BANGKOK ( Associated Press) – The world’s largest recorded freshwater fish, a giant stingray, has been caught in Cambodia’s Mekong River, according to scientists from the Southeast Asian nation and the United States.
The ray, caught on June 13, measured about 4 meters (13 ft) from snout to tail and weighed less than 300 kg (660 lb), according to a statement released Monday by the Cambodian-American joint research project Wonders of the Mekong. was. ,
The group said the previous record for freshwater fish was the 293-kilogram (646-pound) Mekong giant catfish, discovered in Thailand in 2005.
A local fisherman caught the ray south of Stung Trang in northeastern Cambodia. The fisherman alerted a nearby team of scientists from the Wonders of the Mekong Project, which has spread its conservation work to communities along the river.
The scientists arrived within hours of receiving a call with this news after midnight and were astonished by what they saw.
Mekong leader Zeb Hogan said in an online interview on Thursday, “Yes, when you see a fish of this size, especially in freshwater, it’s hard to understand, so I think our whole team is stunned.” Went.” in Reno. The university has partnered with the Cambodian Fisheries Administration and USAID, the US government’s international development agency.
Freshwater fish are defined as those that spend their entire lives in fresh water, as in large marine species such as bluefin tuna and marlin, or fish that migrate between fresh and salt water, such as That giant beluga sturgeon.
