Turns out this gigantic aquatic monster is, in fact, no 'mutant' but rather a little known fish known as the 'giant goonch'. Tipping the scales at 200 lbs or so, the goonch is a catfish, probably one of the largest catfish in South Asia. They can be found in the Himalayan waters around India, Nepal and the like.
Appearantly, and bearing in mind that this is colored as much by rumor and folklore (rural legends if you will) as actual 'science,' the story goes that goonch got a taste for human flesh by munching on charred corpses floating downstream. This part of the story requires a bit of clarification, but suffice to say that as in many Hindu countries, cremation is the preferred funerary practice. Unfortunately, not everyone can afford a real cremation, so especially in the poorest of rural villages, you get alot of partially cremated bodies sent down the Ganges, Indus and Brahmaputra.
For fish, this is a free meal. The Ganges river shark (Glyphis gangeticus) and bull shark (Carcharhinus leucas) are both known to take advantage of this, and it is also rumored crocodilians and tigers will if they opportunity presents itself. The goonch seems to be acquiring a taste for human flesh in this manner and, if the rumors are to be believed, move on to trying a live human. Then again, it could be alot of things. The subcontinent has no shortage of man-eaters... at least a dozen species have allegedly attacked humans (tigers, crocodilians, bull sharks, wolves, dholes, Burmese pythons, Asiatic lions, sloth bears, etc). Some of those cliams are more dubious than others, for what it's worth.
Incidentally, this is not the first time that sloppy funerary rites have caused problems. The most infamous being the man-eaters of Tsavo in the early 20th century. About 135 or so Indian laborers brought over by the British to work the railroads (and local Africans) were killed by the two lions, whom it is believed acquired the taste for human flesh after scavenging from the Indian laborers' make-shift cremation grounds. An interesting Chicago connection there, the two lions wound up at the Field Museum after being sold there by John Henry Patterson himself. I should know; I've seen them quite often! Aside from the man-eaters of Tsavo, Patterson was also head game warden in British East Africa, fought in the Boer War and a champion of early Jewish settlement in Palestine (even joining the Jewish Legion of the British Army, which would later become the IDF).
I've been meaning to read his other books for a while now, but never got around to it. Maybe I'll rummage through the library tomorrow and see what I can dig up.
But... while on the subject of giant Asian fish, I'm also reminded of the giant Mekong Delta catfish (Pangasianodon gigas). It is the world's largest fresh-water fish. Dekila Chungyalpa of the World Wild Fund for Nature reported a 9 foot, 646 pound specimen in her study of sustainable development in the region. No doubt those of you who watch Monsterquest regularly will remember that (she was one of the people interviewed on the 'giant fish' episode).
Ah, but alas, we have no such creatures nature to these climes, unfortunately. Nonetheless, we are fortunate enough to have some DAMNED big fish all the same. Say hello to the alligator gar, or as he is more formally known, Atractosteus spatula. Found throughout the Southeastern U.S., the alligator gar ranges from ten to twelve feet, and usually weighs a couple hundred pounds. In a rather Jonah-esque twist, the Cherokee (who know the fish by the name dakwa) have a myth of a brave in the Tennessee valley who was swallowed alive by one only to have cut himself out of it's belly.
I SOOO want to set up an aquarium and get some cool fish or marine animals... actually, screw that. I want to get an indoor pool, suitably modified for larger sea creatures. Now THAT would be cool! Sharks, octopi, giant squid, sting rays, crocodiles, eels... you name it.
