Which is the largest freshwater fish in the world?
It is said that the largest freshwater fish in the world lives, of course, in the largest freshwater river in the world – the Amazon River in South America. Arapaima, also known locally as Pirarucu, Arapaima gigas are believed to be the largest, exclusively fresh water fish in the world. They have been found to reach a length of 15 ft/4m and can weigh up to 440lbs/200kg. And yes, for you smartypants out there, sturgeon are even larger than this, but they are not exclusively freshwater fish. Sturgeon spend most of their lives at sea, or in brackish water, and only swim into freshwater rivers to spawn. Another impressively large freshwater fish that was recently caught seems to have blown the Arapaima record out of the water – the Giant Mekong catfish (Pangasius gigas). This giant catfish inhabits the waters of the Mekong River in China, which flows southward into Southeast Asia. This fish is found as far south as Cambodia and Thailand where it is known as Pla Buk, which means simply “hu
National Geographic, WWF Document World’s Largest Living Freshwater Fish: 646-Pound Catfish Netted in Thailand Chiang Khong, Thailand – Fishermen in northern Thailand have netted a fish as big as a grizzly bear, a 646-pound Mekong giant catfish, the heaviest recorded since Thai officials started keeping records in 1981. The behemoth was caught in the Mekong River and may be the largest freshwater fish ever found. “It’s amazing to think that giants like this still swim in some of the world’s rivers,” said Dr. Zeb Hogan, a WWF Conservation Science fellow and leader of a new World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and National Geographic Society project to identify and study all freshwater fish over 6 feet long or 200 pounds. “We’ve now confirmed now that this catfish is the current record holder, an astonishing find.” The fish was caught and eaten in a remote village in Thailand along the Mekong River, home to more species of giant fish than any other river. Local environmentalists and government offi
World’s Largest Living Freshwater Fish News from the World Wildlife Foundation (WWF) indicates that fishermen in northern Thailand have caught what may be the world’s largest living freshwater fish. The 323kg Mekong giant catfish was the heaviest recorded since Thai officials started keeping records . Giant catfish, netted in Thailand, may be the largest freshwater fish ever found. Photo Suthep Kritsanavarin Dr. Zeb Hogan, a WWF Conservation Science fellow and leader of a WWF and National Geographic Society project studying giant freshwater fish, remarked “It’s amazing to think that giants like this still swim in some of the world’s rivers…We’ve now confirmed that this catfish is the current record holder, an astonishing find.” Local environmentalists and officials negotiated with the fishermen to release the record-breaking animal but the fish, an adult male, later died. The Mekong River is home to more species of giant fish than any other river, however catches of the giant catfish a
