Fishers in northern Thailand netted this huge catfish in the Mekong River. Nearly nine feet long (2.7 meters) and as big as a grizzly bear, the behemoth tipped the scales at 646 pounds (293 kilograms). Experts say the fish, which belongs to the species known as the Mekong giant catfish, may be the largest freshwater fish ever recorded.
After a record-breaking Mekong giant catfish died, residents of Hat Khrai, a Thai village on the Mekong River, butchered the fish for its meat. The catfish, highly aggressive feeders, are known to eat almost anything. Among the stomach contents of this behemoth, fisherman found a triangle pillow, a daschund dog carcass, and a small silver Pentax digital camera.
"Mekong people believe it's a sacred fish, because it 'meditates'"—in the deep, stony pools of the Mekong River—"somewhat like a Buddhist monk, said Zeb Hogan, a fisheries biologist who studies the largest freshwater fish in the world. A WWF conservation fellow and National Geographic Society Emerging Explorer, Hogan has received funding from the National Geographic Society Conservation Trust.
Mekong giant catfish attract high prices in Thailand, because eating the fish is supposed to bring good luck. Likewise, the Chinese believe that catfish meat boosts intelligence and prolongs life.
2 comments:
Was that your camera in it's belly? JB
Believe it...or not.
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