An angler in Florida, USA, has officially broken the state record after landing a non-native lionfish that measures a massive 18.19 inches long.

The angler caught the fish in the Gulf of Mexico.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said that Donald Bautrinot was spearfishing for red snapper off the coast of Destin when they spotted the really massive lionfish.

It is a rare catch because it is big.

Donald, the angler, said that he was fishing when he saw the lionfish.

He added:

I saw a monster lionfish and immediately knew I wanted to measure it. I got really excited because I knew the Gulf record was around 18 inches but I didn’t know exactly and we didn’t have a cell signal to check it out there.

The fish that he caught ended up measuring 18.19 inches long.

The previous record that was set in the Gulf of Mexico was at 18.07 inches.

Well, that is not that big of a difference but it is still numerically the largest to be ever caught in the area!

Lionfish are an invasive species of fish in Florida, USA.

There is an open season for the fish all year long.

What are your thoughts about the massive catch? Let us know what you think about this by leaving a comment in the comment section below!