a favorite of many fishermen. Eyewitnesses claim that there are carp there weighing more than 30 kilograms. This is what makes carp fishing fans come to the lake and try to set a new personal record.
And for those who want to set records at a higher level and surprise, it would not hurt to familiarize yourself with the current records in Europe and beyond.
Som
In Spain, in the city of Maquinenza, a catfish was caught that weighed 106.236 kilograms, which is only a few hundred grams less than the world record. And the fisherman who caught him fought with the fish for more than half an hour.
Tuna
And in America, tuna was caught, more than 400 kilograms, but it was confiscated because it was caught not with a harpoon or fishing rod, but with a net.
Carp
In the UK, another record was shaken in November. On the North Lake, Elphix complex, Rob Marsh caught a carp weighing almost 28 kilograms. Luck smiled at the 42-year-old fisherman only on the third day, but in the first two days his catch was also not bad, it was a carp weighing more than 10 kilograms.
Sea bass
Sometimes there are funny incidents. So 25-year-old Kurt Price, in southwest Wales, was able to catch sea bass while fishing from the shore. But only after the fisherman ate his catch did he realize that he could become a record holder. Now the record for catching sea bass from the shore is about 9 kilograms, and all witnesses to Kurt’s catch believe that it was more than 10 kilograms. However, no one can prove this anymore.
Salmon
In 2013, Shamus Jenning caught a huge salmon weighing 22.7 kg in the Tweed River (Scotland). His trophy broke a record that stood for 85 years.
Kaluga
In the summer of 2012, Chinese fishermen caught a kaluga (a relative of the beluga) weighing 616.9 kg on the Heilongjiang River near the border with Russia. This fish became the record holder of the decade among sturgeon.
White shark
The absolute champion among all fish species ever caught on a fishing rod is the white shark. Its length is 5 m 13 cm, weight is 1207 kg. This record, set in 1958 by Australian Elf Dian, has never been surpassed to this day.
No matter how impressive the dimensions of the overseas monsters, Russian fishermen will primarily be interested in information about the record holders of our reservoirs.
Taimen
A two-meter predator weighing 105 kg was caught in the net of fishermen back in 1943 on the Kotui River. Nowadays, the maximum weight of taimen is fixed at 36 kg.
Beluga
A thousand-kilogram fish with a length of 4.26 meters was caught near Astrakhan in 1990. The age of the giant established by ichthyologists is about 70 years. Today, the king fish has become very small, and 250-kilogram individuals are considered very rare.
Pike
The most famous of predatory fish is surrounded by a lot of legends. Centenary pikes of gigantic size are just a myth. Scientists have found that the maximum age of pike is 30-35 years, and its maximum “height” is 180 cm. The world record holder, caught and released in Ireland, pulled out 49 kg. And on our territory, the largest officially registered predator weighed 34 kg. It was caught on Lake Ilmen back in 1930. Today, you can count on the laurels of a national champion when catching a pike weighing 25.7 kg.
Ide
The usual weight of this fish today is 1-2 kg, although a century ago in Belarus and the Tver region individuals weighing 5-8 kg were often caught. Nowadays, 8-kilogram ides grow in Yakutia.
Som
The record belongs to Kursk underwater fishermen, who in 2009 managed to harpoon a catfish in the Seim River whose weight exceeded 2 centners. It was possible to pull out the giant only with the help of a tractor.
Grayling
The record holder of the European grayling weighed 6.7 kg. Now the largest individuals of the Siberian subspecies barely pull 3 kg. They live in Taimyr and in the Lower Tunguska River basin.
crucian carp
In the thirties of the last century, 4-kilogram crucian carp were found in Lake Chukhloma (river Kostroma). In Lake Senezhskoye, even now, individuals weighing more than 3 kg are occasionally found. But the record is considered to be crucian carp, whose weight was 5.5 kg. He was caught in the lake. Osyno I.D.Ivanov.
Tench
This fish gains weight very slowly, so it rarely has time to grow to large sizes. The weight of the record tench is 4.5 kg. He was caught in Lake Vishtenetskoye. Braslav Lakes (Belarus) are also known for large tench. They contain specimens up to 2.5 kg.
Burbot
The record belongs to V. Kopylov, who caught a male burbot weighing 29.97 kg on the Norilka River (Taimyr) in 1967.
Bream
Lake Seliger is famous for its trophy bream. Worthy specimens are found in the deltas of the Don, Volga, Dnieper, and Danube. However, the title of the largest bream was awarded to a 7-kilogram beauty caught in Lake Peipsi. The official record of Belarus is bream, weighing 7.4 kg.
Chub
In reservoirs of the Russian Federation, large individuals of this species reach 4 kg. The world record belongs to the Belarusian chub - 8 kg, with a length of 80 cm.
