Mekong Giant Catfish

It is found in the Mekong region of Southeast Asia.The number of this rare is species just about hundreds. It is in the verge of extinction due to fishing in the South eastern region.The largest ever caught Mekong catfish was 293 k.g. The Government of Thailand, Cambodia and Laos. But still fishing is going on for it in some regions.The Giant Mekong catfish is one of the largest freshwater fishes in the world. It can be found in the Mekong River Delta, in Laos and Cambodia. The species could earlier be found in Thailand but is believed to have been driven into extinction in those waters. It is dangerously close to meeting the same destiny in Laos and Cambodia where their numbers have sunken dramatically and especially large mature specimens are today very rare.

Giant Mekong Catfish has one of the fastest growth rates of any fish and can reach a weight of 200kg/ 440 lb in 5 years and can grow to a length of up to 3m / 10ft and can weigh upwards to 350kg / 770 lbs which makes it on of the heaviest freshwater fish in the world. No one knows for sure which freshwater species grows to be the largest although many speculate that it might be giant freshwater rays that are found in the same waters as the Giant Mekong Catfish and are know to grow over 4 m / 13 ft long. Large Giant Mekong catfish are however as earlier mentioned a rare site these days. Giant Mekong catfish are unlike many other large catfish vegetarians in the wild feeding on the vegetation that can be found in the rivers they live in. Another feature that separates them from many other large catfish is the fact that Giant Mekong Catfish lacks teeth.