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Monster catfish which looks big enough to swallow a man whole caught in Italy
The giant fish, which weighed 20 stone, was caught by twin brothers Dino and Dario Ferrari in northern Italy.
With its huge, gaping mouth, it looks big enough to swallow a person whole. This giant catfish, which weighed 20 stone (127kg) was caught by twin brothers Dino and Dario Ferrari in the Po River of northern Italy.
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| Dino Ferrari caught the 127 kg catfish in the Po delta of Italy |
Believed to be one of the largest of its kind ever caught, the creature was pulled from the river on Feb 19 with a rod and line after a battle lasting 40 minutes.The nine foot-long creature, a wels catfish, has been dubbed “the monster of the Po” by the Italian media.
The fish was released after the trophy photos (Sportex Italia)
After catching, weighing and photographing it, the brothers released it back into the river, which flows across northern Italy to the Adriatic.
“It’s a silurus glanis [the Latin name for the species],” Dino Ferrari said. “The American catfish doesn’t grow to such large dimensions – at most it can weigh 50kg.” He estimated the fish to be about 30 years old, based on its size, adding that the species can live for up to 50 years.
“They don’t range over very large distances, they tend to live in the same stretch of river, moving just a few kilometres either way. They eat all types of fish.
"To catch them you need a lot of patience but also physical strength. We fought for 40 minutes to reel it in. We tired it out and then lifted it out of the water.”
The fish prey on other fish, as well as worms, crustaceans, frogs and water fowl.
“Who knows, maybe we will manage to catch it again in a year’s time, and it will be even more gigantic,” said Mr Ferrari.
After catching, weighing and photographing it, the brothers released it back into the river, which flows across northern Italy to the Adriatic.
“It’s a silurus glanis [the Latin name for the species],” Dino Ferrari said. “The American catfish doesn’t grow to such large dimensions – at most it can weigh 50kg.” He estimated the fish to be about 30 years old, based on its size, adding that the species can live for up to 50 years.
“They don’t range over very large distances, they tend to live in the same stretch of river, moving just a few kilometres either way. They eat all types of fish.
"To catch them you need a lot of patience but also physical strength. We fought for 40 minutes to reel it in. We tired it out and then lifted it out of the water.”
The wels catfish, also known as the sheatfish, lives in fresh and brackish water.
It is native to eastern Europe and parts of Asia but was introduced to western Europe. The fish prey on other fish, as well as worms, crustaceans, frogs and water fowl.
“Who knows, maybe we will manage to catch it again in a year’s time, and it will be even more gigantic,” said Mr Ferrari.
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