Does catfish eat carrion? Giant catfish cannibals

It's an old story, isn't it? The catfish dragged the man away and ate him. Let's find out what we hear about it on the Internet...

Catfish is the largest freshwater predator. Everyone knows this giant - an inhabitant of whirlpools and littered river holes, some from stories and books, and some who were lucky enough to catch, if not a record-breaking, but still a catfish! And sometimes this fish weighs up to 300 kg! Such giants, scientists believe, are usually 80-100 years old! True, I haven’t heard of any fishermen being so lucky. More often you come across catfish weighing 10-20 kg.

Of course, fishermen who specialize in catching these amazing fish - somyatniks - still catch very large specimens - up to 100 kg. In terms of its external characteristics, catfish are easily distinguished from all other fish. It has a huge, blunt head, a large mouth, from which extend two large whiskers, and four chin antennae. Whiskers are a kind of tentacles with the help of which the catfish finds food even in the dark. And what is surprising - with such large dimensions - are very small eyes. The tail is long and not much like a fish. The color of the body is variable - almost black on top, but the belly is usually dirty white. His body is naked, without scales.

The food of catfish is very diverse; it feeds on mollusks, worms, crayfish and other living creatures. The main one is the fish, which it attacks from shelters and ambushes, masquerading as the background of the bottom (it is incapable of long-term pursuit of its victims). If a waterfowl or animal is gaping, then they too can become its victim. Catfish especially readily feast on green frogs. Catching it “with a kwok” is based on the use of this predilection. Like the pike, the catfish is an excellent orderly for water bodies: it eats weakened, dead fish, drowned animals, etc. Sexual maturity of catfish occurs in the 3rd - 4th year of life; spawning begins when the water warms up to 20 degrees. Usually spawning is in pairs. The female spawns eggs in shallow areas with little or no current into a hole dug in the ground. Males guard the eggs until the fry emerge. After spawning, catfish migrate to summer camps and begin to actively feed. The post-spawning zhor is the most active. It continues almost until mid-summer, then gradually decreases, and at the first night frosts the catfish completely stops feeding.

Som is a homebody. Usually he spends his entire life in one hole, unless extraordinary circumstances force him to look for another place. The catfish leads a solitary lifestyle; only some aggregation can be observed in wintering pits. For the first 2 - 3 years, young catfish also prefer to stay together; this is usually observed in places rich in food. Catfish are predominantly nocturnal, and if they move, it is mostly at dawn. On hot days they can come to the surface of the water. They are very sensitive to cold. But catfish are more mobile.

At night, in search of food, they go to shallow places on the banks... Catfish are predominantly nocturnal, and if they move, it is mostly at dawn. On hot days they can come to the surface of the water. They are very sensitive to cold. But catfish are more mobile. At night, in search of food, they go to shallow places on the banks. The catfish does not like muddy water, and therefore in rainy weather, when muddy water enters the river, it tends to leave the hole towards the surface. The same behavior is observed before a thunderstorm. Being large fish, catfish easily reveal themselves: they leave a characteristic mark when moving in the water, make sounds and splash. When searching for food, catfish are largely guided by their sense of smell. Therefore, ingredients singed on fire are added to the bait, which is used as all kinds of food waste, chopped entrails of domestic animals, etc.

Many fellow fishermen claim that catfish really like the smell of burnt feathers, wool and felt. Live fish are also used as bait: crucian carp, tench, white bream, squint, gobies, ram, etc. It is almost impossible to catch a catfish with weak tackle and thin fishing line, because it will break thin fishing line or weak cord without much effort. Catfish is a very strong fish. If it is hooked by an angler, it is not so easy to pull it out.

Catfish is the most voracious predator of fresh waters, it eats not only fish, but does not disdain frogs, small waterfowl, devours various food waste that falls into the river, swallows large mollusks, etc. Small little catfish is caught by a worm when catching other fish .

The body structure of the catfish is adapted for bottom life; it rarely rises to the upper layers of water. Its head is large, wide and flattened, its mouth is huge with numerous small teeth. There are two long antennae on the upper jaw and four short ones on the lower jaw. There is an incongruously small fin on the back, while the anal fin, wide and long, is connected to the caudal fin, which makes the catfish very powerful. The skin is bare, without scales. The eyes are small and very “evil”.

The catfish is primarily a nocturnal predator. During the day, he stays in his camp, under cover, where he lies in wait for his prey; at night, in search of food, he goes out into shallow places, walking near water thickets, where he feasts on gaping frogs.

In our rivers it is possible to catch catfish weighing about 50 kg.

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The best time for catching catfish is July-August. It is best caught soon after spawning, which usually occurs at a temperature of 18-22 ° C. The best fishing time during the day should be considered from dusk to dawn. But even during the day, the possibility of his grip cannot be ruled out if the bait passes close to his mouth.

The bait for catching catfish is spoons in proportion to the size of the expected catch and fresh fish, planted on a fishing point. Given the energetic and strong resistance of catfish when caught, it is necessary to install hooks of the appropriate size and strength.

When fighting large fish, which also occur at night or twilight, you need to be careful and make sure that the line does not get caught in your hand, otherwise you can cut it badly. The technique of catching catfish with a spinning rod has not yet been sufficiently mastered, but by using conventional fishing methods, you can count on success.

Catfish are not just fish. The merman rides on it, and the catfish carries drowned people to him. That's why they call him "the devil's horse." How many fishing stories and “horror stories” about catfish!

Catfish drown and eat ducklings, goslings and adult waterfowl. Eyewitnesses claimed that they saw a catfish swim up to the trees bent over the water and, with a blow of its tail, knock down not only a nest with chicks, but also some daydreaming crow.

They say that huge catfish drowned dogs and calves and attacked people, especially children. In Siberia there is a legend about a catfish that drowned a bear swimming across the river.

In the early 80s, the magazine "Science and Life" published the story of a collective farmer who was grabbed by the leg by a catfish and the poor guy beat the fish on the head with a sickle for a long time to free himself.

On July 16, 1982, in the Khopyorsky Nature Reserve, in front of the huntsman, forester and researcher at the biological station, a catfish attacked a young deer and pulled it under water.

Nowadays, in one of the lakes of the Dutch recreation park “Centerparcs”, tourists are struck with fear, mixed with curiosity, by a catfish 2.3 meters long.

