Most specimens do not reach their full size without an extremely large aquarium or pond. It is a species of freshwater stingrays setting in the Indochinese peninsula and Borneo island of Indonesia. Efforts are still underway to convince fishers on the Lao side of the Mekong to give up giant catfish. While the Giant Catfish Club recorded 33 catches in 1990, by 2000 it wasn’t able to catch a single fish.

People used to catch a giant stingray on the Mekong River with a fishing rod. It took 2 hours for Thai fishermen taking a turn holding the fishing rod to pull the fish to shore. Among the most unique type, you can have Giant freshwater stingrays with its’ scientific nomenclature being Himantura polylepis. [27] Due to overharvesting, the native fish population may increase since the P. sanitwongsei population is declining. [24], This fish's lifespan isn't known, but it is known that it grows fast[25] and usually the trend is when it grows fast, it dies quickly. Club members boycotted this year’s catfish festival to convey their disapproval of the way officials have handled it. 41C Tay Ho Road, Tay Ho District, Hanoi, Vietnam. With over 20 years’ experience in the field of travel and cruise industry, combined with authentic local insights, we will help you make the best of your Mekong cruise. It is one of the largest carp species in the world. Grey to white in colour and lacking stripes, the Mekong giant catfish is distinguished from other large catfish species in the river by the near-total lack of barbels and the absence of teeth. They only move out from these part during short hunting times when other small fish migrate through its area. [23] It is predicted that spawining happens in the rivers that they are found and are not believed to be migrating from outside the river when getting ready to spawn.

[11] It has a silver, curved underside and a dark brown back. [19], The P. sanitwongsei is a carnivorous fish, whose prey consist of shrimp, crabs, and fish. The bottom is a yellow or a white cream color. Moreover, as among the richest rivers in the world, Mekong river is the habitat of hundreds of aquatic species, including giant and rare fish, so-called “freshwater monsters” types. Although in 1996, scientists stated that these species live commonly in the middle of the Mekong River; now this fish is quite rare in all the river. [13], These fish sometimes appear in the aquarium fish hobby. Ranging from the waters of Cambodia north to Chiang Khong in the upper Mekong, the it is one of the largest freshwater fish in the world. This fish is a popular food fish and marketed fresh. Juveniles and adults feed on crustaceans and fishes. Next up is another Mekong river giant fish, being carp. [22], Little is known of the reproduction of P. sanitwongsei, but the time of spawning happens in the months of April and May.
Recorded specimens have measured 3 m in length and weighed as much as 250 kg. Catfishes in Mekong have large and flat heads, wide mouth with two long antennae in the upper jaw, pelvic fins long to the caudal fin, small dorsal fins in the front. Among the most unique type, you can have Giant freshwater stingrays with its’ scientific nomenclature being Himantura polylepis. It has a wide, flat, whiskerless head. According to the fishermen, during the dry season, adult fish will usually stay in the deep part of the river. During the flood season, they can eat fruit, trees, and grass on land. [4] The P. sanitwongsei was also recently found in South Africa, and is suspected to be brought and released there illegally. Wait for the next giant fish instructed following. [18] The P. sanitwongsei have a seasonal migration but the fish does not leave the river during its migration, it only stays within the river during the seasonal migration. [14], This species reproduces sexually, and the eggs and sperm are usually released in a muddier area to prevent eggs from sticking to each other. What else can you expect from the Mekong river? In the old days, people caught them to eat, he said. [30], Fishing of this species used to be accompanied by religious ceremonies and rites. Whether the ban will last long enough to allow the catfish to recover will require continued effort, however. Club members demanded that they be reimbursed for their huge nets and were paid about US$ 600 for each one. The main food for catfish is zooplankton, juveniles, fibrous algae, and accidentally some ingest larvae. Froese, Rainer and Pauly, Daniel, eds. The giant pangasius, paroon shark, pangasid-catfish or Chao Phraya giant catfish (Pangasius sanitwongsei) is a species of freshwater fish in the shark catfish family (Pangasiidae) of order Siluriformes, found in the Chao Phraya and Mekong basins in Indochina.Its populations have declined drastically, mainly due to overfishing, and it is now considered Critically Endangered. It is often mentioned in textbooks, news media, and popular press. It wasn’t easy. Their maximum length and weight of this fish can reach 2.4 m and 250 kg. [32] The fish is being threatened by overharvesting, damming rivers, and pollution. The small carp you find in the supermarket can be super in the Mekong River.

