The Fisheries Department has been artificially reproducing the Mekong giant catfish in captivity since 1983, releasing the fish into large reservoirs across the country, but the species continues to dwindle in the wild. They cover long stretches of the river as they need specific types of environments for spawning and breeding. The Mekong giant catfish (Pangasianodon gigas) is ranked as critically endngered on the Red List of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). It is illegal now and there are no fish for us to catch anyway,” Rian said. Rian Jinarath, a local expert in Mekong giant catfish traditions in Ban Haad Krai, Chiang Khong district, said that even though catching the catfish has been banned since 2006, the species has already disappeared from that part of the river.
Some of the conservation efforts including breeding the Mekong Giant Catfish in captivity and then releasing them in the wild. They do migrate a large distance annually. The largest freshwater fish in the world, its natural habitat is the Mekong River from China to Cambodia and Tonle Sap Lake in Cambodia. 518/5 Maneeya Center Bldg., 10th Flr., Historically, the fish's natural range reached from the lower Mekong in Vietnam (above the tidally influenced brackish water of the river's delta) all the way to the northern reaches of the river in the Yunnan Provinceof China, spanning almost the entire 4,800 km (3,00… When they are about 1 year old they will start to change their diet and consume lots of algae. “This fish has a spawning ground at the river in Chiang Khong district in Chiang Rai, so the dam development projects such as Xayaburi Dam and Pak Beng Dam will block the migration passage of the fish, putting even more pressure on a near-extinct species.”. They also live in many areas where the water flows very fast. “I understand that it is hard to ask for the dam projects to be cancelled, but Mekong giant catfish cannot climb up a fish ladder, so we have to find alternative ways to let the fish get to their spawning area,” he said. Students and teachers are allowed to use this information for school projects and homework. Rian also warned that the demolition of rapids and islets in part of the Mekong to create a navigation route would make the situation worse, as the rapids provide habitat and food sources for fish. Researchers believe that the surviving small population is now living in the deep pools in the river between Laos and Thailand from Loei to Ubon Ratchathani, but it is impossible to determine the exact number of fish,” Chavalit said. Chavalit urged countries in the Mekong River Basin to work together to save the Mekong giant catfish from extinction in the wild and explore possibilities of allowing the fish to migrate through the dams. There are efforts in place to help them but many worry that it is too late for them to get their numbers high enough in the wild. “In the past, Mekong giant catfish could be found easily, but I have no idea why this fish has become rarer. This story is part of an investigative series on the development works undertaken in Mekong River Basin, the next story will be the impact of the new dam project in mainstream of Mekong River in Laos, Pak Beng Dam, to the local communities. © 1986 Panda Symbol WWF – World Wide Fund For Nature (formerly World Wildlife Fund). Mekong Giant Catfish – Incredibly large and incredibly rare, this species teeters on the brink of extinction. Thailand. They have eyes that are very low set on the face. They also consume plants from the bottom of the water. “The number of Mekong giant catfish has been decreasing significantly. Anecdotal information suggests that the species was once present in the Mekong Delta (Viet Nam), but is now reported as being very rare. However, as they get older and they mature those will disappear. The bottom is a yellow or a white cream color. SURVIVAL OF THE Mekong giant catfish is at a critical point, with the species on the brink of extinction in the wild due to development projects along the Mekong River, experts have warned.Meanwhile, local people said they feared their traditional culture associated with catching Mekong giant catfish would slowly disappear. There is estimated to only be a few hundred of the adults left in the wild at this point in time. The giant catfish (Netuma thalassina), also known as the giant sea catfish, giant salmon catfish, giant marine-catfish, or the khagga, is a species of catfish in the family Ariidae. The Mekong giant catfish is a threatened species in the Mekong, and conservationists have focused on it as a flagship species to promote conservation on the river. He also expressed concern that although the fish could migrate up to Chiang Khong, a plan to create a shipping route to Luang Prabang in Laos from China is likely to disrupt fish reproduction. They dont have any teeth which is interesting. Mekong River Commission (MRC) senior aquatic ecology expert Chavalit Vidthayanon said the wild population of the giant catfish in the Mekong had been reduced by 90 per cent and its survival was under serious threat from development, including dam projects, according to the latest estimates. No recent data are available from this area, but it is still likely that less than 10 Giant Catfish are caught here each year (Z. Hogan pers. The color of the Mekong Giant Catfish is a light gray with silver at the top. The fishermen cannot catch fish in the river anymore,” Samian said. “We do not catch Mekong giant catfish anymore. “There have been no wild fish from the Mekong River for a long time. Barbels are present on the juveniles. It was described by Eduard Rüppell in 1837, originally under the genus Bagrus. (I accept).
