A giant monkfish got caught in the nets of lumpsucker fishing boat Hafaldan SI 7 three miles off Sauðanes in northeast Iceland on Saturday, at a depth of 30 fathoms. The fish was 126 centimeters long, 86 centimeters wide and weighed 26 kilos.
The giant monkfish compared to a regular-size fish. Photo by Sigurður Ægisson. Copyright: siglfirdingur.is.
Captain Ólafur Gunnarsson told siglfirdingur.is the fish was “alive and kicking” in the net when it was pulled up.
It was soon put out of its misery and ended up at Fiskmarkaður Siglufjarðar, where the average monkfish weighs three to four kilos.
According to the book Fiskar by Gunnar Jónsson and Jónbjörn Pálsson from 2006, monkfish can reach a length of two meters but the largest to have been caught in Icelandic waters measured 155 centimeters.
Saturday’s catch was therefore fairly close to the Icelandic record.
ESA
