World’s biggest freshwater fish found in Mekong – claim scientists

News Desk
World’s biggest freshwater fish found in Mekong, claim scientists

According to the scientists, a 300kg stingray that is caught in the Mekong River in Cambodia is the largest freshwater fish ever recorded.

It has taken the throne of the largest freshwater fish from the previous record-holder, which was Mekong’s huge catfish that weighed around 293kg and was caught in Thailand in 2005.

Let’s face it, the reality is at the moment there is no official record-keeping of the world’s largest freshwater fish so there is no database available for it officially.

Zeb Hogan, who is a biologist who is leading a USAID-funded conservation project named Wonders of the Mekong, says “ we have encountered many in researching giant fish in rivers and lakes over the six continents in the last 20 years but he is the largest ever recorded anywhere in the world.

The conservation project works with the Cambodian Fisheries Administration the aim is to set up a network of fishermen and if they ever find an endangered fish or a giant fish so they can alert the team of the researchers.

Dr Hogan also stated that the finding of the largest freshwater fish stingray is evidence the natural environment can give us many more extraordinary discoveries and he also added that there are many aquatic creatures that still remain sadly understudied.

Well, the conservation project team also stated that the giant freshwater fish stingray is a vulnerable species and according to them this was the second giant stingray that has been examined the previous one weighed around 181kg.

Dr Hogan said that this is a good sign when these sorts of record fish are discovered. It is because this simply means the aquatic environment is still healthy.

Freshwater Fish

Freshwater fish mostly spend their entire lives in freshwater. As opposed to giant marine species such as bluefin tuna and marlin. This is even different from the fish that migrate between fresh and saltwater like beluga sturgeon.

“When you see a fish of this size, especially in freshwater, it is hard to comprehend. So I think all of our team was stunned”. Wonders of the Mekong leader Zeb Hogan said in an online interview from the University of Nevada in Reno.

The Mekong River runs through China, Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam. It is home to several species of giant freshwater fish but environmental pressures are rising. In particular, scientists fear a major program of dam building in recent years may be seriously disrupting spawning grounds.

Read more

Related posts