![]() So if they're fished before they mature, they don't have a chance to reproduce," Zeb Hogan, Wonders of the Mekong leader from the Department of Biology at the University of Nevada in Reno, told NPR. Little is known about where and when particular species embark on their treks, but researchers are desperate to find out so they can learn how to protect these environments and, in turn, their inhabitants. Many Mekong fish species take lengthy migrations as part of their life cycles to access different floodplains, deep pools, and flooded forests – which is why the tag recently attached to this big beauty is so important. Under the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, the species is considered endangered with extinction after becoming increasingly threatened by pollution, climate change, human development, and overfishing. Like many giant fish of Southeast Asia, the giant freshwater stingray is in trouble. While its sting is covered in toxic mucus that can pierce bone, it’s generally considered to be a gentle giant and rarely attacks humans unprovoked. Ctenopharyngodon idella) is a freshwater fish species introduced to the U.S. Angler Tony Christian from Corinth, Mississippi, caught the fish at Pickwick Lake on May 23, 2005. The famous waterway starts in China and twists south through parts of Thailand, Laos, Myanmar, Cambodia and Vietnam, feeding 60 million people through its basin and tributaries.īut environmentalists have long voiced concerns about dam building along the Mekong River that will destroy fish stocks.This colossal species can be found lurking across many of the large rivers and estuaries of Southeast Asia and Borneo. The largest grass carp ever caught in Mississippi weighed 72.7 lbs. Scientists have warned that plastic waste threatens wildlife even in the deepest stretches of the Mekong, along with "ghost nets" - abandoned by fishers but still able to snare fish. More than 1,000 fish species call the Mekong home and the stingray is not the only giant lurking in the muddy waters - the giant catfish and giant barb also reach up to three metres long and 270 kilos in weight. Last month, an endangered giant freshwater stingray four metres long and weighing 180 kilos was also hooked by a fisherman in the same province. The researchers fitted an acoustic tag to the stingray before returning it to the river, to try to learn more about the secretive creature's elusive behaviour. "This is an absolutely astonishing discovery, and justifies efforts to better understand the mysteries surrounding this species and the incredible stretch of river where it lives." ![]() ![]() ![]() "In 20 years of researching giant fish in rivers and lakes on six continents, this is the largest freshwater fish that we've encountered or that's been documented anywhere worldwide," Zeb Hogan, a fish biologist leading the Wonders of the Mekong project, said in a statement released Tuesday. The stingray, caught in Stung Treng province in northern Cambodia, was more than twice the weight of an average lowland gorilla, the experts said. ![]() The monstrous bottom-dweller beat the previous record for biggest recorded freshwater fish, held by a 293-kilo (646-pound) Mekong giant catfish caught in Thailand in 2005, the US-funded Wonders of the Mekong research project said. The giant freshwater stingray, which measured four metres (13 feet) from snout to tail, was caught last week and released back into the wild after being fitted with a tag to track its behaviour. A fisherman on the Mekong river in Cambodia has hooked the biggest freshwater fish ever recorded, scientists said - a 300-kilogram stingray. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |