In particular, scientists fear a major program of dam-building in recent years may be seriously disrupting spawning grounds. The last Chinese paddlefish ever seen was caught and tagged in 2003, the same year the Three Gorges Dam was built. It is home to several species of giant freshwater fish but environmental pressures are rising. Once the largest freshwater fish in the world, the Yangtze sturgeon, Acipenser dabryanus, could reach 26 feet in length and weigh 1,500 pounds. It unseated the previous record-holder, a 646lb (293kg) Mekong giant. According to IGFA records, the largest fish ever caught was a great white shark that weighed an unbelievable 2,664 pounds (1,208.389 kg.). The Mekong River runs through China, Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam. June 20 (Reuters) - Cambodian villagers on the Mekong River have caught what researchers say is the worlds biggest freshwater fish ever recorded, a stingray that weighed in at 300kg (661 lb) and. A 300kg (661lb) stingray caught in the Mekong river in Cambodia is the biggest freshwater fish ever documented, scientists say. Villagers in Cambodia recently reeled in the world's largest freshwater fish on record: a 661 pound, 13 feet wide. The Beluga sturgeon is now critically endangered. The sea creature weighed 661 pounds and needed a dozen men to be carried ashore. Therefore, its not shocking that David Hayes renowned 5.41 kg catch (11 lbs. More recently, this huge fish will max at about 10 ft (about the same size as the White Sturgeon). Nearly nine feet long (2.7 meters) and as big as a grizzly bear, a huge catfish caught in northern Thailand may be the largest freshwater fish ever recorded. The smallmouth bass is one of the most targeted when it comes to game fishing. World record was 3,463 lbs and 23ft 7in long However, this was nearly 200 years ago. 'The fact that the fish can still get this big is a hopeful sign for the Mekong River, ' Dr Hogan said, noting that the waterway faces many environmental challenges. The largest freshwater fish is the Beluga Sturgeon. The stingray's catch was not just about setting a new record, he said. The university is partnering with the Cambodian Fisheries Administration and USAID, the US government's international development agency.įreshwater fish are defined as those that spend their entire lives in freshwater, as opposed to giant marine species - such as bluefin tuna and marlin - or fish that migrate between fresh and saltwater, such as the huge beluga sturgeon. Scientists find 300kg stingray in Cambodia's Mekong River 'Hopeful sign'

Largest freshwater fish ever caught