Perch
The largest fish of this species is an spawned female, caught by N. Badymer in the Tyumen region, on lake. Tishkin sor. Its weight is 5.965 kg.
Becoming an official fishing champion is not an easy task. In this case, it is important not only to obtain a record trophy, but also to enter it into the appropriate database. The most authoritative registrar in this area is the IGFA (International Sport Fishing Association). Photos of fish next to matchboxes, rulers, and packs of cigarettes will not convince anyone here. All IGFA championship applicants are subject to strict requirements. But no one doubts the authenticity of the achievement included in the IGFA book.
Fishing in the Volga Delta
Who among the fishermen does not dream of catching a record fish, not even to eat it, but rather to be proud of their skill, their catch, and, what to hide, to show friends and family photographs of a giant fish, a fish that can get into the Guinness Book of Records . Unfortunately, fish stocks are depleting and we can no longer find in the rivers those giant fish that our grandfathers and great-grandfathers caught. However, record-breaking fish can still get you hooked. All you need is a little luck, ability and knowledge. What kind of fish records are listed in the Guinness Book, and what record fish got there.
FRESHWATER FISH
Let's start getting acquainted with the fishing records of freshwater fish. Let's find out what the largest and smallest freshwater fish have been caught, which fish are the oldest and which fish have become the most valuable in history. Read more about freshwater fish records below.
Largest freshwater fish
Som
In the 19th century In Russia, a common catfish (Silurus glanis) measuring 4.6 m long and weighing 336 kg was caught. Nowadays, any freshwater fish whose length exceeds 1.83 m and weighs 90 kg is already considered large.
Smallest freshwater fish
Pandaka
The smallest and lightest freshwater fish is the dwarf pandaka (Pandaka pygmaea). This colorless and almost transparent fish lives in lakes about. Luzon, Philippines. The body length of males is 7.5-9.9 mm, and the weight is only 4-5 mg.
Sinarapan
The smallest game fish is the sinarapan (Mistichthys luzonensis), an endangered species of goby found only in Lake Buhi. Luzon, Philippines. Males are only 10-13mm in length and it takes 70,000 fish to produce a dried fish block weighing 454g.
Oldest fish
Acne
In 1948, the aquarium of the Helsingborg Museum, Sweden, reported the death of a female European eel (Anguilla anguilla) named Patti, who was 88 years old. She is believed to have been born in 1860 in the Sargasso Sea, North Atlantic, and was caught somewhere in the river when she was 3 years old.
The oldest goldfish
Golden carp
There have been repeated reports from China of goldfish - goldfish (Carassius auratus) living for more than 50 years, but only a few of these reports can be considered reliable.
The most valuable fish
Beluga
The most expensive fish is Russian beluga (Huso huso). A female weighing 1,227 kg, caught in the Tikhaya Sosna River in 1324, produced 245 kg of the highest quality caviar, which would cost $200,000 today.
Carp
The Far Eastern carp (C. Carpio), 76 cm long, champion of the most prestigious nationwide Japanese koi shows (koi is the Japanese name for carp) in 1976, 1977, 1979 and 1980, was sold for 17 million yen in 1982. In March 1986 this ornamental carp was purchased by Derry Evans, owner of the Kent Koi Centre, near Sevenoaks, c. Kent, UK, price not announced; After 5 months, the fish, which was 15 years old, died. She was made into a stuffed animal.
A fish that can climb a tree
Anabas
Pineapple, or creeper fish, native to South Asia, is the only fish that comes onto land and even climbs trees. She walks the earth in search of a more suitable habitat. Pineapple gills are adapted to absorb oxygen from moist atmospheric air.
The largest whale shark was caught by Pakistani fishermen off the coast of Karachi. The monster, almost 11 meters long, weighed more than 7000 kg
SEA FISH AND SEA INHABITANTS
The largest fish
Shark
The world's largest fish is the plankton-eating whale shark (Rhincodon typus), common in the southern parts of the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian oceans. The largest specimen, according to precise measurements carried out by scientists, was 12.65 m in length, 7 m in girth of the thickest part of the body and weighed 15-21 tons. This shark was caught near about. Baba, near Karachi, Pakistan, November 11, 1949
The smallest fish
Goby
Of all marine fish, the dwarf goby (Trimmatom nanus), which lives in the Indo-Pacific region, has the shortest body. According to the results of measurements carried out in 1978-79, the average body length of males was 8.9 mm, and that of females was 9 mm.
The deepest sea fish
Bassogigas
It is believed that of all vertebrates, fish belonging to the genus Bassogigas (family Brotulidae) live at the greatest depths. The research vessel John Eliot managed to catch bassogigas at a depth of 8000 m.