The main diet of Big Momma, as the locals call the catfish, consists of ducks, who inadvertently choose its lake for rest. According to park employees, the underwater monster eats two or three birds a day. In addition, he already has several large and small dogs.

The Dutch catfish has already scared away all the local ducks, who have moved to other lakes, away from its mouth. However, Big Mom does not have to starve, since several random birds always fly to the lake, unaware that a monster is waiting for them in the calm water.

According to Centerparcs biologist Jean Hanks, Big Mom was able to grow to such a size because the lake has unusually clean water, plenty of food around, and is very calm.

In order not to scare away tourists, the authorities initially hushed up the incident, but nevertheless the news became public knowledge. Currently, swimming in the reservoir is prohibited due to the high probability that there are other man-eating fish in it.

Catfish can reach 300 kg in weight and five meters in length, and there is evidence that a hundred years ago 400 kg monsters were caught in Russian rivers. Senior researcher at the Saratov Regional Research Institute of River and Lake Fisheries, Vladimir Ermolin, in an interview with Saratovnews, said that he came across giants weighing 260-290 kilograms in the Volga and its tributaries.

According to Bram, the length of this fish can be up to 3 meters and weight 220 kg, but American zoologist David Weller in his book “Killer Fish” talks about 6.3 meters and 500 kg!

Leonid Sabaneeva in his work “Life and Catching of Freshwater Fish” wrote that a jaw of a catfish caught in the lake was installed on Lake Issyk-Kul. It stood vertically in the form of an arch and an adult could freely pass through it without bending.

For example, in the Ukrainian Dnieper (where catfish is considered the king fish), according to unconfirmed reports, a 288-kilogram catfish with a length of 4 meters was caught. In the Dniester, a catfish weighing 320 kilograms was pulled out. And again, according to unconfirmed reports, in 1830 the largest catfish in the world was caught on the Oder. His weight was 400 kilograms.

In South America, in the rivers of the Amazon basin, the length of catfish reaches 3 meters. In India and Indonesia, 4-meter individuals are found.

The largest catfish in Europe was caught in Italy in March 2011. Its weight turned out to be 114 kilograms, its length is exactly 2.5 meters. A fisherman named Robert Godey dragged the fish ashore for 50 minutes. And not alone, but with the help of several people. As a result, the catfish became the largest freshwater fish caught in European waters. She also received the title of the largest catfish in the world that was caught.

On the day of fishing, Roberto Godi was hunting for bream, but felt a bite and went into the river. After the catch, weighing 114 kilograms, was pulled out of the water, everyone was surprised. The fisherman weighed the catfish, took a photo with it and released it back into the river.

Now that title has passed to a giant catfish caught by Thai fishermen in the Mekong River.

Its weight was 293 kilograms and its length was 2.7 meters. The fish were weighed, measured, and photographed by Thai officials.

Zoologists and ecologists fought for the legendary catfish - they wanted to take it under their supervision. However, the local residents starved him to death and ate him with pleasure.

Are there still cannibalistic catfishes?

Hungry catfish are pretty scary. There are known facts when fish attacked rotten rags and even snatched linen from the hands of women who were rinsing their clothes in ponds. Catfish have the strength to capsize a boat, and if they want, they can tear a fishing net and take the fish with them.

Catfish is the largest river predator. Its weight can reach 230 kilograms with a length of 3 meters. However, fish can grow to large sizes. For example, American zoologist David Wheeler mentions in his book “Killer Fish” a catfish weighing 500 kilograms and 6.3 meters.

Catfish live in almost all large reservoirs of Russia and the CIS countries. They are also common in Europe, but not in northern countries. Can be found in the USA, Canada and Latin America. Experts say that catfish can attack any living creature that is on the surface of the water. A predator always swallows its prey whole. It cannot tear off pieces like a shark, since it does not have teeth, as such. The small teeth are more like a brush. At the same time, catfish, which can live up to 100 years, are sometimes unable to provide themselves with a regular breakfast. Therefore, it is easier for him to find prey on the surface: ducks, birds, dogs and even people.

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I found this photo with the caption - “the biggest cannibal catfish,” but to me it looks more like . This is the story that is told in addition to the photo:

Every year, swimmers mysteriously disappeared in one of the Chinese reservoirs. The mystery of the disappearances has already been revealed. It turned out that in the reservoir there was a three-meter catfish with a head more than a meter. Human remains were found inside the fish.

Last summer, a catfish of enormous size frightened the residents of the Kazakh city of Aktobe, located on the banks of the Ilek River. Citizens even turned to the authorities with a request to finally catch the killer fish.

Rumors about the existence of a man-eating catfish intensified after three young people drowned in the waters near the Zhilgorod beach.

“Local residents claim that the catfish is to blame for the deaths of people. Once on a moonlit night,” says Boris Tatarintsev, an old resident of the area, “I saw a huge fish: a giant catfish was basking on the surface. It must eat a lot to feed itself. But a lot of people disappeared here ..."

“The catfish is the largest of the river predators. According to the famous zoologist Bram, the length of this fish reaches 3 meters and weight - 230 kg. However, judging by other sources, both the length and weight of catfish can be much greater. For example, American zoologist David Wheeler in his book Killer Fish gives figures of 6.3 meters and 500 kg!”

Catfish live in almost all large rivers, lakes and reservoirs of Russia and the CIS - from the southern borders to the Far East. Also common in Europe - except for northern countries. Catfish live in Canada, the USA and Latin America. But, by and large, giant fish can appear in any body of water where there is good food for them.
food base.

According to experts, catfish can attack any living creature located on the surface of the water. A predator, which has practically no enemies, always tries to swallow its prey whole. Catfish cannot tear pieces from it like sharks, because they do not have teeth, as such. Small teeth in several rows are more like a brush, with which it is impossible to bite the victim.

It is quite difficult for a huge catfish weighing several hundred kilograms, which has lived for half a century (and they can live up to 100 years), to provide themselves with regular breakfast, lunch and dinner. Hunting fish is a burden for him. The 50-year-old catfish has speed and strength in abundance, but its maneuverability is not the same. Another thing is prey floating on the surface.
water - ducks, geese, dogs and other four-legged animals who, to their own misfortune, decided to enter the water. And, of course, a person, whose leg is much easier to grab than the same dog. Having tasted the human taste, the catfish, like some African crocodiles, can switch exclusively to such food.

