Giant fish species of the Mekong River in pictures
In Vietnam, no river can compare to the Mekong River for having giant fish. Fishermen have caught many unusually large fish from the river.
Mekong giant catfish
Among the fish species in the Mekong River, the Mekong giant catfish (scientific name: Pangasianodon gigas) is the biggest.
This is a very large, critically endangered species of catfish in the shark catfish family, native to the Mekong basin.
The Mekong giant catfish currently holds the Guinness Book of World Records' position for the world's largest freshwater fish. Attaining an unconfirmed length of 3 m, the Mekong giant catfish grows extremely quickly, reaching a mass of 150 to 200 kg in six years.
It can reportedly weigh up to 350 kg. It is recorded that a Mekong giant catfish weighing half a ton, 5m long, approximately 60 years old, was caught in the river.
This species is endangered. However, fishermen have recently caught several fish of this species.
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On December 11, 2013, a restaurant in Long Xuyen City, An Giang province bought a 247kg Mekong giant catfish, also from Cambodia.
In 2012, a fisherman in An Giang caught a Mekong giant catfish weighing 72kg from the Hau River.
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Giant barb
The fish was once regarded as the king of fish species in the Mekong River is the giant barb or Siamese giant carp (Catlocarpio siamensis).
The giant barb ranks among the largest freshwater fish in the world, and is probably the largest fish in the family Cyprinidae. It may reach 3 m and weigh up to 300 kg.
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A restaurant in HCM City recently purchased a giant barb of 1.8 m long, weighing 135 kg from a Cambodian fisherman, at a price of VND1.5 million/kg. The fish was caught in the Mekong River. On January 12, 2015, a fisherman in Phong Hoa commune, Lai Vung district of Dong Thap Province, caught a giant barb in the Hau River. The fish is 110kg, 1, 3m long. It was also sold to a restaurant in Ho Chi Minh City for VND150 million (US$7,000). On December 28, 2014 , a fisherman caught a 90kg giant barb in Nha Man River, in Chau Thanh district, Dong Thap Province and sold it for restaurant in Ho Chi Minh City, earning several thousands USD.
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Wallago attu
Wallago attu is a species of catfish in the family Siluridae, or "sheatfishes". It is found in large rivers and lakes in much of the Indian Subcontinent and in parts of Southeast Asia, including the Mekong River.
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On March 5, 2015, a restaurant in Ho Chi Minh City bought a Wallago attu of up to 65kg, 1.7m long from Dong Thap Province. The fish was caught in Nha Man River; it was the biggest of its species caught so far. In 2014, a fisherman caught four big Wallago attu fish of over 40kg each in Ea H’Leo River, Dak Lak Province and sold for VND450,000/kg. |
Super red arowana
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In February 2013, in An Giang province, a super red arowana was caught in An Giang. It was nearly 2 meters long, weighing about 80kg. Senior fishermen said they used to see big red arowana in the Mekong River but now this species is rarely seen. On January 29, 2013, a fisherman in Tan Phu district in An Giang province caught a super red arowana of 1.8 meters long, and 70kg in weight.
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