A colossal 300kg giant freshwater stingray, scientifically known as Urogymnus polylepis, has been officially acknowledged by Guinness World Records as the largest recorded freshwater fish ever. Discovered last year in the Koh Preah commune of the Siem Bok district in Stung Treng province, along the Mekong River, this stingray named Boramey was tagged by the conservation group Wonders of the Mekong before being released back into its natural habitat.
The tagging of this ray has yielded valuable insights into the species, contributing to efforts aimed at protecting this endangered creature. Through the collaboration of officials from the Fisheries Administration’s Stung Treng provincial cantonment, Wonders of the Mekong, and the Inland Fisheries Research and Development Institute of Cambodia, the ray was measured to weigh an impressive 300kg, stretching 3.98m from head to tail, with a width of 2.2m.
Cambodian biodiversity researcher Sok Vichea explained that the giant freshwater stingray, one of the few remaining in the Mekong, is on the brink of extinction, threatened in its survival. This species is part of a trio of mega-sized fish in the Mekong, alongside the Mekong giant catfish and the Mekong giant bard, found exclusively in specific regions of Cambodia, Laos, and Thailand. The recognition by Guinness World Records underscores the importance of conserving the biodiversity of the Mekong River and its unique species.