There is a story going around Ukraine that supposedly happened on the Dnieper. Several years ago, off the island of Khortitsa, at a depth of 15 meters, a tugboat that had disappeared the day before was discovered. There was a huge hole in its side, in which a five-meter catfish was stuck!

When his carcass was raised to the surface and his stomach was opened, everyone present gasped in horror: inside were the remains of three vainly sought Polish tourists, who had recently transferred from the ship in distress to a motor boat, but never made it to the shore.

Local old-timers claim that killer catfish have already committed over a dozen attacks on motor and sailing boats. The disappearances of fishing enthusiasts, who preferred fishing further from the shore, have also become more frequent.

All these chilling stories were born for a reason. Catfish is the largest freshwater fish. In our reservoirs, only sturgeon were larger than catfish, but now they are practically never found.

In the Khopyorsky Nature Reserve, in the presence of two rangers, a forester and a senior researcher at a biological station, a catfish attack on a young deer was recorded. In front of eyewitnesses, the voracious predator dragged the poor fellow to the bottom of the lake. Old-timers note that similar cases have happened before.

Attempts to detect and catch the killer catfish were unsuccessful. The commission, created on the initiative of the reserve management and specialists from the Faculty of Biology of Voronezh State University, came to the conclusion that the unusual behavior of the catfish is explained by a tectonic fault and the unusual state of the earth’s crust in the area of ​​the Khopyorsky Reserve. Recorded energy emissions in the fault zone could be the reason for such unusual, aggressive behavior of the catfish.

At the end of the summer of 1996, in the village of Kulakovo (Rossoshansky district of the Voronezh region), two people, a woman and a boy, became victims of a man-eating catfish. If the catfish's prey is too large for its mouth, the predator leaves it for some time at the bottom. And only when the corpse begins to decompose and becomes soft, the catfish gradually begins to absorb pieces of flesh. Usually the killer fish goes hunting at sunset and scours the pond in search of prey until dawn. That is why it is not advisable to swim in the evening in places where catfish are found.

The famous ichthyologist Richiuti cites a number of historical cases in which people became victims of catfish. So, in 1613, a river predator swallowed a child in the area of ​​​​present-day Pressburg, in 1754, the corpse of a 7-year-old child was found in the belly of one of the giant catfish, and at the end of the 18th century in Turkey, a predator was caught with the body of a woman in its belly. Another report from Turkey says that in 1793, two little girls became victims of a man-eating catfish.

Legends about mermen that drag their victims to the bottom, and the notoriety of some river pools can also be associated with giant river catfish.

“Last summer I vacationed with relatives in the Shatursky district of the Moscow region,” says Nikolai Blinkov. “And then one morning, probably around eight o’clock, my nephew Andreika wakes me up and shouts almost in my ear: “Uncle Kol, Uncle Kol, get up quickly, let’s go look at Vodyanoy!” He staged a whole concert in the lake”...

At first, I didn’t understand anything, but Andreika quickly explained everything to me. It turns out that in Lake Velikoye, on the shore of which our village is located, the real Vodyanoy, the one about whom fairy tales are told, has been raging for more than an hour!

Actually, I didn’t believe in fairy tales for a long time, but my nephew was so convincing that I was forced, without even washing my face, to go with him to the lake. Fortunately, it was located a few minutes from the house.

As it soon became clear, we were not the only ones who came to see the miracle that had suddenly appeared. At least two-thirds of the entire population of the village gathered on the shore. People were talking animatedly and pointing their fingers at the middle of the lake, where the real devilry was really happening!

Something incredibly large and not similar to either a person or an animal was rushing at a truly frantic speed about a hundred meters from us along the surface of the lake, disappearing at times under the water and jumping out of it again with a loud splash and splashes that scattered far in different directions. At the same time, the monster made very thin squeaking sounds, turning into strangled wheezing. The spectacle was truly so impressive and mesmerizing that I could not take my eyes off it. As, by the way, did everyone else gathered on the shore. And the spectacle reached its highest point when the miracle Yudo, once again disappearing under the water, suddenly rushed rapidly towards us.

It looked like a torpedo fired from a naval ship. It itself is not visible, only a water breaker, waves diverging from it and a long foamy trail are visible on the surface. I even got a shiver. A woman standing not far from me screamed hysterically. Probably, a little more, and we would all have rushed headlong in different directions, but the next moment the “torpedo” suddenly braked and, turning 180 degrees, rushed again to the center of the lake. I breathed a sigh of relief, and I think I wasn’t the only one.

The merman’s “dancing” continued for at least another half hour, and then he completely disappeared under the water and did not appear again until the end of the day.

The mysterious incident on the lake would probably have remained unsolved, and subsequently, perhaps, would have added to the list of local legends, if the next morning a rural fisherman had not seen from a boat... a dead man lying at the bottom of the lake!

I, as always, appeared on the spot at the very height of events. On the shore, two young guys were putting on scuba gear, a village policeman was bustling around nearby, and in the crowd, which had increased even more compared to yesterday morning, the same fisherman who discovered the drowned man was walking around, telling his story to everyone:

“On my boat, I dug into a place that had been baited since the evening, threw my fishing rods, and I looked, and right below me, at the bottom, he was lying. All naked, white and with his arms spread out in different directions!”

...After some time, the “drowned man” was pulled ashore by scuba divers to the admiring exclamations of those gathered and the caustic remarks of the district police officer addressed to the fisherman, who, due to a severe hangover, mistook for a dead man... a wild goose and a huge catfish clinging tightly to it!

It turns out that it was their mortal struggle that we saw the day before and mistook for the incredible dance of the raging Vodyanoy. Although there are also plenty of incredible things in this story. Firstly, what is striking is the catfish itself, the length of which turned out to be almost two meters, and secondly, the fight between this monster fish and the goose that lasted for several hours in a row, which in itself causes genuine surprise and, to put it bluntly, quiet horror! The goose is also not a small bird and is quite strong.

Two days later my vacation came to an end. Driving past the lake, I noticed that its shores were empty. There were no swimmers, no one was sitting with fishing rods. The bloodthirsty catfish, which quite possibly still has equally huge relatives left in the lake, frightened the villagers more than the fabulous Vodyanoy!”

