The biggest one I've ever seen

[samhexum]

'Massive' goldfish weighing 9 pounds found in South Carolina lake

 

A goldfish weighing nine pounds came under the spotlight Monday after being discovered during a fish population survey at a lake in South Carolina, park officials said.

 

Ty Houck, an official with Greenville County Parks, said the “massive” fish was found swimming on Nov. 16 in a 12-acre body of water in Oak Grove Lake Park in the county of Greenville.

 

Greenville Rec, which oversees the park where the fish was discovered, posted a photo of the golden spectacle on Facebook on Monday.

 

“Anyone missing their goldfish? This 9lb goldfish was found in Oak Grove Lake during some recent testing at our lakes,” the organization wrote in a post. “The work included electrofishing, a method of measuring the health of the fish population.”

 

Wildlife officials were conducting a fish population survey analogous to a “fish sticking its finger, or fin, in a socket,” Houck said. “A weak electrical current is run through the water and stuns them for a few minutes.”

 

Houck said he believes the giant goldfish is the only one swimming in the lake because park officials did not encounter any others in their survey.

 

He added that while the goldfish is non-native to South Carolina, it was not considered an invasive species to the lake.

 

The average lifespan of goldfish is between six to seven years, while those found in the wild can live up to 30 years, according to the United States Geological Survey.

 

According to the agency, goldfish can grow upwards of six pounds — far below the weight of the nine pound pond fish found in South Carolina.

 

As for the goldfish's current whereabouts, Houck said he placed the fish back in the water after snapping a photo of the large creature.

 

“At the advice of professionals we decided to leave the bachelor, or bachelorette, back where we found it,” Houck said. “Obviously, they’re really happy here.”

 

 

A blonde man goes to the vet with his goldfish.

"I think it's got epilepsy," he tells the vet.

The vet takes a look and says, "It seems calm enough to me".

The blonde man says, "Wait, I haven't taken it out of the bowl yet".

Edited December 9, 2020 by samhexum

[+ sync]

The title of this thread is a "red herring." ?

[jjkrkwood]

The title of this thread is a "red herring." ?

 

And I was 'sucked" right in....?

[samhexum]

Freddy, the world’s tallest dog, dies at age 8

 

Freddy, the beloved Great Dane who held the record as the world’s tallest dog, has died at the age of 8, Guinness World Records announced.

 

The gentle giant — who towered at almost 7 feet, 6 inches standing on his hind legs — became an international sensation when his record was announced in 2016.

 

When measured by a vet and GWR from foot to withers, the highest point on his shoulder blades, he measured 3 feet, 4 inches – giving him the official record.

 

“He was not just the tallest dog but the dog with the most love and the biggest heart. A total soppy bugger who was hand-fed,” Freddy’s devastated owner Claire Stoneman said.

 

“He was my life. My reason. My joy. My annoyance. My happiness and my ultimate sadness. He was my heart Dane. My one in a million and loved by the entire world,” the resident of Essex, UK, added.

 

“As a puppy, he was the runt of the litter. I actually got him a couple of weeks earlier than I should have, as he wasn’t feeding off [his] mum,” she told GWR. “I had no idea he was going to get this big at all.”

 

GWR Editor-in-Chief Craig Glenday also remembered the beloved pooch.

 

“Measuring this mountain of a dog was an unforgettable — if challenging! — experience and I’ll always treasure the couple of occasions I got to share a sofa with him — there was just about enough room for the two of us!” he said.

 

“I still can barely believe that he was the runt of the litter. Freddy brought a smile to everyone’s face and will be missed by every at Guinness World Records. I’m just pleased that we got the chance to celebrate his record-breaking immensity in the books and share his story with millions of people around the world,” Glenday said.

 

“RIP, Freddy,” he added.

 

COULDN'T POST THE PICS IN THE ARTICLE, BECAUSE THERE'S A KID IN THEM

[+ MysticMenace]

nice work yet again, @samhexum! my thirsty ass fell for it again.

[samhexum]

Human-sized sturgeon caught in Detroit River

 

A US Fish and Wildlife Service crew got the shock of their lives when, while on patrol on the Detroit River, they reeled in a nearly 6-foot-10, 240-pound sturgeon, likely over 100 years old.

 

The fish, believed to be one of the largest ever caught in the United States, was found near Grosse Ile. The crew tagged and released it back into the river.

 

“We’re trying to protect this fishery,” Justin Chiotti, a US Fish and Wildlife Service biologist told The Detroit Free Press.

 

“Everybody is always catching a huge sturgeon. Everybody catches a 100-pounder. But a fish this size is very, very rare to catch.”

 

The scientists estimated to the paper that the fish hatched in the Detroit River sometime in the 1920s when Detroit was the fourth-largest city in America. But, they added, that’s a conservative guess. It likely is even older.

