Cambodia. Some of the rarest fish in the world became entangled in the nets

Pangasius (Pangasianodon gigas) belongs to the order of catfish, and its dimensions do not differ from its most impressive representatives – the fish reaches a length of up to three meters and can weigh up to 300 kilograms. The animal occurs in the waters of the Mekong River in southeast Asia.

Pangasius is characterized by tasty meat, which, combined with increasingly polluted waters, has led to a rapid decline in its population. Overfishing and habitat loss have resulted in population declines of 80 percent over recent decades. Representatives of this species are considered one of the rarest freshwater fish in the world.

Many people who make a living from fishing have never seen a live fish, hence the delight of seeing six fish in just five days. Two individuals were caught in the Tonle Sap River, a tributary of the Mekong. Another four were caught in nets on the Mekong River itself, probably during their spawning migration. Two individuals were particularly large – they were over two meters long and weighed over 100 kg. All fish were tagged with ID tags and released into the wild.

“This gives hope that the species is not at risk of extinction in the next few years, which gives time to implement conservation actions,” said Zeb Hogan of the University of Nevada Reno, a member of the Wonders of the Mekong research project.

The Mekong is not a fish-friendly river. Its waters are polluted with plastic waste, and dams have been built in the upper reaches of the stream, which prevent animals from migrating and breeding freely. Despite unfavorable conditions, many valuable species still inhabit its waters – this year, scientists found the trace of another rare species, carp called the “spirit of the Mekong”.