New ‘Monster Fish’ exhibit visits Mississippi

Angling for the big one? “Monster Fish: In Search of the Last River Giants” is the stuff of dreams. Very big dreams.

The large, new traveling exhibition at Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks’ Mississippi Museum of Natural Science sets the bait for strong showings this year with true-to-life models of the monsters lurking in the lake and river depths worldwide.

Engaging and interactive, the National Geographic exhibition first opened at its headquarters in 2015 and has traveled the United States since. It draws on the National Geographic TV channel’s “Monster Fish” show, which is part of the Nat Geo WILD series. It highlights aquatic ecologist-explorer-host Zeb Hogan’s search for these fascinating freshwater behemoths. On display May 16 through Dec. 31, “Monster Fish” is positioned to hook and reel in kids, families, students, and conservationists.

“Monster Fish” adventures span six continents, but the aquatics at its core finds natural kinship in Mississippi traditions and even the museum’s roots.

“Mississippi has a pretty deep history of recreational fishing, through generations,” as well as a significant commercial fishing presence, exhibit supervisor Sam Beibers says. Popular, adrenaline-pumping sports of hand grabbing for catfish and trophy fishing for bass prove that the pursuit of big, bold underwater dwellers thrives here.

“When I think about monster fish in Mississippi, I think about alligator gar, sturgeon, and big catfish,” says museum ichthyologist Matthew Wagner. “But, from an angling perspective, I think about catching big blue cats and big flatheads, where most people catch these by hand grabbing or tight-lining for them. A lot of our biggest blue catfish come from the Mississippi River.”

The “Monster Fish” exhibit, organized by geographic areas, will take visitors on a continental tour that highlights two dozen fish species and most of the world’s major rivers in the search to find, study, and protect these aquatic giants. Five life-size and lavishly detailed models, photos, and illustrations showcase the iconic creatures and their habitats in this 6,000-square-foot display.