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A British angler has caught one of the most ferocious fish ever encountered.
Jeremy Wade reeled in the prehistoric looking monster on a fishing expedition to the River Congo.
The goliath tigerfish is one of the most fearsome freshwater fish in the world and are said to be much bigger and deadlier versions of the piranha.
It has 32 teeth that are of similar size to those of a great white shark and has been known to attack humans and even crocodiles before.
It has only ever been caught by a handful of fishermen due to the danger it poses and the fact its habitat is notoriously hard to reach.
Wade, from Bath, Somerset, England, took extra care when reeling in this specimen, which weighed more than 100 lbs and was 5 ft long.
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| Jeremy Wade holding the 100lbs, 5ft long goliath tigerfish Photo: Jeremy Wade/BNPS |
Luckily he is an experienced angler and caught the fish for the TV show River Monsters, which is due to be screened on ITV next month.
The show looks into mythical reports from around the world of humans being attacked by unknown monsters from the deep before Wade sets out to find and catch the suspect.
“This fish is no tench,” Wade said. “It is, for all intents and purposes, a giant piranha. It is quite a beast. The teeth on it are incredibly sharp and are about the same length as a great white shark.
“It also has an extremely powerful bite and has been known to consume prey the same size as itself, attack people and take pieces out of crocodiles. It is thought that these fish attack in a reflex response to a sudden movement or splash. It is very rare to catch one, especially by an outsider because they are found in such a remote and difficult location to get to. There are no guides or lodges on that part of the Congo River.”
Wade used a sizable catfish as bait for the tigerfish—Hydrocynus goliath in Latin—and a 200-lb rod and line.
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