I wonder why such giants are caught? I'm not a fisherman myself, but this is what I read about catfish.

An elderly warrior said that during the war he personally caught a catfish weighing 40 kg. And, indeed, when they sawed it up, there was a strong smell of mud inside, there was a very unpleasant smell. After all, catfish eat everything that floats in the water, everything that “moves.” So it’s better to release the catfish into the wild, let them live until they are 80 years old...

like fish to eat catfish is shit. After I saw a dead horse in the water and a bunch of catfish, I can’t even look at them, I still remember the smell. In India, catfish grow very large due to local burial rituals.

Yes, they are scavengers, just like burbot. My uncle also stopped eating them when he was young, when they caught a burbot in a seine that had gotten into the boot of a drowned man.

A completely meaningless trophy in every way. And so - this is a fish-orderly, which passes through itself a bunch of “stuff” and, first of all, any carrion. In theory, they should not be caught at all and should be released if caught by accident.

I remembered. last year in Astrakhan we ate hot smoked catfish for a couple of days.... The liver failed on the second day, and the catfish rushed out in the middle of the night, and lasted for about three days, perhaps. The fact that he's not bony is a plus, of course.

These are the catfish that live in Thailand

But these are the ones in Chernobyl...

Here is the Kazakh SOMISHCHE...

And this catfish knows where!

From the Dnepropetrovsk region I was not only surprised, but also reminded that there are many stories associated with these river inhabitants that ended rather pitifully for people. The Internet is “teeming” with fishing tales and stories about attacks by man-eating catfish. And fans of “horror stories”, of course, claim that these are not fiction. Allegedly, even in the Middle Ages, the catfish was known for the fact that, in addition to its usual food, it was not averse to feasting on sheep and dogs, and sometimes as a snack for a gaping swimmer. A giant five-meter fish can easily swallow a child whole or drown an adult.

There are many facts about cases of attacks by man-eating catfish. For example, in 1613, in the Pressburg area, a catfish swallowed a child. In 1754, the corpse of a 7-year-old girl was found in the belly of a captured giant, and at the end of the 18th century, the body of an adult woman was found in the belly of a huge fish. They said that large fish snatched linen and rags from the hands when women washed in the rivers, that huge catfish drowned dogs and calves and attacked people, especially children. In Siberia there is a legend about a catfish that drowned a bear swimming across the river.

Reading this really makes me creepy. One story is scarier than the other. However, experts believe that this is nothing more than fiction. Dnepropetrovsk ichthyologist Oleg Marenkov helped debunk the myths of “KP in Ukraine”.

Myth No. 1 Catfish can attack and eat a person

It is not true. A duck, a dog, a rat, a bird, a muskrat - yes, but a human - no.

The catfish has a large mouth and a small throat, so even if it is the size of a crocodile, it would not be able to swallow a person, says the ichthyologist. – As for the attack, the catfish can grab the hand and hit with the tail, but this is rather a method of self-defense and protection of the offspring.

According to Marenkov, during the spawning period, from late May to June, a pair of catfish searches for an approximately two-meter deep hole. The female lays eggs and guards them, while the male guards the territory around the female and future catfish. Like a real man, the catfish discourages everyone who might pose a threat from the “nest.” And if one of the swimmers approaches, the defender will rush to drive him away.

In catfish spawning areas, you can’t even hear the croaking of frogs, since the male eats them up so that they don’t interfere with raising their offspring with their “singing.”

Myth No. 2 Bracelets and rings found in the stomachs of catfish are from people eaten by them

Jewelry is indeed found in the bellies of catfish, but they get there in a completely different way.

The catfish picks up all the lost shiny objects from the bottom, believing that these are some kind of delicacy,” Marenkov smiles. – In addition to bracelets and rings, you can also find tin cans and shoes in the fish’s stomach. But all this was collected from the bottom, and not obtained as a result of being eaten by a person.

Myth No. 3 Catfish attack underwater hunters

Again, this is not an attack, but a defense. It seems that due to the huge number of underwater hunters, the catfish began to defend themselves. Therefore, it is possible that, upon seeing a person with a weapon, a catfish may hit him with its tail or push it with its forehead. By this he makes it clear: go away, you are an uninvited guest

Myth No. 4 Catfish can attack on the shore

Catfish do swim to the shore, but they usually do this at night. In search of prey, it can attack, but only on small animals.

He can grab a passing muskrat or little dog,” says Marenkov. – He can also profit from crucian carp or other small fish living near the shore.

Myth No. 5 Catfish feed on the corpses of drowned people

In addition to glitter, human fingers are sometimes found in the stomachs of catfish. These are the remains of drowned people on which they feed.

The body decomposes, becomes soft, and the catfish takes it for carrion, explains the ichthyologist. – Moreover, the stronger the smell, the more attractive it is to fish. Some fishermen use rotten intestines of domestic animals as bait for catfish. Experienced fishermen deliberately spoil the bait so that it has a “smell.” This could be rotten meat or fish, cut into pieces and put on a hook.

There was such a case

A girl and a boy became victims of catfish

There is no confirmation of what happened in August 1996 in the Lower Don village of Kulakovo, Voronezh region, but local residents claim that a catfish then pulled a 10-year-old boy to the bottom. The child and his friend went for a swim. Swimming to the other side, something large and incomprehensible began to drag him down, under the water. A friend rushed to help, but almost drowned himself. The boy's body was never found.

It was then that the girl was attacked. A couple of newlyweds who came to relax went for a boat ride. In the middle of the river, the girl decided to swim. Everything happened very quickly. The water surface around him instantly became seething and a huge mouth swallowed the girl. The guy in the boat didn't even have time to react.

The village residents allegedly hunted the river animal, caught it with a seine and killed it on the shore. Having ripped open the belly, they found human teeth, teeth and the girl’s wedding ring...

The story of the Khortytsia murderers has been alive for a quarter of a century.

At the beginning of 1991, an unprecedented stir among the residents of Zaporozhye was caused by a note in the newspaper "Komsolskaya Znamya" (aka "KoZa") entitled "Dnieper Murderers." As the authors of the note stated, man-eating catfish appeared near the island of Khortitsa, which not only devour everything and everyone indiscriminately, but even attack ships.