 

[samhexum]

Fisherman lands whopping 67-pound goldfish, may break world record

A UK fisherman became the envy of anglers everywhere after reeling in a nearly 70-pound monster goldfish — potentially the world’s largest. A Facebook post detailing the man’s catch of a lifetime is currently blowing up on Facebook.

Andy Hackett, 42, landed the behemoth, aptly nicknamed The Carrot, while fishing at Bluewater Lakes in Champagne, France, one of the world’s premier carp fisheries, the Daily Mail reported.

“I always knew The Carrot was in there but never thought I would catch it,” Hackett, a Worcestershire-based company director, said of the would-be Goldzilla.

Not a goldfish per se, the Fanta-colored freak of nature is actually a hybrid species of leather carp and koi carp, ornamental fish commonly found in ponds. This particular specimen, which is reportedly 20 years old, was apparently introduced to the lakes 15 years ago “as something different for the anglers to try to catch,” Blue Water Lakes spokesperson Jason Cowler told USA Today.

The Carrot tipped the scales at 67.4 pounds — which is 30 pounds heavier than what was previously considered to be the world’s biggest goldfish, which was caught by Minnesota resident Jason Fugate in 2019.

After landing his prize, Hackett posed for photos and released the critter back into the lake. The Brit then celebrated his colorful catch in an apt fashion by drinking a cup of tea.

 

Can you imagine how big a fishbowl you'd need for that thing?

 

[Guest]

Do you happen to know if any cultures eat goldfish? 

[samhexum]

3 hours ago, Coolwave35 said:

Do you happen to know if any cultures eat goldfish? 

no, i don't

[CuriousByNature]

3 hours ago, Coolwave35 said:

Do you happen to know if any cultures eat goldfish? 

Many cultures eat carp - particularly those that rely on freshwater fish in areas far from a coastline.  So technically, I would say that goldfish would be a possible menu item if allowed to grow to a marketable size, but why bother if other species of carp are available without the need to crossbreed for external appearance?

 

Edited November 23, 2022 by CuriousByNature

[samhexum]

Fish out of water Disaster averted as monster fish with 'alien' eggs eliminated from waters

The fish was a Bighead carp, an invasive species from Asia that wreaks havoc across North American Waterways.

don't ever tell that fish a secret... he's got a big mouth!

[samhexum]

 

'Monster' Fisherman catches 9-foot-long catfish in Italy, likely the largest ever

[+ sync]

If I ever encountered fish the size of those above, my concern would be them catching me.  😐

[rvwnsd]

On 6/11/2023 at 9:11 PM, samhexum said:

 

'Monster' Fisherman catches 9-foot-long catfish in Italy, likely the largest ever

Nice kitty. Good kitty. Be an even better kitty and get the hell away from me!

[samhexum]

On 6/15/2023 at 1:05 AM, rvwnsd said:

Nice kitty. Good kitty. Be an even better kitty and get the hell away from me!

Fishing crew denied $3.5M in prize money after 600-pound marlin DQ’d in tournament

A shark took a bite out of one crew’s dream of winning a high-stakes fishing competition when the massive marlin they reeled in was disqualified by tournament officials for being mutilated.

The Big Rock Blue Marlin Tournament in North Carolina ended in controversy after the crew dubbed Sensation boasted a whopping 619-pound marlin Saturday that would have clinched the team members more than $3 million in prize money, but was disallowed because it appeared to be bitten by sharks.

“It was determined that Sensation’s 619.4 lb. Blue Marlin is disqualified due to mutilation caused by a shark or other marine animal,” the tourney officials wrote in a statement Sunday. “It was deemed that the fish was mutilated before it was landed or boated and therefore it was disqualified.”

The decision came after “careful deliberation and discussions” with tournament officials and experts.

Sensation’s captain, Greg McCoy, told the Washington Post his crew believed they were winners after battling to hook the huge marlin for hours.  

“It’s the final hour, the final day and we fought with him for six hours,” McCoy told the newspaper. “It’s a tough pill to swallow.”

He said he was shocked when the mutilation rule came up.

A livestream of the event shows the crowd going wild as the crew proudly revealed their humongous catch of the day.

But the mood quickly dampened.

“It would appear that this fish has been bitten by a shark,” the announcer said over a loudspeaker.

Sensation would have won about $3.5 million in prize money.

The crew would have earned $2.77 million for coming in first place and another $739,500 for the first catch of the year that is more than 500 pounds, the Washington Post reported.

The tournament, in its statement, said the decision to disqualify Sensation’s catch was consistent with past rulings and in line with the International Game Fish Association rulebook.

A crew named Sushi ended up winning the tournament, in its 65th year, by landing a 484.5-pound blue marlin, tournament officials said.