The most ferocious fish
Piranhas
The most dangerous among freshwater fish are piranhas, from the genus Pydocentrus and Serrasalmus. They live in the wide, slow-moving rivers of South America and attack any living creature, regardless of size. In 1981, they killed 300 people in a shipwreck in Obidos, Brazil. Piranhas that settled in the Rostov region grabbed the leg of a local resident while fishing
The most poisonous fish
Warts
The largest poisonous glands are found in warts, fish belonging to the species Synanceidae, living in the tropical waters of the Pacific and Indian oceans, and in particular the species Synanceia horrida. Touching the spines of its fins can be fatal. The pufferfish (Tetraodon), an inhabitant of the Red Sea, Indian and Pacific oceans, secretes the deadly poison tetrodotoxin, one of the most potent non-protein poisons.
The largest jellyfish
Cyanea
The largest jellyfish, the Arctic cyanide (Cyahea capiltata arctica), common in the northeastern part of the Atlantic Ocean, was washed ashore near Massachusetts Bay, USA, in 1970. The diameter of its umbrella, or bell, was 2.28 m, and the length of the tentacles is 36.5 m. What to do if you are stung by a jellyfish: Jellyfish burn, jellyfish sting, first aid
The most poisonous jellyfish
Box jellyfish
The Australian box jellyfish Chironex fleckeri is the most poisonous of all cnidarians, or cnidarians. Its poison, which attacks the heart muscle, has killed at least 70 people off the coast of Australia in our century, with some victims dying within 4 minutes. One effective means of protection is women's tights, which were once used by lifeguards at a surfing competition in Queensland, Australia.
The most poisonous mollusk
Octopus
Two species of octopuses, Hapalochlaena maculosa and N. lunulata, found throughout coastal Australia and parts of Southeast Asia, contain a nerve agent that causes death within minutes. It is believed that the venom of one octopus is enough to paralyze (or even kill) 10 people. Fortunately, these octopuses appear to be non-aggressive and will usually only bite if taken out of the water or irritated.
The most poisonous gastropod
Snails of the genus Conus, when bitten, inject their victims with a fast-acting nerve venom. It instantly kills fish, and larger specimens of snails have killed people more than once. The most dangerous type of cone is Conus geographus.
The most dangerous sea urchin
Sea urchin
A toxin from the pedicellariae (small grasping organs) of the sea urchin Toxopneustes pileolus causes severe pain, respiratory distress and paralysis.
Slowest growth
bivalve
The deep-sea bivalve Tindaria callistiformis, which lives in the North Atlantic Ocean, grows slower than all other animals. It takes her 100 years to grow to 8 mm.
The largest bivalve
TridacnaAmong bivalves, the largest shell is that of the giant sea tridacna (Tridacna gigas), which lives on the coral reefs of the Indian and Pacific oceans. In 1956 on the island. Ishigaki, Okinawa, Japan, a tridacna was found measuring 115 cm in length and weighing 333 kg. Scientists who studied this specimen in August 1984 suggested that Tridacna weighed 340 kg during life.
BOOK OF RECORDS OF RUSSIA WONDERFUL
The Russian Book of Records DIVO is famous for its fish records in many ways even more than the Guinness Book. For example, in the Astrakhan museum there are two record belugas:
- one 4-meter beluga (slightly smaller than the one that Nicholas II donated to the Kazan museum);
- the second is the largest - 6 meters. They caught it at the same time as the four-meter one, in 1989. The poachers caught the world's largest beluga, gutted the eggs, and then called the museum and told them where they could pick up a fish the size of a huge truck. Russia, however.
Well, here are the Russian fish records registered there:
Record long-living pike - 200 years
At the end of the 18th century, the Tsaritsyn ponds near Moscow were cleaned. During cleaning, they caught a fat pike with a gold ring in the gill cover and an inscription that it was planted in the pond by Tsar Boris Fedorovich. It is known that Boris Godunov died in 1605, therefore the pike was planted no later than this year, that is, it lived for about 200 years. Putin fishing: Vladimir Putin caught a pike weighing 21 kilograms (PHOTO, VIDEO)
Catches from a century ago
In October 1891, when the wind drove water from the Taganrog Bay of the Sea of Azov, a peasant passing by the exposed shore saw in one of the puddles beluga, which cost 20 pounds, of which 3 pounds were caviar.
But the main fishing took place then on the Black Sea, near Batum, where two 70-pound fish were caught at once belugas. The most “caviar” in 1891 turned out to be 57 pounds beluga, caught near Astrakhan. Her belly contained 9 poods and 20 pounds of selected caviar.
Fishing records
- The largest sturgeon caught in the Volga reached a length of 7 meters 80 centimeters and weighed about one and a half tons (1440 kilograms).
