When you think of massive animals, you probably picture Blue Whales, African Elephants, Polar Bears, and Seth Rogan before he got on the Slim Fast. Catfish, however, probably isn’t a name that immediately springs to mind though.

In fact, when people hear ‘Catfish’ these days, the first thought in their head is probably that of a grubby internet troll pretending to be a hot 19 year old in a bid to entrap the lonely and desperate online.

However, as Dino Ferrari – winner of Most Italian Name 2008 – found when he went fishing last week, the freshwater beasts can be absolutely monstrous. He managed to pull out this gigantic 280 pound (127 kilogram) lump out of the water.

If you’re not sure how big that is, just look at it sitting on Dino’s knee, absolutely dwarfing the Italian. Assuming Ferrari’s not an Ewok impersonator in his spare time, it’s clear that the scaly bastard is huge.

“catfish have been known to eat swimmers and anglers in the past”

Possibly more shocking is that this isn’t the biggest Catfish ever hooked by an angler. That was caught in 2010, and weighed in at almost 300 pounds, which actually makes it eligible to vote in four states in the US.

Catfish can grow to these staggering sizes because of their massive appetites. It’s common for them to eat pigeons, ducks, and other water birds whole. There have also been reports of them pulling in swimmers and, ironically enough, anglers who’re perched on the bank waiting for a catch of their own.

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