A giant fish species thought to be extinct has been discovered in the Mekong River in Cambodia.
“The giant barb is like a symbol of the Mekong River region”, said Chheana Chhut, a researcher at the Inland Fisheries Research and Development Institute in Cambodia.
Researcher Chhut Chheana with the newly caught giant barb in the Mekong River. (Photo: AP).
This predatory fish can grow up to 1.2 meters long, featuring a striking yellow coloration around its large eyes.
The last time scientists observed this species was in 2005.
“This fish species seems to have disappeared from the Mekong River basin for many decades”, Chheana stated. He is a co-author of the study published in Biological Conservation earlier this week.
Since 2017, researchers have been monitoring migratory fish species in Cambodia and closely collaborating with local fishing communities to report any unusual findings.
Thanks to this approach, three giant barbs have been found in the Mekong River and a tributary in Cambodia from 2020 to 2023, drawing significant interest from researchers. “I was truly amazed and excited to see this fish in person for the first time”, shared Bunyeth Chan, co-author of the study and a researcher at Svay Rieng University in Cambodia.
The giant barb is also known as “ghost fish”. (Photo: AP).
Researchers noted that this brings new hope for the species dubbed the “ghost fish.”
Zeb Hogan, a fish researcher at the University of Nevada (USA), indicated that the fate of the giant barb highlights the dangers all migratory species in the Mekong face, where industrial pollution and overfishing are prevalent.
Brian Eyler, director of the Southeast Asia Program at the Stimson Center in Washington, mentioned that over 700 dams have been constructed along the Mekong River and its tributaries, leaving very little room for fish migration.
Biologists hope that cooperation with local communities in Thailand and Laos will help them confirm whether giant barbs still exist in other sections of the Mekong River.
