A giant stingray caught in the Mekong River in Cambodia is the world’s largest freshwater fish on record, scientists say.
The stingray, which measures nearly 4 meters (13ft) from snout to tail and weighs under 300kg (661lb), was caught on June 13, according to a statement released by Wonders of the Mekong, a joint research project between Cambodia and Cambodia. and the United States.
It was caught by a local fisherman in the south of Stung Treng, in the northeast of the country, and is nicknamed “Boramy” or “full moon” by locals, because of its round shape.
The fisherman alerted a group of nearby scientists from Wonders of the Mekong.
The previous record for a freshwater fish was a 293kg (646lb) Mekong giant catfish, discovered in Thailand in 2005, the team said.
“When you see a fish of this size, especially in freshwater, it’s very difficult to understand, so I think all of our team was stunned,” said Zeb Hogan, Wonders team leader. of the Mekong, said.
Mr Hogan added that the fact that fish can still grow this big is a “hopeful sign for the Mekong”, despite the environmental challenges.
The team fitted a tagging device near the fish’s tail to send tracking information over the next year, providing data on the behavior of giant rays in Cambodia.
In honor of catching the record-breaker, the lucky fisherman was compensated at the market rate, meaning he received a sum of about $600.
The Mekong River flows through China, Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam.
It is home to a number of freshwater fish species, but environmental pressures are mounting, along with particular concern among scientists around a major dam-building program in recent years that could disrupt it. serious spawning grounds.
Freshwater fish are defined as those that live their whole lives in fresh water, as opposed to giant marine species such as bluefin tuna and marlin, or fish that migrate between freshwater and saltwater such as the giant beluga sturgeon giant.
This is the fourth giant stingray reported in the same area in the past two months, the researchers say, all of which are females.
They suggest that this could be a breeding hotspot for the species.