“About a dozen attacks on motor and sailing boats were recorded,” wrote KoZa. “The culprit himself, a hefty catfish, was stuck on board one of these tugs, which sank as a result of such a ramming. And The worst thing is that the remains of three people were found in the catfish’s stomach.”

There was talk that the remains belonged to Polish tourists who died during the crash of a cruise ship a year before the discovery of the terrible fish. However, it later turned out that under two pseudonyms - the authors of the note - one person was hiding - an engineer at one of the Zaporozhye research institutes, Viktor Korolev. He admitted that he had made up the story, since the same KoZ published a story about huge rats, which everyone also believed. Nevertheless, a quarter of a century later, the story about the terrible Khortytsia catfish is still being told.

The giant freshwater fish catfish has long captivated the minds of people around the world. It is often said about him that he willingly eats domestic animals and birds. This monster even scares naughty children who swim for a long time and don’t want to get out of the water.

The giant freshwater fish catfish has long captivated the minds of people around the world.

In 2012, a giant catfish was allegedly caught in Kapchagay in Kazakhstan. His weight was supposedly 1500 kg. In the photograph that witnesses provided as evidence, it was clearly visible that what was lying on the ground was a whale shark, and not a Kapchagai catfish. Considering that sharks are not found in reservoirs, the photo can be regarded as fake.

There is a fairly widespread legend about catfish that are found in the Rostov-on-Don area and attack people. So far, no facts have been discovered indicating the reliability of this information. On the other side, On the territory of Russia there is a huge catfish, which can reach a weight of more than 100 kg.

Previously, almost no one believed in fairy tales about these mustachioed man-eating fish, but relatively recently events occurred that caused even skeptics to stop laughing. From 1998 to 2007, fatal attacks on people were recorded on the Kali River. A species of catfish locally nicknamed "gunch" is believed to be to blame for the attacks. These incidents occurred in 3 villages on the banks of the Kali River in India and Nepal. Killer catfish were the subject of a television documentary that first aired on October 22, 2008. An episode about the Kali River could also be seen in the River Monsters series on the Animal Planet channel.

The goonch is a bottom-dwelling fish that loves large rivers with strong currents and avoids small bodies of water. It eats mainly small fish, frogs, crustaceans and aquatic insects. These “killer catfish” can migrate in search of areas of the reservoir that contain more food. It moves most willingly over long distances during the rainy season, when the water becomes cloudy.

Previously, gunch was considered a harmless fish. The local population readily catches, cooks and eats it.

Man-eating catfish (video)

Mysterious death of people

The alleged catfish attack occurred in April 1998, when at approximately 13:00 local time, 17-year-old Dil Bahadur disappeared underwater while swimming in the river in front of his girlfriend and several witnesses. During the search, which lasted 3 days and covered 5 km, no remains were found. 3 months later at Dharma Ghat, a little boy disappeared underwater in front of his father, who could not save him. The body was never found. The final attack occurred in 2007, when an 18-year-old boy from Nepal was pulled underwater by a strange creature that, according to eyewitnesses, looked something like a pig.

British biologist Jeremy Wade volunteered to find and neutralize an unknown monster that eats people. He was initially skeptical about rumors of killer catfish, but was later intrigued when he learned that all the attacks occurred in a specific area.

Local residents told Wade that the creature was probably interested in human flesh because of the half-burnt human remains that were dumped into the river after funeral pyres (catfish are known to be scavengers).

After studying the section of the river where the allegedly eaten Dil Bahadur disappeared, Wade ruled out the possibility of the guy’s death due to falling into a whirlpool, since there was no strong current in this place. A little later, a kilometer from this site, another incident occurred when a suspected catfish ate a baby cattle that had entered the water to a depth of 1 m. Wade suggested that if this creature eats even such animals, then it must weigh at least 100- 150 kg.

River monsters (video)

Jeremy Wade Investigation

The possibility of attack by crocodiles was ruled out because saltwater alligators did not swim that far inland, the gharial's mouth was not designed to attack people and large animals, and the marsh crocodile, which is considered the most common in India, avoided the Kali River due to its cold water. In addition, alligators have never been seen on land in these areas.

The most likely version seemed to be an attack by a bull shark, but an underwater study of the river conducted by marine biologist Rick Rosenthal showed that such fish do not live here. In addition, Wade believed that a shark attack must have been accompanied by the appearance of its dorsal fin above the surface of the water. During the research, a catfish, 1 m long, was discovered, which Wade unsuccessfully tried to catch. Thanks to the study of the river, it became clear that the supposed “man-eating fish” are found here in abundance and some of them reach human size.

After an unsuccessful attempt to catch a catfish with a fishing rod, it was decided to create a funeral pyre to test the legend widespread among local residents. The human fish turned out to be a suitable bait, and the next day we managed to catch a record gunch, almost 2 m long and weighing 75.5 kg, which was 3 times the weight of the average fish of this species. Wade theorized that this predatory catfish was large and strong enough to eat a small child. But in an interview, he officially stated that larger specimens probably exist. Wade eventually concluded that the goonch he caught was not big enough to eat people.

Catfish is the largest freshwater predator. Everyone knows this giant - an inhabitant of whirlpools and littered river holes, some from stories and books, and some who were lucky enough to catch, if not a record-breaking, but still a catfish! And sometimes this fish weighs up to 300 kg! Such giants, scientists believe, are usually 80-100 years old! True, I haven’t heard of any fishermen being so lucky. More often you come across catfish weighing 10-20 kg.

Of course, fishermen who specialize in catching these amazing fish - somyatniks - still catch very large specimens - up to 100 kg. In terms of its external characteristics, catfish are easily distinguished from all other fish. It has a huge, blunt head, a large mouth, from which extend two large whiskers, and four chin antennae. Whiskers are a kind of tentacles with the help of which the catfish finds food even in the dark. And what is surprising - with such large dimensions - are very small eyes. The tail is long and not much like a fish. The color of the body is variable - almost black on top, but the belly is usually dirty white. His body is naked, without scales.


