vundu pics

snookman · Post by **snookman** » 31 Dec 2004, 18:59

welp, i looked through all the old posts about the vundu (Heterobranchus longifilis)and found that the pics i found recently weren't ever posted here so i just wanted to share.

and here

worton[pl] · Post by **worton[pl]** » 02 Jan 2005, 13:55

nice looking cat!!
I have to show you pictures of polish catfish which can reach about 5m :P. There is a story about one of this monsters, in Bug - river placed on east from my city, lived a great catfish. He was hunting for humans, especially kids - he ate about 5 when someone get mad and try to catch it. First he tried on fishing pole, but he failed - and lost few poles :). Then he tried with strong, sailor rope and a tractor, he manage to catch this fish :). It's a myth but there is always a little truth in myths I think :).
Personally the biggest catfish of this spiecies which I saw was about 2,5m :) my friend catch it :).
Hmm what is a catfish species that grows the biggest(and how big it gets)?

sidguppy · Post by **sidguppy** » 02 Jan 2005, 16:53

The biggest would be a question like the one about big snakes!
with snakes, there's one longer than any other: the Reticulated Python from Asia.
but there's too one sl;ightly shorter but much heavier; the famous Anaconda from South America.

Catfish too are like that, but backwards; AFAIK there's a very large catfish-species from South America; probably Paulicea or Hemisorubim or something that reaches more than 3 meters.

however this one's fairly long.

there's a shorter but much more massive cat in Asia; the huge Pangasiodon gigas.

Post by **Dinyar** » 02 Jan 2005, 20:11

The fish that Worton is talking about is Silurus wels.

Two months ago in Kazakhstan I also heard many fantastic legends about this fish, and reports that "once upon a time" it was possible to catch fish 5 meters long. When I was there, it was not the season to catch them in the Syr Darya, and the only fish I saw were all less than a meter long.

Dried and smoked, it tasted like chewing on a well-salted old shoe. I naively presented one to my local host, and the look of dismay on his face was palpable. It's a bit like canned food in the Western larder: people used to eat this while they were journeying for months across the steppes, but it's not considered something one would eat if there were alternatives. Or give as a gift, for that matter.

Now vundu, that's another fish I hope to track down in my travels one day. The smoked Clarias I saw in rural southwestern Uganda last September looked vaguely life-threatening. I hope will feel more courageous when confronted with a vundu.

Dinyar

worton[pl] · Post by **worton[pl]** » 04 Jan 2005, 17:14

hmm thanks Dinyar for giving a latin name!! I will search for some info about this fish in my region, if I find something interesting (reports of a big cats) I will tell you :) Poland is hospitable country :))

Caol_ila · Post by **Caol_ila** » 04 Jan 2005, 19:07

Silurus wels

erm here the Wels/Waller is called Silurus glanis

Post by **Dinyar** » 04 Jan 2005, 19:57

Caol_ila wrote:
Silurus wels
erm here the Wels/Waller is called Silurus glanis

You write, me silly.