06/07/2023 10:26 am (act. 06/07/2023 10:35 am)
Italian catches record catfish. ©Portal
An Italian captured a catfish (Silurus glanis) with a record length of almost three meters in the waters of the Po River.
The fish that Alessandro Biancardi tried in vain to catch for 23 years is known as the “Monster of the Powder River”, local media reported. Biancardi managed to catch the fish near the city of Mantua. River catfish live up to 60 years.
Three meter catfish caught in the Po River
Fischer now faces a €1,500 fine
The fish was released by Biancardi after catching it in the river, although according to the regulation the fisherman should not have done so as it is not a native species. River catfish is one of the species that is spreading disproportionately and could become a real problem for the local fish fauna. This is also why Italian law requires that a catfish be killed after it has been caught. The fisherman now faces a fine of 1,500 euros.
Catfish are mainly nocturnal and twilight predatory fish that feed on live and dead fish, but also on invertebrates and occasionally on small waterfowl and mammals. The catfish’s range extends from Central and Eastern Europe to Central Asia.