British Angler Catches One Of The World's Biggest Goldfish Named 'The Carrot'?

Marine life is full of surprises because there is so much of it that we still don't know about. A British fisherman caught one of the world's biggest goldfish, which weighed more than 30kg.

Angler catches one of the world's biggest goldfish

Andy Hackett was fishing in Bluewater Lakes in Champagne, France, when he caught the gigantic orange specimen, nicknamed "The Carrot," weighing more than 30 kg (67 pounds, or five stone).

Facebook/Bluewater Lakes

The elusive fish, which was put into the lake 20 years ago, has proved to be a slippery customer ever since.

Hackett, from Worcestershire, UK, spent 25 minutes bringing the fish in.

Andy Hackett said he got lucky

He said he knew The Carrot was in there, but he never thought he would be the one to catch it.

He added that he knew it was a big fish when it took his bait and went from side to side and up and down with it. Then it came to the surface, 30 or 40 yards away, and he saw that it was orange. Although it was a brilliant catch, Hackett said he got lucky.

The Carrot was 13 kg heavier than what was considered to be the world's biggest goldfish, caught by Jason Fugate in Minnesota, US, in 2019.

It was also more than double the size of a 13-kg bright orange koi carp caught in the south of France in 2010 by Italian Raphael Biagini.

Hackett posed for the obligatory photo with the catch before releasing it safely and well into the lake.

Jason Cowler, the fishery manager, said they had put the carrot in about 20 years ago as something different for the customers to fish for. Since then, it had grown and grown, but it didn't often come out. It was very elusive, he said.

Goldfish is the common name for a freshwater fish, Carassius auratus, of the carp or minnow family, Cyprinidae, that is native to East Asia and has been domesticated and developed into many ornamental breeds for aquariums and water gardens.

The goldfish commonly kept as pets do not achieve more than a few inches in length, but they are part of the carp family, which can reach impressive proportions, with colourful koi sometimes fetching small fortunes from hobbyists.

Goldfish may grow to a maximum length of 23 inches (59 cm) and a maximum weight of 9.9 pounds (4.5 kg), although this is rare; few goldfish reach even half this size.

If left in the dark for a period of time, a goldfish will turn lighter in color. Goldfish produce pigment in response to light. The colour of a goldfish is determined by which pigments are in the cells, how many pigment molecules there are, and whether the pigment is grouped inside the cell or is spaced throughout the cytoplasm.

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