Find is ‘hopeful sign’ the species, one of world’s largest and rarest freshwater fish, is not at imminent risk of extinction
Six critically endangered Mekong giant catfish — one of the largest and rarest freshwater fish in the world — have been caught and released inThe underwater giants can grow up to 3 metres long and weigh up to 300kg. They are found only in south-east Asia’s Mekong River but in the past inhabited the entire 3,044-mile -long river all the way from its outlet in Vietnam to its northern reaches in China’s Yunnan province.
The first two were on the Tonle Sap River, a tributary of the Mekong not far from Cambodian capital, Phnom Penh. They were given identification tags and released. On Tuesday, fishermen caught four more giant catfish including two longer than 2 metres that weighed 120kg and 131kg respectively.
The Mekong giant catfish is woven into the region’s cultural fabric, depicted in 3,000-year-old cave paintings, revered in folklore and considered a symbol of the river, whose fisheries feed millions and are valued at $10bn annually.
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