646-pound catfish caught in thailand, the one that got away Options

[*kryogenix*]

http://www.scienceblog.com/cms/node/8320

Fishermen in northern Thailand have netted a fish as big as a grizzly bear, a 646-pound Mekong giant catfish, the heaviest recorded since Thai officials started keeping records in 1981. The behemoth was caught in the Mekong River and may be the largest freshwater fish ever found.

"It's amazing to think that giants like this still swim in some of the world's rivers," said Dr. Zeb Hogan, a WWF Conservation Science fellow and leader of a new World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and National Geographic Society project to identify and study all freshwater fish over 6 feet long or 200 pounds. "We've now confirmed now that this catfish is the current record holder, an astonishing find."

The fish was caught and eaten in a remote village in Thailand along the Mekong River, home to more species of giant fish than any other river. Local environmentalists and government officials negotiated to release the record-breaking animal so it could continue its spawning migration in the far north of Thailand, near the borders of Thailand, Laos, Myanmar and China - also known as the "Golden Triangle"). But the fish, an adult male, later died. The species is declining, which fishermen in the region blame on upstream dams and environmental deterioration. The specimen is the largest giant catfish ever recorded; it is listed by the Guinness Book of World Records as the largest freshwater fish.

The Mekong giant catfish is Southeast Asia's largest and rarest fish and the focus of Dr. Hogan's project along with about two-dozen other species around the world such as the giant freshwater stingray, the infamous dog-eating catfish, the dinosaur-like arapaima, and the Chinese paddlefish - all of which remain contenders for the title of the world's largest fish. Long shots for the title include caviar-producing sturgeon, goliath Amazon catfish, giant lungfish, razor-toothed gars, massive cods, and Mongolian salmon.

"I'm thrilled that we've set a new record, but we need to put this discovery in context: these giant fish are uniformly poorly studied and some are critically endangered. Some, like the Mekong giant catfish, face extinction," continued Dr. Hogan. "My study of giant freshwater fish is showing a clear and global pattern: the largest fish species are disappearing. The challenge is clear: we must find methods to protect these species and their habitats. By acting now, we can save animals like the Mekong giant catfish from extinction."

The Mekong River Basin is home to more species of massive fish than any river on Earth. It is also the most productive fishery in the world, generating $1.7 billion each year. Fish from the Mekong are the primary source of protein for the 73 million people that live along the river.

http://ftp2.nationalgeographic.com/pressro...iantCatfish.jpg

Click for hi-res image.

That's a HUUUUUUUUUUUUUGE FITCH, er FISH!

[*lolita kitty*]

ohmygawd..... thats like 6 me's!!!!!!! O_________O
thats huge. huuuge.

[CrazayChristian]

Anyone up for a fishfry?



Holy crap that thing is mosterous.

[BrokenDream]

WOW! that's huge

[mouse_3k]

damn tht could feed all of Africa...

[Kenado]

wow that thing is huge!

[Paradox of Life]

I think we've just solved world hunger.

[*paul murphy*]

How the hell did he manage to catch that?!

[KELLYYY]

Daaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaayum.

That's huuge. Whoa.

[Fallen Fairy]

I think we've just solved world hunger.

Omygosh! That's the same thing i was thinking!

fallen fairy

[*jooleeah*]

I've seen that before. That's huge.

[yummy_delight]

holy.... wow. that thing could eat me. no joke.

[soulless727]

wonder how many people it ate!

[heyyfrankie]

if i ever found out that something like that lived in a lake i was swimming in...i would probably never get in the lake again.

that is bazarre.

[iheartjohn]

Someone should fry it up.

[emazing]

Whoa. o_O That looks like some kind of small dinosaur or a sea monster.

[*paul murphy*]

Looks like a miniature whale.

[whomps]

Holyshxt. O_O; That thing's ginormous. O_O_O_O.

MMm.. I love catfish. :D

[*mona lisa*]

Woah, that's huge...it would be cool to see it up close.

[*stephinika*]

omg... that thing is freaking HUGE...um, wow.

[*mzkandi*]

damn..more than enough to feed the whole family...

