A colossal stingray caught in the Mekong River has been touted by scientists as the largest freshwater fish ever documented.
A 300-pound (661-pound) female stingray usurped a giant 646-pound (293-pound) catfish caught in Thailand in 2005 from its record high, scientists say.
The Mekong River is the twelfth longest river in the world and the third longest in Asia, flowing from the Tibetan Plateau through China, Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam.
Its limitless biodiversity has led to the Mekong accounting for a quarter of the world’s freshwater fish catches, according to WWF. But overfishing has reduced fish populations and catches, threatening to cause irreparable damage to its vulnerable ecosystem.
A team of Cambodian and American scientists and researchers, along with officials from the Fisheries Administration, are measuring the length of a giant freshwater stingray from snout to tail
(AP)
Zeb Hogan, a biologist who runs Wonders of the Mekong, a conservation project funded by USAID, said: “In 20 years of researching giant fish in rivers and lakes on six continents, this is the largest freshwater fish we have encountered or it’s been documented all over the world. “
“Finding and documenting this fish is remarkable and a rare positive sign of hope, especially because it happened in the Mekong, a river that is currently facing many challenges,” added Dr. Hogan, who is also a professor at the University. of Nevada, Reno.
Wonders of the Mekong is working with the Cambodian Fisheries Administration to set up a network of fishermen to warn researchers if they catch giant or endangered fish.
And on the night of June 13, scientists received a call from a local fisherman in Ko Prea, telling them that he had caught a “very large” stingray. He later collected a prize of $ 600 (£ 490) for the remarkable find.
The fish, 3.98 meters long and 2.2 meters wide, was provided with an acoustic label to track its future movement before being released back into the river.
The giant female stingray was caught and released into the Mekong River in Stung Treng province in Cambodia
(Wonders of the Mekong / AFP in G)
The stingray disappeared under the muddy waters of the Mekong around dusk when the moon was already in the sky, Dr. Hogan said.
The fish is called “Borami”, which means full moon in the local Khmer language.
“The finding of the stingray is proof that the natural world can still lead to new and extraordinary discoveries and that many of the largest aquatic creatures remain sadly understudied,” said Dr. Hogan.
The giant freshwater stingray is an endangered species and this discovery is the second of its kind studied by the team since May, with the first weighing 181 kg.
“When record fish are found, it means that the aquatic environment is still relatively healthy. This is in contrast to what we have seen in places like the Yangtze River, where scientists report the extinction of the Chinese rowing fish, “said Dr. Hogan.
“The deep basins of the Mekong sustain life far beyond these impressive giants. The spawning of this critical habitat produces billions of fish each year, ensuring food security and livelihoods for millions of people in Cambodia and Vietnam.
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