There are some pretty walloping Pisces swimming around Southeast Asia ’s rivers . In fact , there are two very dissimilar metal money that are both rival for the region ’s big fresh water fish : theMekong giant catfishand thegiant stingray .
The biggest Mekong gargantuan catfish ever catch was almost3 metersin length ( 9 foot ) and count a mammoth 300 kilograms ( 650 lb ) , leading it to be crowned one of the largest freshwater fish ever recorded ( sturgeon , however , seem to be at thetop of the list ) . But this beast could have a challenger on its men as scientists in Thailand have just reel in a whopper stingray that could be as much as 60 kilograms , or 150 pounds , arduous .
As reported byNational Geographic , the brute was caught in an area of Thailand ’s Mae Klong River , around an hour from the capital Bangkok . Veterinarian Nantarika Chansue , one of the team that helped grab and measure the beam , tell the clip that the animal was 4.3 metre ( 14 ft ) in duration and 2.4 meter ( 7.9 ft ) in width , weighing an estimated 318 to 363 kilograms ( 700 to 800 lb ) .
regrettably , the squad was not able to librate the animate being to get an precise routine because , aspointed outby National Geographic fellow Zeb Hogan , this species is so big and awkward it is difficult to weigh them without causing accidental injury . no matter , it is no doubt a noteworthy beast and certainly one of the largest freshwater fish documented so far .
This was not actually the first time that scientist encountered this fussy animal : It was first catch up with back in2009as part of a National Geographic expedition that aimed to identify and protect the world ’s large freshwater fish . The ray of light was caught and release on January 28 of that twelvemonth , but before letting the beast go , scientist attached an electronic tag and perform a abbreviated examination , which revealed that she was pregnant . Encouragingly , after grant the animate being an ultrasound CAT scan this time around , scientists receive that she was once again significant with two fetuses . That was good news , Hogan tell , because it suggest this expanse is a nursery ground for these animals .
By tagging these animals and checking up on them every few years , scientists can further their understanding of their growth rates and infer their approximate lifespan , which is presently unknown . This particular shaft of light was really a pes longer back in 2009 , which the squad thinks could be the resultant role of an accident or perhaps a scrap with a male , both of which could have shortened her tail .
Scientists are concerned in these heavyweight because bothThailand ’s subpopulationof jumbo freshwater stingrays and theMekong giant catfishare list as critically queer on the IUCN Red List . While both are threatened by habitat destruction and alteration , such as pollution and dams , the latter also faces overfishing . Hopefully , with continued conservation efforts , populations of these animals can lento commence to reclaim .
