Villagers on the Mekong River in Cambodia have caught what scientists say is the largest freshwater fish ever recorded.
It was a stingray that weighed 300 kilograms and took twelve men to bring to shore.
The female stingray, which the villagers dubbed "borami" (meaning "full moon" in Khmer because of its round shape) was four meters long. Scientists fitted it with a transmitter to track its movements and then released it into the river.
"It's exciting news because it was the largest fish in the world," said biologist Zeb Hogan, the former host of the National Geographic documentary series Monster Fish, who is now involved in a project to save the flora and fauna of the Mekong.
Borami, caught in the nets last week off Ko Prea, an island in northern Mekong, took the record from the giant catfish, weighing 293 pounds, caught in northern Thailand in 2005.
The Mekong River has a huge variety of fish - it ranks third in the world - although overfishing, pollution and sedimentation have led to declining stocks.
Source: APE-MPA
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