The food of catfish is very diverse; it feeds on mollusks, worms, crayfish and other living creatures. The main one is the fish, which it attacks from shelters and ambushes, masquerading as the background of the bottom (it is incapable of long-term pursuit of its victims). If a waterfowl or animal is gaping, then they too can become its victim. Catfish especially readily feast on green frogs. Catching it “with a kwok” is based on the use of this predilection. Like the pike, the catfish is an excellent orderly for water bodies: it eats weakened, dead fish, drowned animals, etc. Sexual maturity of catfish occurs in the 3rd - 4th year of life; spawning begins when the water warms up to 20 degrees. Usually spawning is in pairs. The female spawns eggs in shallow areas with little or no current into a hole dug in the ground. Males guard the eggs until the fry emerge. After spawning, catfish migrate to summer camps and begin to actively feed. The post-spawning zhor is the most active. It continues almost until mid-summer, then gradually decreases, and at the first night frosts the catfish completely stops feeding.


Som is a homebody. Usually he spends his entire life in one hole, unless extraordinary circumstances force him to look for another place. The catfish leads a solitary lifestyle; only some aggregation can be observed in wintering pits. For the first 2 - 3 years, young catfish also prefer to stay together; this is usually observed in places rich in food. Catfish are predominantly nocturnal, and if they move, it is mostly at dawn. On hot days they can come to the surface of the water. They are very sensitive to cold. But catfish are more mobile.

At night, in search of food, they go to shallow places on the banks... Catfish are predominantly nocturnal, and if they move, it is mostly at dawn. On hot days they can come to the surface of the water. They are very sensitive to cold. But catfish are more mobile. At night, in search of food, they go to shallow places on the banks. The catfish does not like muddy water, and therefore in rainy weather, when muddy water enters the river, it tends to leave the hole towards the surface. The same behavior is observed before a thunderstorm. Being large fish, catfish easily reveal themselves: they leave a characteristic mark when moving in the water, make sounds and splash. When searching for food, catfish are largely guided by their sense of smell. Therefore, ingredients singed on fire are added to the bait, which is used as all kinds of food waste, chopped entrails of domestic animals, etc.


Many fellow fishermen claim that catfish really like the smell of burnt feathers, wool and felt. Live fish are also used as bait: crucian carp, tench, white bream, squint, gobies, ram, etc. It is almost impossible to catch a catfish with weak tackle and thin fishing line, because it will break thin fishing line or weak cord without much effort. Catfish is a very strong fish. If it is hooked by an angler, it is not so easy to pull it out.

Catfish is the most voracious predator of fresh waters, it eats not only fish, but does not disdain frogs, small waterfowl, devours various food waste that falls into the river, swallows large mollusks, etc. Small little catfish is caught by a worm when catching other fish .


The body structure of the catfish is adapted for bottom life; it rarely rises to the upper layers of water. Its head is large, wide and flattened, its mouth is huge with numerous small teeth. There are two long antennae on the upper jaw and four short ones on the lower jaw. There is an incongruously small fin on the back, while the anal fin, wide and long, is connected to the caudal fin, which makes the catfish very powerful. The skin is bare, without scales. The eyes are small and very “evil”.

The catfish is primarily a nocturnal predator. During the day, he stays in his camp, under cover, where he lies in wait for his prey; at night, in search of food, he goes out into shallow places, walking near water thickets, where he feasts on gaping frogs.

In our rivers it is possible to catch catfish weighing about 50 kg.


The best time for catching catfish is July-August. It is best caught soon after spawning, which usually occurs at a temperature of 18-22 ° C. The best fishing time during the day should be considered from dusk to dawn. But even during the day, the possibility of his grip cannot be ruled out if the bait passes close to his mouth.

The bait for catching catfish is spoons in proportion to the size of the expected catch and fresh fish, planted on a fishing point. Given the energetic and strong resistance of catfish when caught, it is necessary to install hooks of the appropriate size and strength.

When fighting large fish, which also occur at night or twilight, you need to be careful and make sure that the line does not get caught in your hand, otherwise you can cut it badly. The technique of catching catfish with a spinning rod has not yet been sufficiently mastered, but by using conventional fishing methods, you can count on success.

Catfish are not just fish. The merman rides on it, and the catfish carries drowned people to him. That's why they call him "the devil's horse." How many fishing stories and “horror stories” about catfish!

Catfish drown and eat ducklings, goslings and adult waterfowl. Eyewitnesses claimed that they saw a catfish swim up to the trees bent over the water and, with a blow of its tail, knock down not only a nest with chicks, but also some daydreaming crow.


They say that huge catfish drowned dogs and calves and attacked people, especially children. In Siberia there is a legend about a catfish that drowned a bear swimming across the river.

In the early 80s, the magazine “Science and Life” published the story of a collective farmer who was grabbed by the leg by a catfish and the poor guy beat the fish on the head with a sickle for a long time to free himself.

On July 16, 1982, in the Khopyorsky Nature Reserve, in front of the huntsman, forester and researcher at the biological station, a catfish attacked a young deer and pulled it under water.


Nowadays, in one of the lakes of the Dutch recreation park “Centerparcs”, tourists are struck with fear, mixed with curiosity, by a catfish 2.3 meters long.

The main diet of Big Momma - as the catfish is nicknamed by local residents - consists of ducks, who inadvertently choose its lake for rest. According to park employees, the underwater monster eats two or three birds a day. In addition, he already has several large and small dogs.

The Dutch catfish has already scared away all the local ducks, who have moved to other lakes, away from its mouth. However, Big Mom does not have to starve, since several random birds always fly to the lake, unaware that a monster is waiting for them in the calm water.

According to Centerparcs biologist Jean Hanks, Big Mom was able to grow to such a size because the lake has unusually clean water, plenty of food around, and is very calm.

In order not to scare away tourists, the authorities initially hushed up the incident, but nevertheless the news became public knowledge. Currently, swimming in the reservoir is prohibited due to the high probability that there are other man-eating fish in it.


Catfish can reach 300 kg in weight and five meters in length, and there is evidence that a hundred years ago 400 kg monsters were caught in Russian rivers. Senior researcher at the Saratov Regional Research Institute of River and Lake Fisheries, Vladimir Ermolin, in an interview with Saratovnews, said that he came across giants weighing 260-290 kilograms in the Volga and its tributaries.

According to Bram, the length of this fish can be up to 3 meters and weight 220 kg, but American zoologist David Weller in his book “Killer Fish” talks about 6.3 meters and 500 kg!


