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Fisherman catches 30 kg goldfish

After a 25-minute battle, British angler Andy Hackett caught a colossal carp, nicknamed “The Carrot”, which weighed a staggering 30 kilograms. The giant fish is believed to be the second largest of its kind ever caught, according to BlueWater Lakes, the fishery in France’s Champagne region where the giant lives.

With its striking orange color, the huge goldfish-like creature easily stands out as it swims below the surface of the water. The carrot, however, proved to be a challenge to pick up.

“With normal fish you struggle to see them if they’re just under the surface, but the Carrot is obviously bright orange so you can’t miss it,” Hackett told the BBC. “It’s a highly sought after fish, few people have caught it, it’s quite elusive.”

BlueWater Lakes offers anglers a private spot to attempt to reel in one of its many fish weighing over 22.5 kg – and some even over 40 kg. “We’ve been offering A Cenoura for about 20 years as something different for customers to catch. Since then he’s grown and grown but doesn’t come out very often,” fisheries manager Jason Cowler told the Daily Mail. “Not the largest resident on the lake, but by far the most notable.”

After Hackett pulled Carrot and weighed her, she was released back into the lake. The fishery has a “no retention” rule in place, so the fishermen never carry the fish ashore.

The BlueWater team also noted on their Facebook page that the fish are treated for any injuries before being released back into the water.

The fishery monitored the Carrot’s growth quite frequently, as it was pulled nine times by anglers last season. After breaking the 27-pound mark for the first time in February, the carp was free-swimming for nine months until Hackett pulled her out.

Goldfish getting bigger

The average domestic goldfish weighs less than a pound, but the species can reach much larger proportions under varying circumstances.

Given plenty of space, with the proper diet and water conditions, carp species including goldfish and koi have the potential for a great deal of growth, which explains the carrot’s impressive size.

Often the largest goldfish found are unwanted pets that have been released into the wild by their owners. Discarded animals can negatively impact the delicate balance of a natural habitat.

Football-sized invasive goldfish were found in a lake in Burnsville, Minnesota in July 2021, resulting in city officials pleading with residents not to release their aquatic pets into the lake as they could harm the local environment .

“A 70-pound carp is a really big, impressive fish,” said Dr. Zeb Hogan, a research biologist at the University of Nevada, Reno, and former host of “Monster Fish” on the National Geographic Channel. “There are actually different types of carp that are related to goldfish, that get very large, that are found in Europe and Asia – some of which can reach around 500 pounds.”

The growth seen in these robust fish is called indeterminate growth, a condition in which the animals grow rapidly when young and continue to increase in size after reaching adulthood, according to Hogan. “They keep growing the longer they live,” Hogan said. “It will keep growing and getting bigger, and maybe in a few years someone will pick it up and get even bigger.”

The fishing team said on Facebook that Carrot is “in excellent health and condition” and may even live for another 15 years or more. “May your stardom continue for a long time to come,” the team added.

Source: CNN Brasil

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