Overview
After a 25-minute battle, a fisherman in France caught the world’s biggest goldfish, weighing 30.4 kg (67 pounds). The fisherman posed for pictures with the massive goldfish-like creature with a striking orange color before releasing it back into the waters.
The science and other stuff to know
Pet goldfish were first domesticated around 2,000 years ago and have a lifespan of 30 to 41 years, according to National Geographic. They rarely grow larger than a fist in fish tanks and glass bowls and often weigh less than a pound. But this gigantic ‘orange’ goldfish, weighing more than 30 kg, is surely breaking records.
Dubbed “The Carrot” due to its orange hue, the hybrid species of a leather and koi carp lives in a fishery called BlueWater Lakes in Champagne, France. Fishery manager Jason Cowler placed it there over 20 years ago and it’s now believed to be the second-largest goldfish of its kind.
“We put The Carrot in about 20 years ago as something different for the customers to fish for,” Cowler said in a statement. “Since then it has grown and grown but it doesn’t often come out. She is in excellent health and condition.”
Over the years, it has established itself as a challenging fish to catch. After angler Andy Hackett, who caught the goldfish, posed for pictures and weighed it, the fishery released it safely back into the lake. According to anglers, it could live and continue to grow for another 15 years.
So what?
Often the largest found goldfish are unwanted pets that have been released into the wild by owners. With proper diet and water conditions, they have the potential for a large amount of growth and turn into some strange ocean creatures.
“A 70-pound carp is a really big, impressive fish,” Zeb Hogan, a research biologist at the University of Nevada, told CNN. “There are actually different kinds of carp that are relatives of goldfish, that get really big, that are found in Europe and Asia — some of which can get up to about 500 pounds.”
If left uncontrolled, unwanted aquatic pets can negatively impact the delicate balance of natural habitat. For instance, goldfish reproduce rapidly and can quickly outcompete native fishes.
What’s next?
In a similarly miraculous catch in 2019, Jason Fugate a (fisherman from Minnesota) caught what was previously the world’s biggest goldfish. The fish weighed 15 kg (33 lbs) and was believed to be 100 years old.