[aznxdreamer]

how did he catch that? im pretty sure you it wont hold under a fishing pole

[ikayto]

IDIOT

I hate it when people catch giant things. They are inhibiting evolution man, that's how it happens. A certain characteristic is perpetually being reinforced through generations and generations.

That catfish was probably a defect, that would have made more giant catfish if it had already the chance to reproduce..........or if it arleady did then.................................WHAT ABOUT THE BABIES!

><

giant fish, good stuff

[angel-roh]

omg.... i think God wanted to resize a fish so he can eat it up lol.




dang... *shudder* it scared me actually. i wonder if there is a HUGE TALL GIGANTIC MAN living in this world. i wonder... hm

[ApocalypseAelis]

^ Bigfoot. o_o




I wonder how they managed to catch that thing. Heh.


I feel bad for it though. :( Something as cool and special as that should live.

[shortiiex]

holy cow! wow...thatt's huge...looks a littttlle fake though

[Saeglopur]

We should tame these animals and start riding them through the waves! CHYEAH!

[hiromi]

I wonder how many mealsworth of fish would that consist of...

[mocassinsx29]

We should tame these animals and start riding them through the waves! CHYEAH!

ROFLLMAOLOL BWAHAHA.

Ahem. That is quite a large fish!

[`SWTWiNKLE3YES]

lol i saw that on msn. its pretty big :O

[*kryogenix*]

IDIOT

I hate it when people catch giant things.  They are inhibiting evolution man, that's how it happens.  A certain characteristic is perpetually being reinforced through generations and generations. 

That catfish was probably a defect, that would have made more giant catfish if it had already the chance to reproduce..........or if it arleady did then.................................WHAT ABOUT THE BABIES!

><

giant fish, good stuff

It's not a defect.

http://www.carpecarpio.com/exoticfishpictures.html

The Mekong River has many very big fish.

[ikayto]

It's not a defect.

http://www.carpecarpio.com/exoticfishpictures.html

The Mekong River has many very big fish.

It's bigger than those fish, man. If those pictures are the average, then it is a defect.

[glit_gal]

whoah mama! that thing is huge

[enyceXaddiction]

646 DAWM! thats crazy.

[ANG33ZY]

it's gigantic

i want to see that in real lifeee.

[EXPLO5ION]

My mom would kill to eat that fish.

[berry_lickable]

catfish sushi anyone ?

[toodlepops.]

Daaangggg, that's is frikkin huge.
I hate big things, they scare me.

[jr0h]

that's reallly....bigg...

i'm so glad im not in thailand that could eat me up.

it makes it scarier how it's not a normal fish it's a catfish. a small catfish freaks me out so an even bigger one....

[Mr. Slowjamz]

isn`t the sturgeon bigger then that ???

[Looow]

HOLY CRAP.
I thinkt hey should feed it to the poor =)

[demolished]

Yummy, sounds tastier when its a big fish !

[EddieV]

WHOA THAT'S AWESOME! I'm Thai too! Whoo!

[beambitious]

i wonder if they sold that on ebay any one would actually buy it lmao.

[RaphieRyouga]

whoooo'ssss hungry!

[*kryogenix*]

My mom would kill to eat that fish.

eating it would probably kill her. in third world countries, sometimes they fish with cyanide and dynamite to stun the fish.

[T_R_G]

Holy beegebus.... that fish is humungo sized!

[*kryogenix*]

It's bigger than those fish, man.  If those pictures are the average, then it is a defect.

nah, it's just one old SOB.

[Paradox of Life]

eating it would probably kill her. in third world countries, sometimes they fish with cyanide and dynamite to stun the fish.

Then why would they fish it anyway? It was quite a wonder of nature and they killed it. Not even for a reasonable purpose. How disappointing that'd be.

[[Deep]Thought63]

mmm... catfish.

[*kryogenix*]

Then why would they fish it anyway? It was quite a wonder of nature and they killed it. Not even for a reasonable purpose. How disappointing that'd be.

you have to understand what life is like in a third world country. it's a struggle just to survive. you don't know when the next meal is coming. that's how my late grandfather lived. i don't blame them for their actions.

[*salcha*]

...where did the thing's parents come from then o_O

[*CrackedRearView*]

Oh my goodness. Is there radiation in Thailand? Wow..

[xsweetxcandyx]

crap

that would be a really fun fish fry