Scientists say the world’s largest freshwater fish, a giant stingray, has been caught in the Mekong River in Cambodia.
The stingray, caught on June 13, measured almost four meters from its snout to its tail and weighed just under 300 kg, according to a statement from Wonders of the Mekong, a joint research project between Cambodia and the United States. .
The previous record for a freshwater fish was a 293kg giant Mekong catfish discovered in Thailand in 2005, the group said.
The stingray was caught by a local fisherman south of Stung Treng in northeastern Cambodia. The fisherman alerted a team of scientists from the Wonders of the Mekong project, who have made their conservation work known to the river communities.
The scientists arrived a few hours after receiving a call after midnight with the news and were surprised by what they saw. “Yes, when you see a fish of this size, especially in freshwater, it’s hard to understand, so I think our whole team was stunned,” said Mekong Wonder Leader Zeb Hogan .
“The fact that the fish can still be so big is a hopeful sign for the Mekong River,” he said, noting that the waterway faces many environmental challenges.
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The Mekong flows through China, Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam, and is home to several species of giant freshwater fish, but environmental pressures are mounting. Scientists fear that a major dam construction program in recent years could be seriously disrupting spawning grounds.
A tagging device was inserted near the fish’s tail that will send tracking information for next year, providing unprecedented data on the behavior of giant rays in Cambodia.
“The giant stingray is a very misunderstood fish. Its name, even its scientific name, has changed several times in the last 20 years, “Hogan said.” It is found all over Southeast Asia, but we have almost no information about it. We do not know his life story. We don’t know its ecology, its migratory patterns. “
Researchers say it is the fourth giant stingray to be reported in the same area in the past two months, all female. They believe this may be a hot spot for the species.
Local residents christened the line “Boramy,” meaning “full moon,” because of its round shape and because the moon was on the horizon when it was released on June 14th. In addition to the honor of catching the record, the lucky fisherman was compensated at the market rate, that is, he received a payment of about $ 600.
“Big fish around the world are in danger of extinction. They are valuable species. They take a long time to mature. So if they are caught before they mature, they don’t have a chance to reproduce,” he said. Hogan.
“Many of these large fish are migratory, so they need large areas to survive. They are affected by things like prey fragmentation. [and are] obviously affected by overfishing. Thus, about 70% of the giant freshwater fish in the world are threatened with extinction, and all species in the Mekong. “