The drought continued until 2004. You can find this giant carp in Mekong section from Cambodia to Vietnam, and very rare in the section above Khone Falls. For now, you might be amazed at how big and special Mekong river fish species are, right? They spawn in rapids threatened by shipping and take refuge in deep pools being filled in as dams are built upstream. [16] There is no parental care after spawning. [21], There are no known natural predators of the P. sanitwongsei, besides humans due to overfishing which is leading to a decline in population. Then, in honour of the 60th anniversary of the Thai king’s ascension to the throne, they declared an end to the hunt. [17], The giant pangasius is a benthopelagic and migratory species. Watch as a Thai community rescues a 440-pound Mekong giant catfish displaced by flooding in 2017. [9] It has a continuous and uninterrupted single vomero-palatine teeth patch which is curved. They dont have any teeth which is interesting. Now people only see them appear in the middle of the Mekong River. The Mekong giant catfish deserves its name. In place of the hunt, Chiang Khong has launched an annual giant catfish festival coinciding with the Buddhist New Year festivities.

Scientists have only known this fish since 1930 when it was discovered at a fish market in Phnom Penh (Cambodia) and so far there has not been much research on fish. They are the only species of catfish that dont have any teeth. Such is the case of the Mekong Giant Catfish (Pangasianodon gigas), the world’s largest freshwater fish, which can grow up to nearly 10 feet long and weigh 650 pounds. [12] Full-grown adults can reach 300 centimetres (9.8 ft) SL in length and weigh up to 300 kg (660 lb). [1], The specific name sanitwongsei was chosen to honor M. R. Suwaphan Sanitwong (Thai: ม.ร.ว.สุวพรรณ สนิทวงศ์) for his support of fisheries in Thailand. They have eyes that are very low set on the face. Boonrien Jinaraj, who founded Chiang Khong’s Giant Catfish Club 30 years ago, is certain that before people started measuring the catfish that he caught one that weighed at least 290 kg.
In 2010, populations of the Mekong giant catfish had dropped 90% in the last decade.

© Copyright 2008 - 2020 Luxury Cruise Mekong - All rights reserved. Its dorsal, adipose, pectoral, and caudal fins are a dark grey to black coloring, with its anal fin and pelvic fins a white to grey coloring. Giant Mekong river catfish Mekong freshwater stingrays. The stingray is 220 kg in weight, more than 4.5 m long including the tail, and over 2 m in width. “Among the club’s members,” promised Boonrien, “we still promise not to fish.”For more information contact:

Its dorsal, pectoral and pelvic fins are dark gray and the first soft ray is extended into a filament. Boonrien estimates that he has caught at least 100 of the big fish in the 50 years he has fished for them. [5], The Pangasius sanitwongsei is tolerant in poor quality water[6] and prefers to live in the bottom of deep depressions in freshwater rivers. Barbels are present on the juveniles. Recorded specimens have measured 3 m in length and weighed as much as 250 kg. Catching them is a matter of mere luck. [28], This fish is important to humans due to the lack of knowledge we have about it, and this fish can show us migratory pathways and spawning habits. You can find both groups of young and adult fish remain in the Mekong mainstream and possibly in large tributaries without any of them in flooded areas. During the dry season, Mekong carp seeks refuge in deep pools on the mainstream of the river, which is mainly the section from Kratie to Stung Treng. [15] The number of eggs per each spawning is around 600 (with a diameter of 2-2.5mm) and the brood shows low genetic variation. On our website, you can browse a variety of travel options and cruise itineraries to discover the Mekong Delta at its best, together with some well-designed travel packages to further explore the beauty of Southern Vietnam.