ᴀᴡᴇ-inspiring bright yellow Wels catfish was caught by professional angler Martin Glatz, who was fishing in the Nᴇᴛʜᴇʀʟᴀɴᴅs with his twin brother Oliver.
If it lives to adulthood, the enormous species, which is native to lakes and rivers throughout Europe, can grow to a length of 2.7 meters and weigh approximately 130 kg.
The fish that Glatz caught, however, is claimed to have had leucism, a rare genetic disorder that causes a decrease in the quantity of melanin in skin and hair. This sɪᴄᴋness gave the fish a striking banana yellow hue.
Leucistic creatures struggle to blend in with their surroundings and live because the discoloration makes their color so intense and bright that predators can spot them easily.
Glatz removed the fish and was so sᴛᴀʀᴛʟᴇd by it that he ᴀᴄᴄɪᴅᴇɴᴛally dropped it back into the water, but he still managed to capture a photo of it. This gigantic species is on the list of the largest freshwater fish in the world.
When describing the fish, Glatz said, “I have never seen a catfish like it before and I am still in ᴀᴡᴇ of it.” Despite the fish’s already impressive size, Glatz thought it might grow even greater.
