A team of marine biologists have welcomed the discovery of an endangered giant freshwater stingray during a recent expedition to a remote stretch of the Mekong River in Cambodia, though they warned the biodiversity of the area was under threat.
The stingray was accidentally caught by fishermen in an 80-metre (260 ft) deep pool in the Mekong in Cambodia’s northeastern Stung Treng province and the visiting scientists helped return the animal alive.
Zeb Hogan, a fish biologist at the University of Nevada, said finding the 180 kg (397 lb) stingray, spanning four metres, was important.
“This catch was significant because it confirms the existence of these big fish in the stretch of river,” said Hogan, who led the USAID-funded Wonders of the Mekong expedition that wrapped up last week.
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