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Cambodian catches world's largest recorded freshwater fish

Cambodia Giant Stingray
Posted at 9:40 AM, Jun 20, 2022
and last updated 2022-06-20 13:11:55-04

BANGKOK (AP) — Scientists say the world’s largest recorded freshwater fish, a giant stingray, has been caught in the Mekong River in Cambodia.

Wonders of the Mekong, a joint Cambodian-U.S. research project, says the stingray, captured a week ago, measured almost 13 feet from snout to tail and weighed slightly under 660 pounds.

The Mekong River runs through China, Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam.

It is home to several species of giant freshwater fish but environmental pressures are threatening their survival.

A tagging device was implanted in the stingray before it was released back into the river to track its movements.

The previous record for largest recorded freshwater fish belonged to a catfish. It was caught in 2005 and weighed 646 pounds, according to the BBC.