Scientists have been looking for one of the most endangered fish species in the world for decades, and they have unanticipatedly found it again in northern Cambodia. This popular fish is known as the Mekong Ghost.
Lost Fish Found in Cambodia
According to Newsweek, since 2004, no adult gigantic salmon carp have been spotted in the Mekong River. It is the only river system on Earth where the species is known to exist. However, a 13-pound specimen was discovered in a wet market earlier this year.
Zeb Hogan, a fish biologist and research professor at the University of Nevada, Reno, who has studied Mekong fish species for decades and who is in charge of the USAID-funded Wonders of the Mekong research project, said that the discovery of yet another incredible but critically endangered animal makes it abundantly clear how urgently conservation programs are needed as well as the potential advantages of collaboration between the government, academics, and local communities in protecting the Mekong's natural wonders.
Endangered Mekong Ghost
The big salmon carp (Aaptosyax grypus), which can reach weights of up to 66 pounds, was given the nickname "Mekong Ghost" because it lacks a Khmer name.
According to the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, this species is considered severely endangered despite the fact that it was not discovered alive, and the cause of death remains unknown. The discovery of the fish has given rise to hope that the species is still present in the Mekong, even though it was not discovered alive, and the cause of death remains unknown.
After more than two decades of research, Chan Sokheng, a scientist with the Cambodian Fisheries Administration, expressed his joy at confirming this rare animal's presence. According to him, this indicates that there is still a chance to protect this fish for future generations.
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The Mekong River's Abundant Aquatic Species
According to NEVADA Today, the discovery is the most recent in a string of remarkable aquatic finds in the Mekong region of Cambodia. Large runs of the threatened Mekong shad were discovered there earlier this year, and in June, researchers and locals tagged and released a big freshwater stingray that weighed 661 pounds (300 kilograms), making it the largest freshwater fish in the world, according to Guinness World Records.
The Mekong has seen a grand slam of wildlife shocks this year, but Hogan noted that the game is far from done and triumphs for biodiversity are still elusive.
The recent discoveries along the river have been the result of outreach to local people, many of whom have a deep knowledge of and dependence on the river and its wild animals, according to Chea Seila, project manager for Wonders of the Mekong, livelihoods expert, and longtime supporter of community-led research.
Researchers will use the dead fish's DNA to create various techniques for examining species dispersion. Additionally, they expect to discover more living specimens that can be tagged and released for additional research.
The location of its spawning grounds, its distribution, migratory habits, reproductive biology, and what can be done to rescue it are all things that need to be discovered and learned more about, according to Sokheng.
The Mekong River, which flows through six Asian nations, is a hotspot for biodiversity worldwide and is home to about 1,000 distinct fish species, including some of the biggest freshwater fishes in the world.
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