the buzz log

A record-breaking stingray capture, by the numbers:

• 1 rod and line


• 90 minutes for one British biologist (with help) to reel in the freshwater fish


• 13 men to drag said fish onto a boat


• 125 pounds—that's the difference between the stingray's weight at 771 pounds and the previous record rod-&-reel capture of a catfish

The Thailand capture of the massive female stingray was part of a program to tag such Maeklong River residents. The captive, part of a "vulnerable species" listed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, measured a hefty 7 feet by 7 feet. That doesn't include the 10-foot-long poisonous tail.

Such creatures are dangerous, of course: Famed Australian TV personality Steve "Crocodile Hunter" Irwin died from a stingray barb at the Great Barrier Reef in 2006.

The numbers currently put one Ian Welch on the world record books. (Pictures of Welch posing with his female companion can be found here.) The stingray's resistance nearly dunked Welch into the river, and he was literally saved by the seat of his pants when a crewmate grabbed his trousers. 

Another reason that this marine fish is so huge: She's pregnant. (Cue soap-opera gasp.) After she had been towed to the bank (too big to be onboard the boat), she was duly marked, had DNA samples removed, and returned to the river whence she unwillingly came. Welch gave her a farewell smooch, then spent the rest of the day with a cold beer and memories of her.

By the way, one number isn't known: the exact stingray population count, which has shrunk 20 percent in the past decade. With this lady's help, at least one more will be added to this number...and with a tale to tell.

Filed under: Fishing, Marine Biology, Fish

How far would you go for a good pedicure?

Somewhere in the Washington, D.C. area, women and men are slipping their feet into tanks of small carp and allowing the fish to nibble at their toes. Yes, nibble. A Virginia nail salon has sparked buzz by employing these "doctor fish" to eat the dead skin on clients' feet. 

Whether searchers are intrigued or grossed out we can't say, but queries for the practice have leapt. Yesterday, we logged spikes in "fish pedicure," "doctor fish pedicure," "carp pedicure," and "japanese fish pedicure." Chomp, chomp.

In Buzz, articles on the fishy endeavor have also fluttered upwards. In a popular video clip, a daring reporter not only commits her hot pink toes to a carp-infested tank (for research!) but squeals mightily once the creatures get to work.

Filed under: Beauty, Fish

Last week, a Texas angler trawling Buffalo Springs Lake reeled in a fish. It was a 20-pounder, and he must have thought it was a beauty until he peeled back its lip to see a neat row of "human" teeth. Maybe it's a South American pacu with unusually large pearly whites, maybe it's a fish with a really good dentist. Regardless, buzz on the catch and its impressive set of grinders raced up the Search stream. Everything from "fish with human teeth" and "texas fish teeth" to "pacu" and "buffalo springs lake" leapt.

Meanwhile, archaeologists in Australia have unearthed a toothy find of their own. They discovered fossil evidence of a kangaroo with really big, really long, and really ferocious fangs (that's the exact scientific description). Buzz on "killer kangaroo" immediately bounded upwards, followed closely by searches for the flesh-eating marsupial's pictures and a movie pitch from Rob Zombie.

Finally, this edition of the Buzz creature feature ends with a 12-foot fellow named Houdini. This snake's got one powerful swallow. Houdini is a Burmese python, and last week he succeeded in downing a full rabbit dinner and a side of electric blanket, complete with cord and control box. After his owner discovered the meal, she rushed him to the hospital where he went under the scalpel, and quickly found himself a Web sensation. Searches on "burmese python," "python blanket," and "python electric blanket" have all noshed on the Buzz ever since.

Filed under: Animals, Snakes, Fish