Ferghana Basement Shark Turns Out to Be Aquarium Catfish

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.uz) — Environmental specialists in the Ferghana region investigated local social media reports claiming a shark was being kept in the basement of an apartment building, discovering the animal was an aquarium catfish that resembles a shark in appearance.

The claim prompted specialists from the Main Department of Ecology and Climate Change of Ferghana region to inspect the location in the Muruvvat neighborhood of Ferghana city.

The inspection established that the fish kept in the basement was a Siamese catfish, also known as pangasius or iridescent shark catfish. The species features a body shape and silhouette that can cause it to be mistaken for a small shark.

The owner, identified as T. M., subsequently relocated the fish from the basement to his residential yard and issued an apology for the misunderstanding. Lola Rakhmanbaeva, press secretary for the National Committee of the Republic of Uzbekistan on Ecology and Climate Change, confirmed the details of the inspection.