- A 9-meter beluga weighing 2 tons was caught in the Caspian Sea.
- During a spring duck hunt, Lithuanian biologist, professor Tadas Ivanauskas, killed a pike weighing 76 kilograms on Lake Druksiai in 1904. And in 1930, a pike weighing 34 kilograms was caught in Lake Ilmen.
- In 1940, a cod weighing 40 kilograms was caught in the Barents Sea.
- In 1960, a sturgeon sturgeon measuring 220 centimeters long and weighing 67 kilograms was caught in the Don River.
- In 1990, a resident of the city of Krasny Luch in the Lugansk region, Vladimir Nikolaevich Kaplun, experienced extraordinary happiness - at the Tsimlyansk Reservoir he caught a catfish weighing 124 kilograms and 2 meters 61 centimeters long.
- Scuba divers Vladimir Voikov and Sergei Soldatov discovered a giant catfish near the island of Khortytsia on the Dnieper. He was stuck on board a sunken tugboat at a depth of 15 meters. The catfish was raised to the surface, measured and weighed. The length of the fish was almost 5 meters, and its weight was 355 kilograms.
- Well, what if you take a smaller fish? What are the domestic “champions” here? There were ruffes weighing 400 grams, chubs weighing 8 kilograms, tench weighing 3.7 kilograms, bream weighing 6 kilograms, roach weighing 1.7 kilograms, crucian carp weighing 2 kilograms, perches weighing 5 kilograms, carp weighing 19 kilograms, ide weighing 8 kilograms , carp 35 kilograms, pike perch 20 kilograms, eel 6 kilograms.
Fisherman's happiness
The 1991 record holders among fishermen were A. Vasiliev from Bishkek, who caught a carp weighing 8 kilograms 600 grams in the summer, V. Usachev from Ashgabat - a catfish 2 meters 20 centimeters, G. Oreshnikov from Baku - a beluga 116 kilograms, V. Bobrik from Dnepropetrovsk - carp 21 kilograms 50 grams, S. Churikov from Fergana - carp 21 kilograms 600 grams, I. Kutakin from the Saratov region - pike 14 kilograms 200 grams.
While the pike was dozing
A resident of the city of Omutninsk, V. Nizhegorodtsev, and his grandson Dima decided to swim in a local pond on a hot day. Emerging from the water, the boy drew his grandfather’s attention to some strange object, shaped like a toy boat. The grandfather quickly determined that the object frozen motionless on the surface of the water was the fin of a dozing pike. A clearly calculated blow to the head of the predator with a fist - and a few moments later she was already lying on the shore. The weight of the prey exceeded 10 kilograms. Such a surprise was presented to Nizhegorodtsev on a July day in 1991.
Giant beluga
In 1990, it was caught in the Astrakhan fisheries beluga weighing about a ton. She had a “height” of 4 meters 26 centimeters. There was about a hundredweight of caviar in it. Ichthyologists determined the age of the giant fish - about 70 years. She belonged to the generation of the “pre-dam” herd of red fish, which used to freely go to spawn along the Volga to the Belaya River. Perhaps this is the last huge beluga in the Volga waters. Experienced specialists made her stuffed for the museum.
Torpedo fish
King fish Kaluga from the sturgeon family, it is found only in the Amur River and the Amur Estuary. The fish reaches an average length of 5-6 meters. The officially registered weight of the largest fish is 1270 kilograms. It is almost impossible for other fish to hide or escape from kaluga. Seeing the prey, the Kaluga rushes forward like a torpedo. With the terrible force of vibration of its muscles, Kaluga is capable of... riveting the aluminum seams of a river boat. Its huge mouth can fit a seal.
Two-headed catfish
At the Kiev Reservoir, where the Pripyat River flows, Kiev resident E. Zolotoversky repeatedly pulled torn gear out of the water, and once a melted spoon. Finally, after a long night fight, he brought into shallow water... a catfish with two heads that had an electric discharge. Fortunately, there were dielectric gloves in the trunk of the Kiev resident’s car.
In the morning, he took the fish to the Ukrainian Academy of Sciences, where scientists tried to answer another mystery of nature: what “is it”? Monster, mutant, creation of Chernobyl or “Siamese twins”?
The most active fish
The golomyanka fish lives only in one place on earth - in Lake Baikal. Its total weight, according to experts, is 150 thousand tons, that is, 67 percent of the weight of all Baikal fish. Golomyanka is not only the most numerous in the lake, but also the most active. She never gathers in schools, does not hide under stones or in algae - she swims day and night, mixing the water at all depths. She serves as a kind of voluntary orderly for the lake, helping the Baikal water to become saturated with oxygen.
The smallest fish in our seas
In the coastal waters of the Black and Azov Seas, the smallest marine fish in our seas is found - the Knipovich goby. The maximum size of a mature individual is no more than 5 millimeters.
