Monster Catfish Found

[Tokis-Phoenix]

Cool new discovery

The recent capture of what could be North America’s largest recorded blue catfish–in Virgina in late June–has us thinking about this oversized species and its relatives.

The Virginia blue caught last month weighed in at 143 pounds and measured 57 inches. (The previous record was a 130-pound catfish caught in Missouri last year.)

We asked fish expert and National Geographic Fellow Zeb Hogan—also an assistant research professor at the University of Nevada—to put this giant discovery into perspective.

Full Story;

http/newswatch.nationalgeographic.com/2011/07/06/monster-catfish-found-ngs-zeb-hogan-explains/

 

[electropunk06]

Wow thats a big fish, dont think it would quite fit in my tank

 

[Tokis-Phoenix]

I think its sad though that so many of these magnificent fish are being hunted & eaten in unrecorded numbers before we understand much about them- some giant catfish are already going extinct but are still a mystery to us in their ways & lives.

 

[electropunk06]

Yeah i know its awful, i wish there was a way to stop or even slow down how quickly these fish (any animal) are hunted/killed/environment destroyed. its such a shame

 

[Tokis-Phoenix]

Yes i agree though unfortunately many of these giant fish live in countries where there is high poverty and people are forced to eating or selling these fish for an income. But i do think that unusually large fish found should be given special protection- due to excessive trophy hunting many of the big fish are growing smaller and so there are less & less old mature adults around to reproduce.

These giant predatory fish fill out crucial roles in aquatic ecosystems, eating large numbers of small fish & bugs which would otherwise reproduce out of control and cause damage to the ecosystems. They are even cleaners of disease, killing sick fish or scavenging dead fish and thus keeping the ecosystems much healthier for all fish involved (these giant catfish in their roles are like a cross between vultures, lions & leopards) .