Working to sustain the natural world for the benefit of people and nature. The largest freshwater fish in the world, its natural habitat is the Mekong River from China to Cambodia and Tonle Sap Lake in Cambodia. Help us spread vital information about the world's most crticial eco-regions. Giant Mekong Catfish – Pangasianodon gigas / Photo taken by Ginkgo100. The Mekong Giant Catfish is often mistaken for a type of shark in the water. According to our folklore, we believe that they live in the underwater caves in the Mekong at Luang Prabang, guarded by the holy spirit of the river, and they will be allowed to travel north only after the Songkran festival,” he said. It is considered to be the largest freshwater fish in the world. They don’t have any teeth which is interesting. They are often found at the lower parts of the water for feeding. Even when the conditions in captivity are replicated, they don’t seem to do well once they are released again.
Photo: Decreasing number of Mekong giant catfish (Photo: The Nation), editor@mekongeye.com Bangkok, 10330 With that in mind, the direction has changed to work on helping those that are thriving in the wild to reach the age of maturity. Mekong Giant Catfish in local market (Photo: The Nation). They do grow very quickly though and most of the time they are able to mate by the time they are 6 years old. “I buy Mekong giant catfish from the fishermen and sell to the market, but I do not have this fish every day.
Many of the behaviors that it takes part in remain a mystery for it. This Giant catfish feeds almost exclusively on vegetation but in captivity will take other food items such as bread and ground bait mix. What To Do If You Find A Rabbit Den In Your Yard, Common Traits and Habits of The Flying Fish. “When I was young, this fish was abundant, but after our society was modernised, there was more pollution and ecosystem degradation such as the construction of dams upstream and the building of concrete embankments, which made the fish population decrease.”. It was 2.7m and weighed 293kg. This has created some tensions as the conservation efforts aren’t working as planned. The Mekong Basin in South east Asia and they tend to live in the deeper areas of the water. The IUCN lists this species as Critically Endangered due to overfishing and habitat destruction. Story location
The Mekong giant catfish is a species of catfish in the shark catfish family. We use cookies to analyse how visitors use our website and to help us provide the best possible experience for users. This is the largest freshwater fish in the world. 2011). The journalist and their outlet retain full editorial and copyright control. However, as they get older and they mature those will disappear.
Barbels are present on the juveniles. Meanwhile, in Luang Prabang, wild Mekong giant catfish still can be found at the city’s famous morning market.
It is believed that in the past 15 years they have lost at least 80% of their habitat. There are advocates that roam around the fishing areas. The Mekong giant catfish (Pangasianodon gigas) is ranked as critically endangered on the Red List of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). The frequent movement of large cargo barges in that part of the river may affect reproduction,” he said. Your contribution will be appreciated to improve our site. Do you have news to share on these topics? The content in this site was created from the following resources. This series was produced in collaboration with The Mekong Eye and Mekong Matters Journalism Network. There are bans on catching this fish in various locations but the laws aren’t enforced so the process of taking them continues. They aren’t believed to be aggressive in terms of behavior. They can be very large – up to 10 ½ ft long and with a weight of up to 660 pounds. They are hard to see though due to where they live in the water. He said people of Ban Haad Krai caught Mekong giant catfish for generations before the ban and it was an annual village tradition to perform a religious ceremony honouring the holy spirit of the river to allow them to catch Mekong giant catfish. See also: Mekong Diplomacy and River Blasting. It is grey to white in colour and is distinguished by the near-total lack of barbels and the absence of teeth. Aorn, a Lao fish seller, said that freshly caught Mekong giant catfish from the river were still available there, even though the fish was very rare out of the season from May to June.
Grey to white in colour and lacking stripes the Giant Mekong Catfish has no scales and is distinguished from other large catfish in its native habitat by its complete lack of teeth. View our Cookie Policy. Find location on map, Society of Indonesian Environmental Journalists. Unique to the Mekong River, it travels huge distances each year to migrate. “The fish need a stable level of river flow, good quality of water and environment for breeding. They are quick to report anyone that is taking a Mekong Giant Catfish but if the authorities aren’t willing to act fast then it may not be something that helps. © 2020 WWF - World Wide Fund For Nature© 1986 Panda Symbol WWF – World Wide Fund For Nature (formerly World Wildlife Fund)® “WWF” is a WWF Registered Trademark Creative Commons license. Only the larger ones will be able to mate as size is what determines it, not their age.
Ploenchit Rd., Pathumwan, When the Mekong Giant Catfish are young they will dine on various forms of zooplankton. However, they are known to be very powerful. The bottom is a yellow or a white cream color. ERRORS in the site, please contact us. This is not only the case for Mekong giant catfish, but other types of fish too.
Contribute to this map by submitting a story. As the rainy season begins the Mekong Giant Catfish will start to spawn and move upstream. There is a great deal that experts still don’t know about the life of the Mekong Giant Catfish.
Posted by BioExpedition | Apr 9, 2012 | Animals, Fish, Marine Animals |. Size: Length: 3m Weight: 300kg Habitat and Ecology The Mekong giant catfish is the largest freshwater fish and is endemic to the Mekong … They are the only species of catfish that don’t have any teeth. The largest freshwater fish ever recorded was a Mekong giant catfish caught in northern Thailand in 2005. They are the only species of catfish that dont have any teeth.
The color of the Mekong Giant Catfish is a light gray with silver at the top.
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