Two monster-sized, invasive Catfish have been hauled out of the Grand Union Canal at Soulbury Locks in Buckinghamshire.
The unusual catch was made by the Canal & River Trust as they carried out a fish population survey along this part of the waterway.
The non-native catfish are so called because of their prominent barbels which resemble a cat’s whiskers. The two that were caught are believed to be around 15 to 20 years old and the biggest of the pair was around one metre long and weighed nearly 20kgs.
“It is not certain how the two catfish came to be in the canal although it is likely that someone has illegally dumped them after finding that a small pet catfish has simply outgrown its tank”, said John Ellis, national fisheries and angling manager, from the Canal & River Trust,
Once removed from the canal the cat fish were re-homed to a more suitable location.
To find out more about what fish live in the nations canal please visit:
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