The 300-kilogram giant stingray, which has been temporarily removed from Cambodian waters for weight has emerged as the largest freshwater fish ever discovered, according to scientists from the Southeast Asian nation and the United States.
World record set. On June 13, a 42-year-old fisherman named Maul Thun caught this giant fish on the Mekong River. After capture, Maul Thun contacted a team of scientists from the Wonders of the Mekong research project.
According to Wonders of the Mekong, it is about 13 feet from snout to tail and weighs a little less than 300 kilograms. After a quick study, scientists concluded that the fish was a healthy female giant stingray.
It broke the previous record set by the 293-kilogram (646-pound) Mekong giant catfish discovered in Thailand in 2005. The stingray has been named ‘Borami’. Whose Khmer language means ‘full moon’.
Mekong leader Zeb Hogan said in an online interview, “When you see a fish of this size, especially in freshwater, it’s hard to understand, so I think our whole team was stunned.
Reports said the team of scientists tagged the giant fish to track its movement and learn more about the behavior of their species while swimming in freshwater rivers. Maul Thun was reportedly paid around $600 for his record-breaking catch.
The giant freshwater stingray is a species of stingray in the family Dasyatidae. It is found in large rivers in Southeast Asia and Borneo, although historically it may have been more widespread in South and Southeast Asia.
