Also called giant glass catfish, the Mekong giant catfish is one of the largest freshwater fish in the world. It is also currently one of the rarest. It is critically endangered, according to the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature).
As its name suggests, this fish is endemic to the Mekong, a river in Southeast Asia which crosses several countries: China, Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia, Burma and Thailand.
Six giant Mekong catfish caught in just 5 days is a record
In addition to being rare, the Mekong giant catfish (Pangasianodon gigas) is difficult to observe. Researchers therefore do not know exactly how many individuals live in the river.
So, no one expected to discover so much in such a short time. In fact, 6 giant Mekong catfish were captured in Cambodia in the space of just 5 days. They were obviously then released.
The first two were found on the Tonlé Sap River, a tributary of the Mekong. Four more giant catfish were caught in the same river a few days later. The fishermen knew they were different fish because they put an identification tag on them before releasing them.
Giant Mekong catfish can weigh up to 300 kg
Two of these specimens were more than 2 meters long with a weight of 120 and 131 kg respectively. They were apparently all in the middle of migration, leaving Tonlé Sap Lake to go up the Mekong towards the north. They were probably heading towards tributaries of the Mekong in northern Cambodia, Laos or even Thailand.
Once adult, the giant glass catfish can measure up to 3 meters long and weigh up to 300 kg. This freshwater monster was previously distributed throughout the 4,900 km long Mekong River which extends north to the Chinese province of Yunnan.
The main threats to the Mekong giant catfish are overfishing and loss of habitat with the construction of dams. These block the catfish's migratory routes.
The catfish species has seen its population drop by 80% in 20 years
The population of the Mekong giant catfish has fallen by 80% in recent decades. Nevertheless, this recent discovery of 6 catfish gives new hope for the survival of the species.
As Dr. Zeb Hogan, a research biologist at the University of Nevada, explains, “This is an encouraging sign that the species is not in imminent danger of extinction, as in the next few years, giving time for conservation measures to be implemented and to continue to reverse the curve of decline and recover.”
To give you an idea, the joint conservation program of Wonders of the Mekong and the Cambodian Fisheries Administration has captured, tagged and released just 100 giant catfish over the past two decades.
“This information is used to establish migration corridors and protect habitats to try to help these fish survive in the future,” adds Dr Zeb Hogan.
Fishermen report all accidental catches of these giant catfish
You should know that the giant Mekong catfish is an integral part of the cultural heritage of the region. It was already depicted in cave paintings 3,000 years old. This fish is considered a symbol of the river.
However, fishermen did not always know how to react if they accidentally caught this species. Now they know it's crucial to report all catfish accidental catches to authorities.
This allows researchers to mark them before releasing them into the Mekong. Cooperation between fishermen and researchers is therefore vital for the survival of the species.
Other giant creatures lurk in the Mekong
“I hope that what happened this week will show the Mekong countries and the world that the Mekong's powerful fish population is particularly special and must be preserved,” says Brian Eyler, director of the Southeast Asia program. from the Stimson Center.
Moreover, the Mekong is home to other large fish in addition to the giant glass catfish. We find there in particular the giant stingray and the salmon carp. This weighs up to 30 kg with a length of up to 130 cm. Researchers thought it was extinct until spotting it earlier this year in the river.
Source: The Guardian
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