'The Carrot' giant goldfish: How big can orange carps grow revealed as angler catches 67-pound aquatic animal in France

Angler Andy Hackett reeled in a massive goldfish in Champagne, France, earlier this month. The giant was aptly named 'The Carrot' and weighs in at a staggering 67.4 pounds, as reported by Bluewater Lakes, an agency that manages lakes in the Champagne area.

Hackett was reported to have battled for about 25 minutes before he was able to reel the carp to shore. The lake is known for its massive carp and The Carrot is a hybrid of leather and koi carp. Though this hybridization lends the fish a striking orange color, it was still very hard to catch.

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67-pound goldfish caught in France, but how big can they grow?

Recently, an almost 70-pound carp was caught by an angler in France, and there has been an increase in questions about how big these fish can grow.

Originally bred from the wild Koi carp of China and East Asia, the common goldfish has become a household pet that is known for being easy to take care of, albeit having a very short life span. Comet fish can only reach 6-8 inches owing to confined breeding.

Most pet stores sell the comet variety, and it is what most people think of when we say goldfish. These fish can weigh as little as 8 ounces.

The common goldfish can grow only up to 6 inches (image via Getty/fishkeeping)

Due to their confinement in bowls and tanks, these fish rarely grow to more than 6 inches in length. However, in the wild, these carps often reach 12-14 inches. The largest measured goldie was 18.7 inches long, according to the official world record.

Goldies have the potential to naturally grow to a large size if they are well cared for and provided with the right conditions to thrive in. These include plenty of pond or tank space, good water quality, warm water temperatures, and a supply of nutritious food.

They develop at a pace of around an inch each year, while young carps experience rapid growth in their first few months of life. Eventually, age puts a damper on development.

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More on 'The Carrot'

According to Bluewater Lakes, The Carrot was put in the pond around 15 years ago in an attempt to help it thrive and grow.

A spokesperson for Bluewater Lakes, Jason Cowler, claimed that the goldfish was placed into the pond for sport, in order to "give something different for the anglers to try and catch."

The Carrot (L) is brightly colored as compared to other large wild carp (R) (image via Bluewater Lakes)

Hackett claims to have had "sheer luck" by his side when he saw that he had caught The Carrot. This is the second largest of its type to be caught. Speaking to The Guardian, Hackett commented on his struggle with the fish, saying:

“I knew it was a big fish when it took my bait and went off side to side and up and down with it. Then it came to the surface 30 or 40 yards out and I saw that it was orange. It was brilliant to catch it but it was also sheer luck.”

Once he had her, he slipped out of the water holding her, posing for a few photos. He then released her back into the water, as is the custom for anglers.