![]() ![]() In Thailand, Mekong giant catfishes have been successfully bred in artificial ponds, but efforts to introduce these fish in the wild have largely failed. It is now illegal in Thailand, Laos, and Cambodia to harvest the critically endangered species, though giant catfishes still are illicitly caught, with some sold to restaurants in Vietnam. Conservation effortsĬonservationists have focused on the Mekong giant catfish as a flagship species to promote conservation on the river. Overfishing is the primary cause of the giant catfish’s decline, but damming of Mekong tributaries, destruction of spawning and breeding grounds, and siltation (a process by which water becomes dirty with fine mineral particles) have also taken a huge toll. Some experts think there may be only a few hundred, or even fewer, adults left in the Mekong River. With no population figures available, estimates of the decline are based on the fall in the number of fish caught. These giant catfish were once plentiful throughout the Mekong basin, but their numbers are believed to have dropped by at least 95 percent over the past century. While scientists don’t know exactly how the fish move, the Mekong giant catfish is believed to spend much of its time feeding in Cambodia’s Tonle Sap Lake and then migrating hundreds of miles north to spawning grounds in Thailand. Highly migratory, the species requires large stretches of river and very specific environmental conditions for its seasonal journey to spawn and breed. ![]() It can reach up to 440 pounds in only six years. ![]() The Mekong giant catfish has one of the fastest growth rates of any fish in the world. After about a year, they become herbivores, and eat plants and algae. (Juveniles have barbels, but these features shrink as they age.)Īs babies, they feed on zooplankton in the river and are known to be cannibalistic. They are distinguished from other large catfish species by their near-total lack of barbels, or “whiskers,” as well as by the absence of teeth. Gray to white in color and lacking stripes, the Mekong giant catfish has very low-set eyes, which gives it a slightly sorrowful appearance. Local people and researchers worked quickly to measure it. Giant Freshwater Stingray (Himantura chaophraya) Length: 16.4 feet Weight: 1,100-1,300 pounds Location: Thailand estuaries and rivers Identifying Feature: Pancake-like shape and long, stinging tail Source: Less is known about this species compared to the wealth of information available on its oceanic counterparts. According to the Guinness Book of Records, a nine-foot-long individual caught in northern Thailand in 2005 weighted an astounding 646 pounds, making it the largest exclusively freshwater fish ever recorded.ĭespite its gargantuan size, but also because of it, the giant catfish lives a tenuous existence in the murky waters of its native river, Southeast Asia’s Mekong, where its numbers have plummeted so dramatically that the species is on the brink of extinction. A 661-pound giant freshwater stingray, temporarily removed from the water to be weighed, is the largest freshwater fish ever recorded. 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.The Mekong giant catfish is the official freshwater heavyweight champion of the world. 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. This colossal species can be found lurking across many of the large rivers and estuaries of Southeast Asia and Borneo. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |