When we were children, we all heard stories of cannibal catfishes inhabiting water reservoirs in Kazakhstan. Once in a while, they find stories in cyberspace about the human remains found in the stomachs of some gigantic catfishes caught in rivers and lakes. Today, we will try to investigate how real those reports are.

Historic Facts

Catfishes are widely present in all big natural water reservoirs in Russia and CIS. Also, they inhabit Europe, USA, Canada and South America. Biologists say that catfishes live up to 100 years and grow to 3-4 meters in size. They are capable of attacking anything that moves in water. Contrary to sharks, catfishes to do not bite off pieces of breathing flesh – their jaws are not sharp blades but some sort of brushes with incurved tips.  When a catfish grabs a victim, it cannot let go off it, so it has to either swallow it in one piece or drag to the bottom and there try to get rid of it. That is why, when a catfish catches a leg of a swimmer, it will definitely drag it under water.

Cases like that are rate, but there is documental evidence of such incidents.

A world-famous ichthyologist Ricciutti reports several incidents, when catfishes killed humans, which cases were all documented and filed in European history archives.  In 1613, for example, a catfish killed a child, which fact was confirmed by an eye-witness. In 1754, fishermen caught a catfish, in the stomach of which they found the body of a 7-year old child. In 1558, they found signet-rings and remains of a human arm inside a catfish.  In 1790, the body of a lady was found in the stomach of a catfish.  In 1793, a gigantic catfish ate two girls.

Some incidents were reported in our epoch, as well. In early 80-s of the 20^th century, a Soviet magazine – Science and Life posted an articles reporting a catfish attack on a farmer, which farmer managed to released his leg from the jaws of a catfish by numerously stabbing the attacking catfish on the head.

In July 1982, in the Khopersky National Park (USSR), a forestry guard, a hunter and a biology scientists saw a catfish attack and drag under water a deer.

In summer 1996, a cannibal catfish killed a woman and a boy in a water reservoir near the Kulakovo Village of the Voronezh Region.

In 2015, two Polish fishermen caught a 3.7 meter long, 187.5 kg catfish, inside of which catfish, they found several fragments of a human scull and a metal badge with engraved Nazi Eagle. Biology specialists revealed that the catfish was 90 to 110 years old, while the fragments had belonged to a 3^rd Reich soldier. 

In 2009, a giant catfish scared folks in Aktobe City of Kazakhstan. Locals shared rumors about a cannibal catfish, especially because three young men disappeared in River Ilek earlier. Town folks addressed office of the mayor with demands to find and eliminate the catfish, but the catfish was never caught.

In 2013, a two-meter catfish was caught in River Pripyat (Ukraine) with human remains in its stomach. 

Biologists think that the fish developed the taste to human flesh, having tried bodies from a local washed-out cemetery. Locals, however, thought the catfish could be after living humans, as well.

In Netherlands, in the Centerparcs Recreation Zone, there is a small lake inhabited by a 2.3-meter long catfish that locals call Big Mama. Big Mama hunts ducks that come to rest on the lake, but does not mind to eat dogs. 

Cases from Kazakhstan There is no versatile information reporting attacks of catfishes on humans. But given the size of Kazakh catfishes, that appears pretty much possible. We, hereby, make reference to particular cases, as follows from web-site kapshagaj.kz.

Specialists Report

Can catfishes attack Kazakhstan fishermen and swimmers? We asked Tynysbek Barakbayev, Director of Laboreatory of Ichthyology of Kazakh Fishery Research Center.

— I think, cannibal catfishes are products of human fantasy. First of all, we do not have really big catfishes in big numbers. Secondly, they are not as dangerous, as are sharks. In Internet, I saw photos of 5-6 meters long catfishes that weighted up to half of ton, but to me those photos appear products of Photoshop. I do not question that we might have fishes that may be up to 2.5 meters long – I personally caught one that was 1.9 meters long.  But I cannot be absolutely positive that catfishes are dangerous cannibal predators.

In the past, parents would tell their children spooky stories about cannibal catfishes, just to prevent them from swimming in deep reservoirs. From scientific standpoint, catfish cannibalism is practically impossible.  Catfish is a timid species, that fears places with mass presence of humans. Big catfishes inhabit deep water reservoirs. The facts that human remains were found in the stomachs of some of them are very much possible. Catfishes are not only predators, but vultures, as well. If a person drowns and dies in the water, a catfish may eagerly cannibalize the remains.  But again, all of that is probabilistic. I personally am not aware of any proven incidents, involving cannibal catfishes killing humans. I mean, situations, when catfishes deliberately follow and hunt humans. 

At the same time, Mr. Barakbayev reports that big catfishes attack other species of fish, ducks and small mammals. 

— In the 70-s and 80-s of the 20^th century, there was a beaver-rat farm in the vicinity of the Lake Balkhash.  Catfishes would deliberately hunt beaver-rats, preferring them to others. Also, heard from old fishermen, that in the past, in the River Syrdariya there were 300-kilo, 4-5 meter long catfishes. When put in the truck, their tales would reach the surface of the ground. Also, elders reported cases when catfished would attack lambs. But looks nowadays, we no longer have catfishes that big

When folks talk about catfishes attacking humans, they explain it by the fact, that mass fishing resulted in deprivation of catfishes from their habitual food, which made them go after humans. Mr. Bakarbayev says that the situation is totally opposite. 

— Today, we are seeing many catfishes caught, because they are big and get easily caught by fishing nets. In the result of that, we depleted the catfish community and caused the growth of the trash fish population.  Catfishes’ most habitual food is Crucian Carp and in the past we did not see such great Crucian Carp headcounts, as today, because in several last years, the population of catfish dramatically reduced and catfishes no longer dominate in water reservoirs.

Conclusion Drawing conclusions, we may say that in theory catfishes may be capable of dragging humans under water, but they cannot swallow them. Even if a catfish is 2.5 meters long, its stomach only occupies one-third of the body, which means a catfish stomach cannot digest a human in one piece. But taking into consideration attacks on lambs, we must not exclude that giant catfishes really did attack children. All those horror stories about human remains found in catfish stomachs are, most likely, because catfishes came across human corpses. One way or another, we should not call catfishes cannibals.  However, we should avoid places inhabited by catfishes. There is not smoke without fire, which means some rumors may be true.