The arapaima is one of the largest freshwater fish in the world. It can grow up to 4.6 metres long and weigh up to 200kg.
Just last week, a 1.9m arapaima was caught from a lake in Klang, Selangor. 3 days ago, Malaysians were shaken to see another one caught in a lake in Puchong.
In photos that have been widely circulating, the fish’s angler can be seen hugging an arapaima fish that appears to be larger than him. There was also a video of him struggling to reel in his massive catch.
“This is a small one. There are even bigger ones,” he said in response to a netizen’s comment expressing awe at the size of the fish.
With almost 10,000 likes, comments and shares on his post, it is obvious that netizens are curious and excited about the fish. Many of the comments were people tagging their friends to share the news.
An invasive species
Nonetheless, they also reminded the angler to not put the fish back into the lake as it is considered an invasive species that can destroy the river ecosystem.
According to National Geographic, it is a predator fish that feeds on all types of native fishes and can grow quickly, hence easily becoming dominant in its habitat.
Previously, the Malaysian Fisheries Department had asked the public to not release any arapaima fishes into public waters, but to even dispose of it as the species is listed as a prohibited fish under the Fisheries Act 1985.
If convicted of rearing the fish, one can be fined a maximum of RM1,000 or face a jail term of up to six years according to the Fisheries Regulations (Amendment 2011).
Watch the full video below:
Posted by Tanpa Nama on Thursday, November 3, 2022
Just looking at the gigantic fish is giving us the chills!
