Wels Catfish

giant fish · Europe · freshwater · predator

Massive European catfish. The wels catfish is one of the largest freshwater fish in Europe, native to rivers and lakes across central, southern, and eastern Europe including the Baltic, Black, and Caspian Sea basins.

Traveled far and wide. People have introduced wels catfish to many countries in Western Europe, the Mediterranean, and Asia because fishermen love catching them as a sport fish.

Spreads across continents. Today you can find wels catfish living wild from the United Kingdom all the way east to western China, making them one of the most widely distributed catfish species.

Prized by fishermen. These catfish are especially popular with sport fishermen who enjoy the challenge of catching such large and powerful fish in freshwater.