Leonid Sabaneeva in his work “Life and Catching of Freshwater Fish” wrote that a jaw of a catfish caught in the lake was installed on Lake Issyk-Kul. It stood vertically in the form of an arch and an adult could freely pass through it without bending.

For example, in the Ukrainian Dnieper (where catfish is considered the king fish), according to unconfirmed reports, a 288-kilogram catfish with a length of 4 meters was caught. In the Dniester, a catfish weighing 320 kilograms was pulled out. And again, according to unconfirmed reports, in 1830 the largest catfish in the world was caught on the Oder. His weight was 400 kilograms.

In South America, in the rivers of the Amazon basin, the length of catfish reaches 3 meters. In India and Indonesia, 4-meter individuals are found.


The largest catfish in Europe was caught in Italy in March 2011. Its weight turned out to be 114 kilograms, its length is exactly 2.5 meters. A fisherman named Robert Godey dragged the fish ashore for 50 minutes. And not alone, but with the help of several people. As a result, the catfish became the largest freshwater fish caught in European waters. She also received the title of the largest catfish in the world that was caught.

On the day of fishing, Roberto Godi was hunting for bream, but felt a bite and went into the river. After the catch, weighing 114 kilograms, was pulled out of the water, everyone was surprised. The fisherman weighed the catfish, took a photo with it and released it back into the river.

Now that title has passed to a giant catfish caught by Thai fishermen in the Mekong River.

Its weight was 293 kilograms and its length was 2.7 meters. The fish were weighed, measured, and photographed by Thai officials.

Zoologists and ecologists fought for the legendary catfish - they wanted to take it under their supervision. However, the local residents starved him to death and ate him with pleasure.

Are there still cannibalistic catfishes?

Hungry catfish are pretty scary. There are known facts when fish attacked rotten rags and even snatched linen from the hands of women who were rinsing their clothes in ponds. Catfish have the strength to capsize a boat, and if they want, they can tear a fishing net and take the fish with them.

Catfish is the largest river predator. Its weight can reach 230 kilograms with a length of 3 meters. However, fish can grow to large sizes. For example, American zoologist David Wheeler mentions in his book “Killer Fish” a catfish weighing 500 kilograms and 6.3 meters.


Catfish live in almost all large reservoirs of Russia and the CIS countries. They are also common in Europe, but not in northern countries. Can be found in the USA, Canada and Latin America. Experts say that catfish can attack any living creature that is on the surface of the water. A predator always swallows its prey whole. It cannot tear off pieces like a shark, since it does not have teeth, as such. The small teeth are more like a brush. At the same time, catfish, which can live up to 100 years, are sometimes unable to provide themselves with a regular breakfast. Therefore, it is easier for him to find prey on the surface: ducks, birds, dogs and even people.


I found this photo with the caption - “the largest man-eating catfish,” but to me it looks more like a WHALE SHARK. This is the story that is told in addition to the photo:

Every year, swimmers mysteriously disappeared in one of the Chinese reservoirs. The mystery of the disappearances has already been revealed. It turned out that in the reservoir there was a three-meter catfish with a head more than a meter. Human remains were found inside the fish.

Last summer, a catfish of enormous size frightened the residents of the Kazakh city of Aktobe, located on the banks of the Ilek River. Citizens even turned to the authorities with a request to finally catch the killer fish.

Rumors about the existence of a man-eating catfish intensified after three young people drowned in the waters near the Zhilgorod beach.

“Local residents say that the catfish is to blame for the deaths. Once on a moonlit night,” says Boris Tatarintsev, an old resident of these places, “I saw a huge fish: a giant catfish basking on the surface. He must eat a lot to feed himself. And a lot of people have disappeared here..."

“The catfish is the largest of the river predators. According to the famous zoologist Bram, the length of this fish reaches 3 meters and weight - 230 kg. However, judging by other sources, both the length and weight of catfish can be much greater. For example, American zoologist David Wheeler in his book Killer Fish gives the figures 6.3 meters and 500 kg!”

Catfish live in almost all large rivers, lakes and reservoirs of Russia and the CIS - from the southern borders to the Far East. Also common in Europe - except for northern countries. Catfish live in Canada, the USA and Latin America. But, by and large, giant fish can appear in any body of water where there is good food for them.

food base.


According to experts, catfish can attack any living creature located on the surface of the water. A predator, which has practically no enemies, always tries to swallow its prey whole. Catfish cannot tear pieces from it like sharks, because they do not have teeth, as such. Small teeth in several rows are more like a brush, with which it is impossible to bite the victim.

It is quite difficult for a huge catfish weighing several hundred kilograms, which has lived for half a century (and they can live up to 100 years), to provide themselves with regular breakfast, lunch and dinner. Hunting fish is a burden for him. The 50-year-old catfish has speed and strength in abundance, but its maneuverability is not the same. Another thing is prey floating on the surface.

water - ducks, geese, dogs and other four-legged animals who, to their own misfortune, decided to enter the water. And, of course, a person, whose leg is much easier to grab than the same dog. Having tasted the human taste, the catfish, like some African crocodiles, can switch exclusively to such food.

There is a story going around Ukraine that supposedly happened on the Dnieper. Several years ago, off the island of Khortitsa, at a depth of 15 meters, a tugboat that had disappeared the day before was discovered. There was a huge hole in its side, in which a five-meter catfish was stuck!

When his carcass was raised to the surface and his stomach was opened, everyone present gasped in horror: inside were the remains of three vainly sought Polish tourists, who had recently transferred from the ship in distress to a motor boat, but never made it to the shore.

Local old-timers claim that killer catfish have already committed over a dozen attacks on motor and sailing boats. The disappearances of fishing enthusiasts, who preferred fishing further from the shore, have also become more frequent.

All these chilling stories were born for a reason. Catfish is the largest freshwater fish. In our reservoirs, only sturgeon were larger than catfish, but now they are practically never found.

In the Khopyorsky Nature Reserve, in the presence of two rangers, a forester and a senior researcher at a biological station, a catfish attack on a young deer was recorded. In front of eyewitnesses, the voracious predator dragged the poor fellow to the bottom of the lake. Old-timers note that similar cases have happened before.

