Giant Albino Catfish

[bobowski]

‘Monster’ albino wels catfish may be largest ever caught

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British angler Bernie Campbell just fulfilled a seven-year goal of catching a rare albino wels catfish, but little did he dream that when he finally hooked one and landed it, he would also land a world's record along with it!

This whopper, caught in the River Ebro, near Barcelona, Spain, comes in at around 2.5 metres long, and tips the scales at over 93 kilograms. It isn't officially the world's largest just yet, but according to the UK Daily Mail, that's roughly 4.5 kg more than the albino catfish caught by fellow Briton Phil Hilton in 2012.

"We have had two or three big albino catfish out of the river, but none that has topped 200 pounds," said John Deakin from CatMaster Tours, according to the UK Daily Mail. "Albino catfish of that size are very rare indeed. This is the biggest we've ever seen. It was a very special fish."

Campbell, along with his son, Gary, prop up the incredible fish for display.[ More Geekquinox: 2013 on track to be one of the top 10 warmest years on record ]

According to anglers, the albino wels catfish is very rare and especially sought after as trophy fish. Albinism is a rare genetic condition that affects all species of vertebrate (those with a backbone), resulting in a lack of melanin in their body, and thus they have no colouration in their skin, hair or fur, and eyes.

Campbell told the Daily Mail that he'd been traveling to Spain for seven years to catch catfish, but although it had always been a goal to catch an albino one, they'd eluded him until now. It took him a 'shattering' 30 minutes of fighting to get the fish on shore, during which, he said, it nearly pulled him into the water four times. Once he'd reeled it in, though, and had his unbelievable experience, as well as both photographic evidence and an official weigh-in of the monster, he did the honourable thing and let the catfish go.

"The record could stand for 10 minutes or it could stand for 10 years," he told the Daily Mail. "But for me it’s going to take a long time to beat this fish."

 

[NAW]

That's one ugly fish!

[highdrifter]

They're getting biiiiiigggeeerrrrr...

[ChasinTails]

im guessing thats dirt on the head, cuz if its albino its gotta be like the rest of the body right

[pidge]

Pretty friggin neat! Wow.

[Rich]

Awesome!

[kickingfrog]

Didn't River Monsters do a show in Spain? The theory went something like: the reservoir was heading towards the peak as far as producing hugmungus catfish.

[wildeye rainbow]

That's an "almost albino" catfish with the colouration on its head.

 

Big fish!

 

WR

[gardzy99]

And they killed it? Pathetic. At this day in age. Take pictures, get a fibreglass mount model and release the monster to reproduce more beautiful creatures like it. As for the consideration of whether it's true albino, I think most anglers go by % of body that is lacking pigment..........

[irishfield]

And they killed it? Pathetic. At this day in age. Take pictures, get a fibreglass mount model and release the monster to reproduce more beautiful creatures like it.

Maybe read the article first before going off...

 

 

 

Once he'd reeled it in, though, and had his unbelievable experience, as well as both photographic evidence and an official weigh-in of the monster, he did the honourable thing and let the catfish go

[Rich]

Making it forever "unofficial"

[Rod Caster]

Albino, or just sun bleached? It actually swam away?

[gardzy99]

And they killed it? Pathetic. At this day in age. Take pictures, get a fibreglass mount model and release the monster to reproduce more beautiful creatures like it. As for the consideration of whether it's true albino, I think most anglers go by % of body that is lacking pigment..........

 

I completely missed that part of the read......my bad. Thanks for correcting me. Glad they let it go.

[Joeytier]

Who the hell would want that hideous thing on their wall??? LOL

[Gnote]

That fish is awesome. Also i would gladly put a replica of that on my wall

Nice conversation piece