So, if they're fished before they mature, they don't have a chance to reproduce," Dr Hogan said. June 20 (Reuters) - Cambodian villagers on the Mekong River have caught what researchers say is the worlds biggest freshwater fish ever recorded, a stingray that weighed in at 300kg (661 lb) and. The 9-foot-6-inch fish was estimated to be 100 years old, and it’s still considered the largest freshwater fish ever caught on a rod-and-reel in North America. In particular, scientists fear a major program of dam-building in recent years may be seriously disrupting spawning grounds.
It is home to several species of giant freshwater fish but environmental pressures are rising. Location: Benicia, California, United States. To this day, this white sturgeon is the largest freshwater fish ever caught in North America with a rod and reel. Beluga are famous for their roe (eggs), sold as beluga caviar, for which they’ve been hunted nearly to extinction. They estimated that this 9'6' fish had lived for more than 100 years. In fact, some consider it the largest bony fish by weight. The Mekong River runs through China, Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam. The beluga sturgeon isn’t just the largest freshwater fish in the world, it’s the third largest of all the bony fish. The giant freshwater stingray ( Urogymnus polylepis). "The fact that the fish can still get this big is a hopeful sign for the Mekong River, " Dr Hogan said, noting that the waterway faces many environmental challenges. A fisherman in Cambodia snagged the rights to a true fish tale last week, landing what turned out to be the largest freshwater fish ever caught. The previous record was set in 2005 in Thailand when a fisherman came across a Mekong giant catfish weighing 293 kilograms. The stingray's catch was not just about setting a new record, he said. The fish has been measured as the largest freshwater fish ever recorded. The university is partnering with the Cambodian Fisheries Administration and USAID, the US government's international development agency.įreshwater fish are defined as those that spend their entire lives in freshwater, as opposed to giant marine species - such as bluefin tuna and marlin - or fish that migrate between fresh and saltwater, such as the huge beluga sturgeon. Scientists find 300kg stingray in Cambodia's Mekong River 'Hopeful sign'