The most frost-resistant fish
The rare dalliya fish, or black fish, living in small rivers and swamps of Chukotka, is considered the most frost-resistant fish. When reservoirs freeze to the bottom, dallia burrows into the silt and overwinters there. Sometimes it even freezes into the ice and remains in this state throughout the long winter. In the spring it thaws and continues to live normally.
PHOTOS OF GIANT FISH, RECORD FISH PHOTOS
The largest shark catfish
At the end of June 2005, in the Mekong River, Thai fishermen caught the largest representative of the largest freshwater fish in the world according to the Guinness Book of Records - a giant shark catfish weighing 292 kg. For World Wildlife Fund (WWF) specialists working in Southeast Asia, this rare fish and its habitat are the subject of study and protection.
The capture of a record large catfish in the Mekong is a controversial event. On the one hand, it is obvious that such large fish are still found there, but on the other hand, the number of this species, which has decreased by 90% over the past two decades, is alarming. The Mekong provides fish for over 70 million people. The annual catch is estimated at $1.4 billion. What will happen if this rich source of fish dries up? Fish grow throughout their lives and therefore the number of giant fish is an indicator of the health of the river. Previously, large catfish sharks were found throughout the Mekong, but now catching a large specimen is considered a rarity.
« This situation is very similar to what is happening here on the Amur. Catching giant fish has become rare, and the numbers of the famous kaluga and other large fish: sturgeon, catfish and taimen have decreased significantly. Although in other years the great Far Eastern river could well challenge the status of the Mekong as the home of the largest freshwater fish“,” comments Petr Sharov, an employee of the program for the conservation of freshwater ecosystems of the Amur.
Significantly inferior to the Mekong in species diversity, the Amur has no less fish biomass and significant productivity. The Guinness Book of Records is quite possibly wrong and the largest freshwater fish in the world are found here, and they have no less problems than their southern counterparts.
The largest Amur fish is the endemic member of the sturgeon family, Kaluga.. Specimens with a length of more than 5.6 m and a weight of 1140 kg are known. It is quite possible that kaluga can reach a length of more than 6 meters and a weight of up to one and a half tons, which is confirmed by scattered evidence from fishermen of yesteryear. Kaluga could rightfully be called the largest freshwater fish in the world, but it also spends a significant part of its life in brackish and sea waters, going out to feed. Kaluga spawns in the main channel of the Amur River, where it was caught in the past by fishing crews and now by poachers.
The few species listed in the Red Book of Russia reach large sizes. Som Soldatova, which also lives in the Amur. There are known specimens weighing over 260 kg, which is comparable to the Mekong giants. The number of Soldatov's catfish was also a commercial fish in the past and today is at a low level.
Another representative of the Amur fish fauna, one of the great-grandfathers of salmon fish, is also capable of striking in size. Siberian taimen. The length of taimen reaches more than 2 m and weighs about 100 kg. The ancient fish, previously widespread in all tributaries in the Amur basin, has now become almost rare. Many small populations have disappeared, and taimen are facing hard times.
Record halibut, the largest halibut in the world
In 2013, a German fisherman caught the world's largest Atlantic halibut in Norway using a rod and reel.
The halibut was so large that it could not even fit into a six-meter boat. Marco was fishing with three friends. The fight with the fish (pictured) lasted 90 minutes, only then was it brought to the surface. But as soon as the fishermen saw its size, they realized that it would not be possible to drag it onto the boat, it simply would not fit. After tying a strong rope around the tail of the superclaw, they towed the halibut to the nearest port. But in order to weigh the fish we had to rent a small crane.
The huge halibut weighs 235.17 kilograms. This fish surpassed the previous record, which was awarded by the International Sportfishing Association and was recorded in 2004 with halibut weighing 190.2 kilograms.
Atlantic halibut is the largest bony fish in the world. Giants live in an area stretching from the Barents Sea to the shores of Greenland. An adult halibut can reach 4.5 m in length and weigh 320 kg. The average lifespan of this fish is 50 years.
The oldest lucky fishermen
Sometimes the surprise is not the giant that enthusiasts catch, but the fisherman himself. Halibut is a white halibut caught off the coast of Alaska by this grandmother.