Attempts to detect and catch the killer catfish were unsuccessful. The commission, created on the initiative of the reserve management and specialists from the Faculty of Biology of Voronezh State University, came to the conclusion that the unusual behavior of the catfish is explained by a tectonic fault and the unusual state of the earth’s crust in the area of ​​the Khopyorsky Reserve. Recorded energy emissions in the fault zone could be the reason for such unusual, aggressive behavior of the catfish.

At the end of the summer of 1996, in the village of Kulakovo (Rossoshansky district of the Voronezh region), two people, a woman and a boy, became victims of a man-eating catfish. If the catfish's prey is too large for its mouth, the predator leaves it for some time at the bottom. And only when the corpse begins to decompose and becomes soft, the catfish gradually begins to absorb pieces of flesh. Usually the killer fish goes hunting at sunset and scours the pond in search of prey until dawn. That is why it is not advisable to swim in the evening in places where catfish are found.

The famous ichthyologist Richiuti cites a number of historical cases in which people became victims of catfish. So, in 1613, a river predator swallowed a child in the area of ​​​​present-day Pressburg, in 1754, the corpse of a 7-year-old child was found in the belly of one of the giant catfish, and at the end of the 18th century in Turkey, a predator was caught with the body of a woman in its belly. Another report from Turkey says that in 1793, two little girls became victims of a man-eating catfish.


Legends about mermen that drag their victims to the bottom, and the notoriety of some river pools can also be associated with giant river catfish.

“Last summer I vacationed with relatives in the Shatursky district of the Moscow region,” says Nikolai Blinkov. “And then one morning, probably around eight o’clock, my nephew Andreika wakes me up and shouts almost in my ear: “Uncle Kol, Uncle Kol, get up quickly, let’s go look at Vodyanoy!” He staged a whole concert in the lake”...

At first, I didn’t understand anything, but Andreika quickly explained everything to me. It turns out that in Lake Velikoye, on the shore of which our village is located, the real Vodyanoy, the one about whom fairy tales are told, has been raging for more than an hour!

Actually, I didn’t believe in fairy tales for a long time, but my nephew was so convincing that I was forced, without even washing my face, to go with him to the lake. Fortunately, it was located a few minutes from the house.

As it soon became clear, we were not the only ones who came to see the miracle that had suddenly appeared. At least two-thirds of the entire population of the village gathered on the shore. People were talking animatedly and pointing their fingers at the middle of the lake, where the real devilry was really happening!

Something incredibly large and not similar to either a person or an animal was rushing at a truly frantic speed about a hundred meters from us along the surface of the lake, disappearing at times under the water and jumping out of it again with a loud splash and splashes that scattered far in different directions. At the same time, the monster made very thin squeaking sounds, turning into strangled wheezing. The spectacle was truly so impressive and mesmerizing that I could not take my eyes off it. As, by the way, did everyone else gathered on the shore. And the spectacle reached its highest point when the miracle Yudo, once again disappearing under the water, suddenly rushed rapidly towards us.


It looked like a torpedo fired from a naval ship. It itself is not visible, only a water breaker, waves diverging from it and a long foamy trail are visible on the surface. I even got a shiver. A woman standing not far from me screamed hysterically. Probably, a little more, and we would all have rushed headlong in different directions, but the next moment the “torpedo” suddenly braked and, turning 180 degrees, rushed again to the center of the lake. I breathed a sigh of relief, and I think I wasn’t the only one.

The merman’s “dancing” continued for at least another half hour, and then he completely disappeared under the water and did not appear again until the end of the day.



The mysterious incident on the lake would probably have remained unsolved, and subsequently, perhaps, would have added to the list of local legends, if the next morning a rural fisherman had not seen from a boat... a dead man lying at the bottom of the lake!

I, as always, appeared on the spot at the very height of events. On the shore, two young guys were putting on scuba gear, a village policeman was bustling around nearby, and in the crowd, which had increased even more compared to yesterday morning, the same fisherman who discovered the drowned man was walking around, telling his story to everyone:

“On my boat, I dug into a place that had been baited since the evening, threw my fishing rods, and I looked, and right below me, at the bottom, he was lying. All naked, white and with his arms spread out in different directions!”




...After some time, the “drowned man” was pulled ashore by scuba divers to the admiring exclamations of those gathered and the caustic remarks of the district police officer addressed to the fisherman, who, due to a severe hangover, mistook for a dead man... a wild goose and a huge catfish clinging tightly to it!

It turns out that it was their mortal struggle that we saw the day before and mistook for the incredible dance of the raging Vodyanoy. Although there are also plenty of incredible things in this story. Firstly, what is striking is the catfish itself, the length of which turned out to be almost two meters, and secondly, the fight between this monster fish and the goose that lasted for several hours in a row, which in itself causes genuine surprise and, to put it bluntly, quiet horror! The goose is also not a small bird and is quite strong.

Two days later my vacation came to an end. Driving past the lake, I noticed that its shores were empty. There were no swimmers, no one was sitting with fishing rods. The bloodthirsty catfish, which quite possibly still has equally huge relatives left in the lake, frightened the villagers more than the fabulous Vodyanoy!”
I wonder why such giants are caught? I'm not a fisherman myself, but this is what I read about catfish.

An elderly warrior said that during the war he personally caught a catfish weighing 40 kg. And, indeed, when they sawed it up, there was a strong smell of mud inside, there was a very unpleasant smell. After all, catfish eat everything that floats in the water, everything that “moves.” So it’s better to release the catfish into the wild, let them live until they are 80 years old...

like fish to eat catfish is shit. After I saw a dead horse in the water and a bunch of catfish, I can’t even look at them, I still remember the smell. In India, catfish grow very large due to local burial rituals.

Yes, they are scavengers, just like burbot. My uncle also stopped eating them when he was young, when they caught a burbot in a seine that had gotten into the boot of a drowned man.

A completely meaningless trophy in every way. And so - this is a fish-orderly, which passes through itself a bunch of “stuff” and, first of all, any carrion. In theory, they should not be caught at all and should be released if caught by accident.

I remembered. last year in Astrakhan we ate hot smoked catfish for a couple of days... The liver failed on the second day, and the catfish rushed out in the middle of the night, and lasted for about three days, perhaps. The fact that he's not bony is a plus, of course.























These are the catfish that live in Thailand

But these are the ones in Chernobyl...

Here is the Kazakh SOMISHCHE...

And this catfish knows where!