Cryptid Fish
The animals listed here are fish, both bony and cartaligenous, which remain unrecognised by science. This includes ordinary fish, sharks, rays, and even the coelocanth.
Lake Illiamna "monsters" (Lake Iliamna in Alaska NA): Giant, and supposedly quite dangerous, fish are seen on and off in Lake Iliamna in southern Alaska. Although there have been some reports of rather different things in the lake, most reports speak of enormous barracuda-like fish which are often dangerous to people. Many researchers think that the Iliamna fish are probably large sturgeon, but I think that a species of giant pike is more likely. This is more fitting to the description, and a giant pike would be a formidable predator, thus being dangerous to people. Fish grow much bigger in colder climates, and a frigid Alaskan lake would support monstrous fish.
Cresent Lake giant eels (Cresent Lake in Newfoundland NA): Underwater workers in Cresent Lake, Newfoundland, had the scare of their life when they first went under to do repairs on the local dock systems. The waters were full of huge eels, all of them over 8 feet long and bigger around than a man's thigh, and according to the workers they were a little "over friendly". You get the picture. The testimony of the workers supports the local legend of lake creatures, which were dubbed "cressie" after the whole Loch Ness phenomenon. Since eels are migratory, and these aren't, I propose that they were a population of normal American eels which became land locked and caesed to migrate, thus allowing them to get larger.
Lake Eufaula giant fish (Lake Eufaula in Oklahoma NA): Giant fish of two kinds, catfish and gar, have been seen in Lake Eufaula, and the signs of their presence also seen. These fish are said to get biger than 15 feet in lnegth, and to attack people from time to time. A normal sized gar is frightening enough; a 20 footer would cause me to die of fright. There are also said to be alligators and turtles the size of boats in the lake.
Giant catfish (All acorss North America): Almost any body of water has a legend of a giant catfish, usually called something like "old gramps" or something along those lines. However, a catfish over 20 feet in length is not considered normal, and as very few, if any, specimens exist of fish that large, I have included them here. The most interesting of these giant catfish stories is "big whitey", an 8 foot white catfish said to live in Deek's Pit in BC. The thing is, Deek's Pit is an old gravel pit which flooded when the workers hiot a hot spring, and all the fish in this man-mad lake were purposefully stocked. whitey is probably an imported fish, but he has never been caught, although he is often seen around the center of the pit. As for other giant catfish, they are probably just abnormally large individuals.
Possible new coelocanth colony (Proposed in the Gulf of Mexico NA): Loren Coleman has predicted that coelocanths will be discovered to live in the Gulf of Mexico. It was enough of a shock when they were discovered living off the Comoro Islands, and an even bigger one when another colony was discovered in Indonesia. The opinion of most researchers is that remnant population of coelocanths have survived in pockets around the world.
Bolivian giant fish (Lake Origuere in Bolivia SA): Giant fish that have been reported from Lake Origuere in Bolivia. I have no other information on these fish, and any help would be much appreciated.
"toothless shark" (Paraguay River SA): A large shark-like fish which appears to have no teeth has been seen in the Paraguay River. Most likely a sturgeon or strange catfish of some kind, more likely sturgeon. There is also the possibility of a freshwater shark which, for some reason, has taken up a sturgeonish lifestyle.
New Guinean freshwater shark (Lake Sentani in New Guinea INDONESIA): A shark which has been seen in the waters of Sentani Lake, New Guinea. This could be a new species, or just a land-locked population of bullsharks like the only known freshwater shark, the Lake Nicaragua shark, turned out to be.
Lake Hanas giant salmon (Lake Hanas in China ASIA): A species of gigantic salmon-like fish, red in colour, has been seen in Lake Hanas in China. Although the explanation offered by Chinese officials is that they are just large shoals of normal red salmon which somehow appear to be giant fish, I think it's more likely that a giant species of land-locked trout or salmon is living in the lake.
Giant freshwater ray (Mekong Rver in Thailand and Laos ASIA): A giant ray has been seen in the Mekong River, in both Thailand and Laos. To my knowledge the only known freshwater rays are the stingrays of the Amazon and Orinoco river systems, but there may be Asian freshwater rays too. At any rate, this ray could be any kind of ray, but I don't have a very good description of it, so any help is welcome.
Eel-like shark (Off the coast of Maine NA): An elongate, eel-like shark has been off the coast of Maine. Most probably a new species of dogfish or catshark.
Giant carpet shark (Timor Sea INDONESIA): Possible giant species of carpet shark seen in the Timor Sea. May or may not represent a new species, most likely an abberently large individual (like the gigantic sleeper shark video taped off of Japan).
Megalodon (South Pacific around Australia, and the Southern coast of California): Although I highly doubt the existence of this cryptid, there have been mny giant sharks reported in these areas, and they are always said to be surviving specimens of Charcharocles megalodon. However, I highly doubt that. If these giant predatory sharks even exist, they are more likely to be giant great whites than surviving megalodons.
San Diego giant fish (San Diego trough in the Eastern Pacific): 30 - 40 foot long of an unknown species have been reported from depths of 4,000 ft in the San Diego trough. Definitely a new species of some huge fish, but what group it ould belong to I have no idea.
13 foot "wrasse" (Reported off the coast of Africa): 13 foot long wrasse-like fish have ben reported off the African coasts. could be a huge species of wrasse, or maybe an enormous parrotfish, parrotfish resembling wrasse very much.
Unknown mantas (Galpagos Archipeligo, Baja California, and New caledonia): A possible new species of manta ray has been seen in these widely seperated areas. since mantas do range widley, it is possible that a new species of manta exists in the Pacific. it can't be too common, since mantas are surface animals, and rarity would explain why it has only been seen in a few places.
