A Fishy Tale.
Text & Images by Robbie Kirkup, Proprietor,  Aquatic Fanatic

Relating to quiz set by Paul Barrow! (What is the heaviest freshwater fish?)
A British angler has caught a rare giant freshwater stingray - possibly the largest freshwater fish species in the world.
According to a report in the 'Telegraph', the protected stingray was caught in a river in Thailand. Ian Welch and four colleagues spent 45 minutes battling the 6 foot wide (1.8 m) and 14 foot (4.28 m) long fish, which was to big to weigh, but was estimated to weigh 23 stones (322 lb / 146 kilo). "when we got it to the surface I could not comprehend that something that size existed", the 48 year old angler, a doctor in freshwater biology, told the Telegraph. "it was as big as a snooker table". The large tuna rod was bent over double, and the fishing boat moved around in circles as the ray was reeled in. After the ray was measured it was released back into the Mekong River. The giant freshwater stingray is listed as a vulnerable species, though it is believed to be thriving in the river systems of Thailand…
Takes me back to the claims that aquarium books would make of 7 inch (17.5cm) swordtails, when we, as hobbyist do not measure the caudal extension of a swordtail and the fish will be more likely to be 3.5 inch!
Paul's quiz related to the Mekong catfish, I have seen the catfish species that lives in the Reine in Germany and they can be 8 foot long (a search on Google shows European Wels catfish that can be 5 m / 16.5 ft long and weigh 300 kg/ 660 lb (there are unconfirmed reports of larger fish).) and a good % of that length will be body depth 'mass'. And foot for foot 'or metre' the catfish would far outweigh the stingray!
Incidentally the Mekong catfish does not grow as long as the Wells cat, but its % body depth is greater and so is the overall weight. I was returning from a fish buying trip to Europe, and noticed in the morning paper 'The Sun' a huge freshwater sturgeon had been caught, the length I believe was in the 20 foots, I photographed the picture (but not the write up and it is attached). Chicago World's Fair, exhibited a white sturgeon caught at Astoria on the Columbia River that was purported to weigh 2,000 pounds / 919 Kilo.
These white sturgeon taste like chicken with little bones, and at 25 year old the caviar 'egg roe' held, can be worth £3,000, A lake sturgeon in Canada, which has been hand fed for generations is said to be 82 year old! In America a sturgeon's single egg will cost 11 cents, a giant sturgeon can hold 4,120,000 eggs!
How ever decades of fishing for sport, food & caviar take there toll, and giant old specimens will be difficult to find; in 1982 not a particular good year 23,200 sturgeon were taking by anglers, now a days only sturgeon that measure 3-6 foot can be removed from the waters, these rules are obeyed by the 'honest' fishermen.