In 2010, a 70-year-old amateur fisherman from Magdeburg, Germany, caught a fish of incredible size. Gunter Hansel was fishing in the open sea in the western fjords of Iceland. There he hooked a giant halibut 2.5 meters long and weighing 220 kilograms. The halibut was caught on 13.6kg line and plastic bait. The fight with the halibut lasted more than two hours. And in order to drag the record trophy to the shore, the help of five more fishermen was needed, who helped with the tug. A halibut this size could yield over a thousand fillets. But, apparently, Hansel is not as skilled in cooking as he is in fishing, so he chose to sell his catch to one of the local residents for 2.5 thousand pounds (almost 4 thousand dollars). And the lucky grandfather told reporters: “This was the catch of my life!” Halibuts live in most cases in northern waters - the northern Pacific and Atlantic oceans, as well as in the Barents, Bering, Okhotsk and Japan seas. Fish is highly valued for its white meat - a very tasty and healthy product, rich in vitamins, nutrients and microelements. The liver of these fish contains more vitamins A and D than cod liver. Halibut caviar is highly prized. Halibuts live more than 30 years, reaching commercial size by 10-12 years. Some species measure over 4 meters and weigh over 400 kg.
The previous record for halibut was held by Bosse Karlsson and Zaans-Olof Nilsson, who caught a 210kg fish off the coast of Norway in July 2009.
In 2011, the Norwegian record for catching halibut using a line was broken. Then a German fisherman caught a halibut weighing 245 kg near the island of Senja.
The world's largest carp
In 2007, two fishermen caught a record carp weighing 120 kilograms in Thailand.
To record the world fishing achievement, evidence of the super catch was sent to representatives of the Guinness Book of Records. Previous world record was established by a resident of the French city of Bordeaux, who in May of this year caught a carp weighing only 40 kilograms. And all the records began in 1981, when Marcel Vouvier caught a giant mirror carp weighing 37 kilograms on the Joun River.
Since that time, big carp hunters have classified fish weighing over 30 kilograms as outstanding catches. Note that the usual weight of carp is 1 - 3 kilograms; specimens up to 15 kilograms are occasionally found.
Record carp from Germany
The largest common carp was caught in Germany using V-Pops and Monster DIP liquid attractant by Dieter Markus Stein. The weight of the captured individual was 38 kilograms and 150 grams!
The photo shows the record holder himself, who caught the record carp.
The record holder himself shares his impressions.
Until now, I have not yet fully realized what happened, and I am filled with an endless feeling of joy and incredible pain in the muscles of my arms, which I have never experienced before while fishing for carp.
It was a beautiful Sunday afternoon, exactly a week before Christmas, and the temperature was truly wintry. Since I had some problems at home, I decided to get away from them for a while and go fishing on one of the reservoirs where I planned to fish in 2007. I had four hours to fish, so I decided to go to the reservoir where There will be a maximum amount of sunlight for fishing to be as productive as possible.
Since in the reservoir that I chose, carp are caught very often, I began to think about a method of fishing with which the carp is least familiar, and which is least likely to scare it off.
In my aquarium lately I have often observed how my pet carp feed. I have noticed that immediately after they swallow the food, they take a horizontal position to either swallow the food or spit it out. I found that during this procedure the carp's attention sharply increases: their eyes begin to quickly and cautiously look around. Usually at this moment the carp hovered above the bottom at a height of about one and a half of their “height” - the distance from the stomach to the back. I explain this behavior by the fact that during the process of choosing food and nutrition in carp, all organs of perception are maximally activated, in particular, vision improves and concentration sharply increases. I observed this so often that I completely stopped believing in the randomness of this behavior, and decided that we should somehow use this useful information, namely the information that carp have increased visual attention at this height.
In this regard, I thought that a pop-up at this height would look very appetizing for the carp. Luckily, I had white Visible Pop Ups on hand, which Max Nollert supplied me with during one of the carp shows in Braunfels. I literally had to fight them back because Max only had samples (so thank you very much again, Max).
I put everything I needed in the car, and in a few minutes I was already at the lake. I was very lucky because: 1) the area where I wanted to fish was free and 2) the area was literally bathed in the sun.
Captivated by my thoughts, I calculated the length of the leash for the average height at which the carp swims, and it turned out that the leash should be about 75 centimeters. At the end I attached a white “V-POP”, as it is officially called, and to make it more attractive, I dipped it in Carptrack Amino Monster DIP liquid attractant from Imperial Baits.
I cast two fishing rods with the same rigs to a depth of 4 and 6 meters. To avoid tangling when casting, I used PVA. I threw a very small amount of pelets at a distance of 3 meters from the baits to prove my theory that even one piece of pelets is enough to bring the carp to my pop-up. I turned on the alarms and lay down on the cot. I wanted to fall asleep as quickly as possible. But as soon as I had time to close my eyes, my alarm simply screamed from the jerks. The swinger was jumping up and down like crazy. The reel on my right fishing rod was reeling off meters of line. During the time I was running to the fishing rod, I managed to fall twice, apparently due to excess adrenaline. After I hooked, I felt the full weight of the power that the fish transmitted along the line. The struggle continued for several minutes, and I was able to bring the fish to a distance of 5 meters from the shore. When I saw the size of the carp, my heart sank. It was something huge, I had never seen anything like it before. After that, I became very nervous because of the understanding that he might relapse. But to catch such a carp, and for it to escape, is not this time, and not with me, I thought! It looked like she was one of the biggest females in this lake. Out of fear that the fish would break, I cast out a little line. Feeling weak, she tried to make her last and most powerful jerk, but thanks to luck, I still managed to get her into the landing net, standing knee-deep in the water.
