Jeremiah Elliott of Greenville, North Carolina made the catch of a lifetime on April 21 when he reeled in a 26-pound, 11.4-ounce bigscale pomfret. The fish had a 35.5-inch fork length (from the nose tip to the fork in the tail) with a 30.75-inch girth.
Record Breaking Fish
Elliott caught the fish in North Carolina coastal waters, 50 miles east of Morehead City. The fish has been certified as the state record for North Carolina (there was no previous state record for bigscale pomfret), but it also bested the world record in a big way. The previous world record bigscale pomfret weighed 20 pounds, 10 ounces. That fish was caught in Florida in 2004. Elliott’s fish beat the world record by more than six pounds. Barring any unforeseen issues, Elliott’s fish should be certified as the new world record bigscale pomfret by the International Game Fish Association (IGFA).
Elliott was using squid for bait when he hooked the record-smashing fish. Elliot and his friends who accompanied him are pictured with the fish on North Carolina’s Department of Environmental Quality website.
The catch made news in North Carolina but it is sure to garner the attention of the angling community worldwide if IGFA certifies it as the new world record as is expected.
Bigscale Pomfret
The bigscale pomfret (Taractichthys longipinnis) is the largest member of the Bramidae family, which encompasses 35 species. Most fish in this family feature a single dorsal fin and deeply forked tails.
The bigscale pomfret is not widely known to people who are not saltwater anglers. Even then, it is not typically regarded as a top-tier fish among saltwater fishermen and fisherwomen. It is also not used extensively in the seafood industry, though there is a market for the fish. But, as Elliott would tell you, this fish ought not to be overlooked.
The bigscale pomfret is sometimes known as the long-finned bream. The fish are often caught at depths down to 1,600 feet. This ray-finned fish is a highly migratory species. Depending on the time of year, bigscale pomfrets can be found from Nova Scotia to South America. They are also found off the coasts of Africa and Australia. The fish is classified as a Species of Least Concern by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
The photo featured at the top of this post is © MPH Photos/Shutterstock.com
Thank you for reading! Have some feedback for us? Contact the AZ Animals editorial team.