Researchers say it is the world’s biggest freshwater fish ever recorded, a stingray that weighed in at 300kg (661 lb).
Cambodian villagers on the Mekong River have gotten what researchers say is the world’s largest freshwater fish at any point recorded, a stingray that weighted in at 300kg (661 lb) and took around dozen men to haul to shore.
Christened Boramy – meaning “full moon” in the Khmer language – due to her bulbous shape, the four-meter (13-foot) long female was released back into the river after being electronically labeled to permit scientists to monitor her movement and behavior.
“This is exceptionally thrilling news since it was the world’s largest fish,” said biologist Zeb Hogan, ex-host of the “Monster Fish” show on the National Geographic Channel and presently some portion of a conservation project on the river.
“It is also exciting news because it means that this stretch of the Mekong is still healthy…. It is an indication of trust that these colossal fish still live (here).”
Boramy, netted last week off Koh Preah, an island along the northern Cambodian stretch of the river, took the record from a 293 kg giant catfish that was caught upstream in northern Thailand in 2005.
The Mekong has the third-most diverse fish population in the world, as per its River Commission, though overfishing, pollution, saltwater intrusion and sediment depletion have caused stocks to plummet.