646-pound catfish caught in thailand, the one that got away |
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| *kryogenix* |
 Jul 1 2005, 01:04 PM
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http://www.scienceblog.com/cms/node/8320
QUOTE 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! |
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| *lolita kitty* |
Jul 1 2005, 01:05 PM
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ohmygawd..... thats like 6 me's!!!!!!! O_________O
thats huge. huuuge. |
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Jul 1 2005, 01:14 PM
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 The Texan  Group: Member Posts: 430 Joined: May 2005 Member No: 136,431 |
Anyone up for a fishfry?
Holy crap that thing is mosterous. |
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Jul 1 2005, 01:19 PM
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 <33 Group: Member Posts: 2,745 Joined: Mar 2005 Member No: 114,234 |
WOW! that's huge
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Jul 1 2005, 01:36 PM
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 Blasian, Asian, INVASION! Group: Official Member Posts: 4,288 Joined: May 2004 Member No: 16,769 |
damn tht could feed all of Africa...
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Jul 1 2005, 01:40 PM
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#6
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Senior Member Group: Member Posts: 3,551 Joined: Feb 2005 Member No: 102,857 |
wow that thing is huge!
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Jul 1 2005, 02:04 PM
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 My name's Katt. Nice to meet you! Group: Member Posts: 3,826 Joined: Jan 2005 Member No: 93,674 |
I think we've just solved world hunger.
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| *paul murphy* |
Jul 1 2005, 02:06 PM
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How the hell did he manage to catch that?!
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Jul 1 2005, 02:07 PM
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 HAAAAAAAA. Group: Member Posts: 4,472 Joined: Dec 2004 Member No: 75,068 |
Daaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaayum.
That's huuge. Whoa. |
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Jul 1 2005, 02:11 PM
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Senior Member Group: Member Posts: 339 Joined: Jun 2005 Member No: 162,772 |
QUOTE(AkaRyux @ Jul 1 2005, 2:04 PM) I think we've just solved world hunger.  Omygosh! That's the same thing i was thinking! fallen fairy |
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| *jooleeah* |
Jul 1 2005, 02:27 PM
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I've seen that before. That's huge.
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Jul 1 2005, 02:28 PM
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 Lauren loves YOU. Group: Member Posts: 2,357 Joined: Jul 2004 Member No: 32,793 |
holy.... wow. that thing could eat me. no joke.
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Jul 1 2005, 02:30 PM
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 former member Group: Member Posts: 706 Joined: Apr 2005 Member No: 122,339 |
wonder how many people it ate!
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Jul 1 2005, 02:30 PM
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 This bitch better work! Group: Staff Alumni Posts: 13,681 Joined: Jul 2004 Member No: 28,095 |
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.
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Jul 1 2005, 02:35 PM
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#15
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yerp! Group: Member Posts: 3,489 Joined: Nov 2004 Member No: 66,454 |
Someone should fry it up.
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Jul 1 2005, 02:38 PM
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 What a hypocrite. Group: Member Posts: 2,754 Joined: Apr 2005 Member No: 128,150 |
Whoa. o_O That looks like some kind of small dinosaur or a sea monster.
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| *paul murphy* |
Jul 1 2005, 02:46 PM
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Looks like a miniature whale.
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Jul 1 2005, 02:56 PM
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 :hammer: Group: Staff Alumni Posts: 9,849 Joined: Mar 2004 Member No: 7,700 |
Holyshxt. O_O; That thing's ginormous. O_O_O_O.
MMm.. I love catfish. :D |
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| *mona lisa* |
Jul 1 2005, 03:00 PM
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Woah, that's huge...it would be cool to see it up close.
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| *stephinika* |
Jul 1 2005, 03:59 PM
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omg...
 that thing is freaking HUGE...um, wow.
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| *mzkandi* |
Jul 1 2005, 04:01 PM
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damn..more than enough to feed the whole family...
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Jul 1 2005, 04:02 PM
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to hell with you Group: Member Posts: 2,547 Joined: May 2004 Member No: 16,506 |
how did he catch that? im pretty sure you it wont hold under a fishing pole
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Jul 1 2005, 04:13 PM
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 Assistant Manager of Personal Group: Member Posts: 1,101 Joined: Jul 2004 Member No: 26,922 |
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 |
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Jul 1 2005, 04:26 PM
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 i'm susan Group: Official Member Posts: 13,875 Joined: Feb 2004 Member No: 5,029 |
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 |
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Jul 1 2005, 04:33 PM
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 Senior Member Group: Member Posts: 893 Joined: Dec 2004 Member No: 68,217 |
^ 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. |
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