Goonch

/ɡuːntʃ/ noun

Definition

A large freshwater catfish found in Indian rivers, sometimes called the Indian giant catfish.

Etymology

From Hindi gonch or a related Indo-Aryan language term. British colonizers in India adopted this local name for the massive catfish species that inhabited the Ganges and other rivers.

Kelly Says

Goonch catfish can grow to 6 feet long and have recently been documented attacking and eating humans in Indian rivers—a rediscovery of an old ecological predator.

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