Note: While it is quite obvious this animal already exists, this page identifies possibly larger specimens.
Giant catfish are catfish that grow record-breakingly large. Specimens have been reported all throughout the world. Sometimes they are reported devouring humans. Specimens have been reported 6-14 feet in length and up to 1,000 pounds in weight.
Sightings[]
- There are many stories and reports of divers going to the bottom of dams and being scared out of the water by large Catfish. Here's one that was collected on this Wiki. "In Oklahoma a team of divers went down to the bottom of a dam. When they came back up they said it was dangerous to go back down. They said there was a catfish the size of a greyhound bus! Yet nobody knows for sure." how do we know they were telling the truth
Fun Facts[]
- The current world record for largest catfish is a 646 pound, nine foot long Mekong Giant Catfish.
- The two largest catfish in the United States are the Flathead Catfish and the Blue Catfish.
- The Goonch Catfish (Bagarius yarelli) in India, Nepal, and Bangladesh has been reported eating humans.
- Another giant Indian catfish is the Sareng (Wallago attu). It has also been reported devouring small children.
- One particular catfish (the wels) has been reported devouring humans since medieval times.
- Noodling is a popular sport. When you noodle you are basically sticking your hand in a hole and waiting for a catfish to bite it then you pull it out. It takes lots of courage to noodle and you need to be in good condition. People who have did it say it hurts like crazy.
- There are three South American catfish that can grow alarming sizes, the Red-Tailed Catfish, the Jau Catfish, and the largest of them all, the mighty Pirahiba.
- The Vundu catfish of Africa can also grow very large and have been reported to drag people who try to catch them into the water.