Giant stingray: how big is Mekong River’s 47 stone freshwater fish - is Cambodia catch the biggest on record?

The largest freshwater fish in the world has been discovered in the Mekong River in Cambodia.

According to scientists, the giant stingray, which measures four metres from snout to tail and weighs a whopping 661 pounds, was caught on 13 June.

The Wonders of the Mekong, a Cambodian-US conservation project confirmed the catch stating: “this is the largest freshwater fish that we’ve encountered.”

The giant stingray has been named ‘Boramy’ which means full moon in the Khmer language.

Here’s everything you need to know.

How big is the Mekong River fish?

The giant stingray is touted to be the largest freshwater fish in the world.

It was discovered on 13 June by a local fisherman on Koh Preah island and described as “very big.”

However when scientists arrived they discovered a giant stingray that measured 3.98m long and 2.2m wide.

Weighing in at a whopping 661 pounds, it’s beaten the previous record breaker which was discovered in Thailand in 2005.

Named “Boramy” which means full moon in

Where was it caught?

The huge fish was discovered in the Mekong River in Cambodia.

The Mekong is the twelfth largest river in the world and flows through the Tibetan Plateau in China, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam.

The river is incredibly biodiverse and is home to a variety of giant freshwater fish including stingray and catfish.

However, environmental issues are causing pressure to the river, with overfishing threatening to decimate fish populations and damage the fragile ecosystem.

What have scientists said?

The fisherman who found the giant stingray contacted scientists from Wonders of the Mekong, a Cambodian-US conservation project.

Zeb Hogan, a biologist who leads the project said: "In 20 years of researching giant fish in rivers and lakes on six continents, this is the largest freshwater fish that we’ve encountered or that’s been documented anywhere worldwide."

Hogan, who is a professor at the University of Nevada added: "Finding and documenting this fish is remarkable, and a rare positive sign of hope, even more so because it occurred in the Mekong, a river that’s currently facing many challenges."

The fisherman knew how to contact the conservation project through the Cambodian Fisheries Administration.

This connection ensures that fishermen who catch giant or endangered fish can alert the correct authorities and ensure the creature is left unscathed.

Hogan explained:"When record fish are found, it means the aquatic environment is still relatively healthy. This is in contrast to what we’ve seen in places like the Yangtze River, where scientists reported the extinction of the Chinese paddlefish.

He added: "The Mekong’s deep pools sustain life far beyond these impressive giants. Spawning in this critical habitat produces billions of fish every year which ensure food security and livelihoods for millions of people in Cambodia and Vietnam."

Is this the largest fish caught on record?

The giant stingray caught in Cambodia has broken the record for the largest freshwater fish ever caught.

The previous record was held by a Mekong Giant Catfish which was discovered in Thailand in 2005 and weighed in at 293kg.

Freshwater fish are classified as fish that spend their entire lives in freshwater lakes and rivers.