I looked into the landing net and simply couldn’t believe my eyes: a carp of incredible size! I tried to lift it and immediately felt its full weight. I immediately called all my carp fishing friends, and within 10 minutes there were seven people from carp clubs in our region on site. In front of witnesses, we carefully removed and weighed the fish. 14 eyes captured 38 kilograms and 150 grams on the scales!
The most record perch
The fish, which is at least 200 years old, was caught off the coast of Alaska. A giant sea bass measuring 104 cm in length was caught by a man from Seattle and weighs more than 17 kg. Henry Liebman, who caught the fish, set the record for the largest sea bass caught using sport fishing gear. It may also be the oldest fish in the northeast Pacific. Experts say it may be about 200 years old and has been sailing since the time when Alaska belonged to Russia. The age of a northern sea bass can be determined by the number of growth rings on the auditory bone.
The previous record holder is much smaller and was 175 years old. Northern groupers are among the longest-living fish in the northeastern Pacific Ocean and can live more than 120 years. They live at a depth of 25 to 1.2 km.
The largest black sea bass looks like this (pictured on the right). It took the fisherman more than an hour to catch this record-breaking 181-pound black sea bass.
Spearfishing records
Among underwater hunters, there is a hierarchy of record fish caught underwater. We introduce our readers to some of them.
Record-breaking grass carp
Hunter's full name: Averin Alexander
Fish weight: 30600
Length: 1200cm
Gun: Zelinka
Gun length: 50cm
Body of water: Lower Volga
I swim slowly, zigzag combing the transparent section of the river, swim out of the thickets of grass onto an underwater lawn and almost simultaneously with me, this monster comes out on the left side, at first I didn’t even understand what kind of fish it was, the first thought was a silver carp, Zelinka seemed the catfish sends a harpoon to the target. I see that only the tip entered the body, which means the flags did not open and any jerk of the fish would give it freedom. I’m waiting for a jerk, but instead I see this giant belly rising above me in an upward arc to the surface. Could it be that I hit the spine, not believing in such luck, I rush at the fish in order to send the harpoon, but the first attempt did not lead to anything, I had the feeling that the arrow was sticking out in the log, but still, to be sure, I need to pierce the fish right through, I grab the harpoon and rest fish into the bottom and, using all my strength, I still send the harpoon. Now, taking the harpoon by the two ends protruding from both sides of the body, I begin to transport my prey to the boat. Only now, gasping with happiness, did I take a good look at the fish and realized that it was grass carp and how huge it was!
Record catfish
Full name of the Hunter: Klimov Alexey
Fish weight: 110000
Length: 245
Shotgun: Riffe mt1s
Gun length: 96
Reservoir: r. Volga
We hope our readers will have some fishing luck and catch a record-breaking fish. No tail, no scales!
The largest freshwater fish.
Catfish; In the 19th century In Russia, a common catfish (Silurus glanis) measuring 4.6 m long and weighing 336 kg was caught. Nowadays, any freshwater fish whose length exceeds 1.83 m and weighs 90 kg is already considered large.
The smallest freshwater fish.
Pandaka; The smallest and lightest freshwater fish is the dwarf pandaka (Pandaka pygmaea). This colorless and almost transparent fish lives in lakes about. Luzon, Philippines. The body length of males is 7.5-9.9 mm, and the weight is only 4-5 mg.
Sinarapan; The smallest game fish is the sinarapan (Mistichthys luzonensis), an endangered species of goby found only in Lake Buhi. Luzon, Philippines. Males are only 10-13mm in length and it takes 70,000 fish to produce a dried fish block weighing 454g.
The oldest fish.
Acne; In 1948, the aquarium of the Helsingborg Museum, Sweden, reported the death of a female European eel (Anguilla anguilla) named Patti, who was 88 years old. She is believed to have been born in 1860 in the Sargasso Sea, North Atlantic, and was caught somewhere in the river when she was 3 years old.
The oldest goldfish.
Golden carp; There have been repeated reports from China of goldfish - goldfish (Carassius auratus) living for more than 50 years, but only a few of these reports can be considered reliable.
The most valuable fish.
Beluga; The most expensive fish is Russian beluga (Huso huso). A female weighing 1,227 kg, caught in the Tikhaya Sosna River in 1324, produced 245 kg of the highest quality caviar, which would cost $200,000 today.
