According to research conducted by experts from Cambodia, the United States, and other countries in Southeast Asia, a big stingray was hauled out of the Mekong River in Cambodia. This stingray is the freshwater species that holds the record for being the largest ever documented.
According to a statement released on Monday by Wonders of the Mekong, a cooperative research effort between Cambodia and the United States, the stingray that was collected on June 13 had a length of about 13 feet from its snout to its tail and weighed just less than 660 pounds.
According to the information provided by the organisation, the previous record for the largest freshwater fish was held by a Mekong big catfish that weighed in at 646 pounds and was found in Thailand in the year 2005.
A local fisherman in the northeastern part of Cambodia, south of Stung Treng, was the one who managed to reel in the stingray. The fisherman informed a nearby team of scientists working on the Wonders of the Mekong project, which has advertised the conservation work it is doing in villages located along the Mekong river.
After receiving a call with the news after midnight, the scientists arrived at the scene within a few hours, and they were astounded by what they observed when they arrived. Hogan was speaking from the perspective of the Mekong expedition. The Cambodian Fisheries Administration and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), which is the United States government’s agency for international development, are joining forces with the institution.
Freshwater fish are defined as those that spend their entire lives in freshwater, as opposed to large marine species such as bluefin tuna and marlin, or fish that migrate between freshwater and saltwater like the enormous beluga sturgeon. Freshwater fish are typically found in lakes, rivers, and other inland bodies of water.
“The fact that the fish can still become as large as they do is an optimistic indicator for the Mekong River,” Hogan said, adding that the river has numerous environmental issues. “The fact that the fish can still get as big as they do is a promising sign for the Mekong River.” China, Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam are all crossed by the Mekong River as it makes its way southward. In spite of the fact that it is home to a number of different species of enormous freshwater fish, increasing environmental constraints are being placed on the area. In particular, the scientific community is concerned that a significant dam-building initiative that has been going on over the last several years may be severely affecting spawning sites.
They are an endangered species that commands a premium price. It takes a very long time for them to reach their full maturity. Therefore, if they are caught before they reach maturity, they will never have the opportunity to create offspring “Hogan added. “Because many of these enormous fish are migratory, it is essential that they have access to expansive regions in order for them to live. They are harmed by factors such as the fragmentation of their natural habitat caused by dams, and they are clearly damaged by overfishing. Therefore, around 70 percent of the world’s biggest freshwater fish, as well as all of the fish in the Mekong, are in danger of becoming extinct “pecies.”
Before letting the enormous fish go free, the crew that had hurried to the location attached a tagging device to the area of the fish’s body that was closest to its tail. The tracking device will continue to provide data for the following year, resulting in an incredible amount of knowledge on the behaviour of enormous stingrays in Cambodia. “It is difficult to get a good grasp on what the enormous stingray is all about. In the last twenty years, it has gone through many name changes, including one for its scientific classification “Hogan stated. “But despite its widespread distribution throughout Southeast Asia, we know little little about it. We do not have any information on its past or its history. There are many aspects of its ecology as well as its migratory patterns that are unknown to us.”
According to the findings of the researchers, this is the fourth enormous stingray that has been seen in the same region over the course of the previous two months, and each of them has been a female. They have a theory that this particular location is a prime breeding ground for the species.
Residents of the area gave the stingray the moniker “Boramy,” which translates to “full moon,” because of its spherical appearance and the fact that the moon was visible on the horizon the day it was let free, June 14. The fortunate fisherman was reimbursed at market rate, which means he earned a payout of around $600 in addition to the honour of having caught the record-breaker.
