Giant Stingray Could be World’s Largest
In central Thailand an enormous freshwater stingray was captured, tagged and released during a National Geographic expedition.
Dr. Zeb Hogan, a biologist from the University of Nevada, Reno helped tag and release the animal. It was estimated to be somewhere between 550 and 770 lbs, but was never officially weighed.
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Hogan stated he has seen one other freshwater stingray that was larger in surface area, but not as heavy. The world record for largest freshwater fish is 646 lbs. for a Mekong catfish, which was also caught in Thailand. The stingray was tagged with an electronic device which emits signals researchers can track with listening instruments. The species is considered to be threatened because of habitat loss.
Research on freshwater stingrays is being conducted jointly between the University of Nevada, Reno, the Thai Fisheries Department, a sport fishing company, and the National Geographic Society.
You can see more images of the stingray at National Geographic.
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Image Credit: Zeb Hogan, University of Nevada, Reno
That is awesome. I love seeing these sorts of things.
Look out Steve Irwin!
that’s one hellava fish sandwich!!
I swam and petted salt-water stingrays in the Virgin Islands. They were the most gentle and peaceful creatures. A few of them would swim right up to you and brush against you like a cat. It was remarkable to be around them, as they exuded a calmness that exceeds anything I have ever felt… so different than what people exude! We should learn from them.
Look out Godzirra!
I once caught a 350 pound Bat Ray off San Diego.
I ate it. Tasted like Scallops. It was good.
Is it indeed a “sting”ray or juswt a ray? I see no stinger?
[...] Now that’s a stingray [...]
Like many others I have swum amid a hundred stingrays off Cayman Islands. A beautiful experience. However unscrupulous fishermen are selling stamped out stingray as scallops to restaurants in USA and the Islands. I was so glad to see that this gisnt was tagged and released.
I’m surprised they didnt kill it
like everything else