Carp; The Far Eastern carp (C. Carpio), 76 cm long, champion of the most prestigious nationwide Japanese koi shows (koi is the Japanese name for carp) in 1976, 1977, 1979 and 1980, was sold for 17 million yen in 1982. In March 1986 this ornamental carp was purchased by Derry Evans, owner of the Kent Koi Centre, near Sevenoaks, c. Kent, UK, price not announced; After 5 months, the fish, which was 15 years old, died. She was made into a stuffed animal.
A fish that can climb a tree.
Anabas; Pineapple, or creeper fish, native to South Asia, is the only fish that comes onto land and even climbs trees. She walks the earth in search of a more suitable habitat. Pineapple gills are adapted to absorb oxygen from moist atmospheric air.
Sea inhabitants:
The largest fish.
Shark; The world's largest fish is the plankton-eating whale shark (Rhincodon typus), common in the southern parts of the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian oceans. The largest specimen, according to precise measurements carried out by scientists, was 12.65 m in length, 7 m in girth of the thickest part of the body and weighed 15-21 tons. This shark was caught near about. Baba, near Karachi, Pakistan, November 11, 1949
The smallest fish.
Goby; Of all marine fish, the dwarf goby (Trimmatom nanus), which lives in the Indo-Pacific region, has the shortest body. According to the results of measurements carried out in 1978-79, the average body length of males was 8.9 mm, and that of females was 9 mm.
The deepest sea fish.
Bassogigas; It is believed that of all vertebrates, fish belonging to the genus Bassogigas (family Brotulidae) live at the greatest depths. The research vessel John Eliot managed to catch bassogigas at a depth of 8000 m.
The largest jellyfish.
Cyanea; The largest jellyfish, the Arctic cyanide (Cyahea capiltata arctica), common in the northeastern part of the Atlantic Ocean, was washed ashore near Massachusetts Bay, USA, in 1970. The diameter of its umbrella, or bell, was 2.28 m, and tentacle length 36.5 m.
Slowest growth.
Bivalve; The deep-sea bivalve Tindaria callistiformis, which lives in the North Atlantic Ocean, grows slower than all other animals. It takes her 100 years to grow to 8 mm.
The largest bivalve.
Tridacna; Among bivalves, the largest shell is that of the giant sea tridacna (Tridacna gigas), which lives on the coral reefs of the Indian and Pacific oceans. In 1956 on the island. Ishigaki, Okinawa, Japan, a tridacna was found measuring 115 cm in length and weighing 333 kg. Scientists who studied this specimen in August 1984 suggested that Tridacna weighed 340 kg during life.
The most ferocious fish.
Piranhas; The most dangerous among freshwater fish are piranhas, from the genus Pydocentrus and Serrasalmus. They live in the wide, slow-moving rivers of South America and attack any living creature, regardless of size. In 1981, they killed 300 people in a shipwreck in Obidos, Brazil.
The most poisonous fish.
Warts; The largest poisonous glands are found in warts, fish belonging to the species Synanceidae, living in the tropical waters of the Pacific and Indian oceans, and in particular the species Synanceia horrida. Touching the spines of its fins can be fatal. The pufferfish (Tetraodon), an inhabitant of the Red Sea, Indian and Pacific oceans, secretes the deadly poison tetrodotoxin, one of the most potent non-protein poisons.
The most poisonous jellyfish.
Box jellyfish; The Australian box jellyfish Chironex fleckeri is the most poisonous of all cnidarians, or cnidarians. Its poison, which attacks the heart muscle, has killed at least 70 people off the coast of Australia in our century, with some victims dying within 4 minutes. One effective means of protection is women's tights, which were once used by lifeguards at a surfing competition in Queensland, Australia.
The most poisonous mollusk.
Octopus; Two species of octopuses, Hapalochlaena maculosa and N. lunulata, found throughout coastal Australia and parts of Southeast Asia, contain a nerve agent that causes death within minutes. It is believed that the venom of one octopus is enough to paralyze (or even kill) 10 people. Fortunately, these octopuses appear to be non-aggressive and will usually only bite if taken out of the water or irritated.
The most poisonous gastropod.
Snails of the genus Conus, when bitten, inject their victims with a fast-acting nerve venom. It instantly kills fish, and larger specimens of snails have killed people more than once. The most dangerous type of cone is Conus geographus.
The most dangerous sea urchin.
Sea urchin; A toxin from the pedicellariae (small grasping organs) of the sea urchin Toxopneustes pileolus causes severe pain, respiratory distress and paralysis.
http://www.ebftour.ru/articles.htm?id=138
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 an overview 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. Chris, a Briton from Sheffield, 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 ranking. 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. According to local residents, they have 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.
