Giant fish thought to be extinct is spotted in the Mekong River
CTV
A huge fish in the Mekong River thought to be extinct has been spotted three times in recent years.
A huge fish in the Mekong River thought to be extinct has been spotted three times in recent years.
“The giant salmon carp is like a symbol of the Mekong region,” said Chheana Chhut, a researcher at the Inland Fisheries Research and Development Institute in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
The predatory fish can grow up to 4 feet (1.2 metres) in length, and has a conspicuous knob at the tip of its lower jaw. A striking patch of yellow surrounds its large eyes.
With the last confirmed sighting in 2005, “this species of fish seems to have disappeared from the Mekong region for decades,” said Chheana, who is a co-author of a study published online Monday in the journal Biological Conservation that documents the recent sightings.
Since 2017, biologists tracking migratory fish species in Cambodia have developed relationships with local fishing communities, asking them to alert any unusual sightings.
That's how the three giant salmon carp found in the Mekong River and a tributary in Cambodia between 2020 and 2023 came to the attention of researchers.
“I was really surprised and excited to see the real fish for the first time,” said Bunyeth Chan, a study co-author and researcher at Svay Rieng University in Cambodia.