Tournament officials noted 271 boats competed in this year’s competition. 

https://nypost.com/2023/06/19/massive-marlin-dqd-in-big-rock-blue-marlin-tournament-over-mutilation/#:~:text=Sensation would have won about,pounds%2C the Washington Post reported.

[samhexum]

Bird-watchers are blowing the internet’s collective mind after sharing a video of a “mutant pigeon” with a puffed-out breast and legs so long that viewers suspected it was an AI deepfake.

A now-viral video of the stretchy squab has amassed over 18.6 million views on TikTok as viewers debate if the animal is real.

The seemingly species-defying clip — shared by UK-based @pigeonsTV — features the awkward-looking birdie strolling along a table with its mile-long legs and its bulbous breast at full mast.

Its towering, top-heavy physique evokes thoughts of a regular pigeon — following an Ozempic regimen gone bizarrely wrong.

The gangly bird’s comparably scrawny legs and talons, meanwhile, are covered in plumes like natural, feather-hemmed pants.

However, as it turns out the bird is actually an English pouter pigeon, a species of homing pigeon that’s the “tallest breed of fancy pigeons with some of the biggest ones being 16 inches in height,” according to Backyard Poultry.

The flamboyant featherbag is known for being able to inflate its crop — the muscular pouch on the inside of its neck.

Bred through centuries of selective breeding, the fancypants pouter is often referred to as the “supermodel” of the pigeon world due to its resplendent appearance — think of it like bird equivalent of a French poodle.

Needless to say, the pigeon’s “Dr. Seuss”-esque silhouette raised many eyebrows on social media.

“Stage 3 pigeon Pokémon, bro evolved,” quipped one gawker, while others compared it to something celebrities would wear at the “Met Gala.”

“That’s definitely two pigeons under a trench coat,” said another.

“Me drawing a pigeon from memory,” one TikTok wit joked.

Another wrote, “What in the A.I generated pigeon is that?”

Some even thought the bird was a regular pigeon that got plucked a la those countless videos of dogs with botched haircuts.

[samhexum]

They’re not escargot-ing anywhere.

State officials placed part of a Florida city under quarantine Tuesday as they race to eradicate the invasive, parasite-carrying giant African snail.

The 3.5-mile section of Miramar in Broward County — located just 11 miles west of Hollywood — will be covered in a metaldehyde-based molluscicide to exterminate any giant African snails after at least one was found in the area earlier this month.

Residents will be able to move out of the treatment area freely but are prevented from moving any plant-based supplies that could harbor the mammoth mollusk’s eggs.

“Under the quarantine, it is unlawful to move a giant African land snail or a regulated article, including, but not limited to, plants, plant parts, plants in soil, soil, yard waste, debris, compost or building materials, within, through or from the defined quarantine area without a compliance agreement,” the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services announced.

The agency confirmed that a giant African snail — which can stretch up to 8 inches long — was spotted in the area in June, prompting an increased survey.

 

Giant African snails have been deemed “one of the most damaging snails in the world” for their threat to both agriculture and human life.

The snails carry the frightfully named rat lungworm parasite that can induce meningitis in humans.

They are also capable of ravaging vegetation and are known to dine on more than 500 types of plants.

The mollusks can produce up to 1,200 eggs a year.

https://nypost.com/2023/06/20/giant-african-snail-detection-in-florida-leads-to-quarantine/

[samhexum]

A scientist made a huge discovery recently while fishing in a suburban lake in Western Australia. He reeled in the line to find a particularly notable catch: a goldfish measuring almost three feet long, now considered the world's longest.  A stunning image of the enormous creature lying beside a measuring tape shows the goldfish's exact size was about 82 centimeters across, or roughly 32 inches. 

Generally, goldfish caught in Western Australia can measure up to 200 milimeters long, which is almost 8 inches, according to government officials. But the government notes on its website that goldfish found in the southwestern part of the state can be twice that size.

[samhexum]

‘Megalodon’ goldfish went from ‘cute to brute’ in waterway as experts issue dire warning

A pet store goldfish went from “cute to brute” after it was found in a Pennsylvania waterway – with experts now warning against dumping unwanted fish into ponds and lakes.

The invasive species, which can grow up to four pounds when released into the wild, was caught during a survey at Presque Isle State Park in Erie, the US Fish and Wildlife Service said on Facebook Tuesday, with a photo of the hefty orange fish.

Wildlife officials warned that goldfish grow massive when discarded into the wild, threatening native fish species by stealing food and turning bodies of water into “murky messes.”

Anglers are also prohibited from using goldfish as bait in the Keystone State, a practice that is only legal in 16 states, experts said.

Officials believe the creature – which they referred to as a “megalodon” – was swimming with the fishes for at least two years. 

“If you can’t keep your fish, rehome it,” the wildlife agency said, while providing a webpage to followers on “How to break up with your goldfish (the right way).” 

“Just don’t let it loose.”