One of the world’s most threatened fish species, for which scientists have been searching for decades, has been unexpectedly rediscovered in northern Cambodia.
No adult giant salmon carp had been officially recorded since 2004, but earlier this year a 13-pound specimen was reported from a local wet market along the Mekong River, the only river system on Earth where the species lives.
“The discovery of yet another amazing, but highly endangered animal, in an area that supports the livelihoods and food security of millions of people, shows plain as day the urgent need for conservation programs and the potential benefits of government, scientists and local communities coming together to safeguard the wonders of the Mekong,” Zeb Hogan University of Nevada, Reno fish biologist and research professor who has studied Mekong fish species for decades and who leads the USAID-funded Wonders of the Mekong research project, said.
So rare is the giant salmon carp (Aaptosyax grypus) it does not have a Khmer name, and it has been referred to as a “Mekong Ghost.” Believed to grow as large as 66 pounds, it is listed as critically endangered on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Although the fish was not found alive – with the cause of death unknown – its discovery has raised hope that the species still prevails in the Mekong.
“After more than two decades of working on this topic, I’m so happy to confirm the existence of this unique animal,” Chan Sokheng, a biologist with the Cambodian Fisheries Administration said. “It means there is still hope, against the odds, to conserve this evolutionarily distinct and globally significant fish for future generations.”
The finding is the latest in a series of startling aquatic discoveries in the Cambodian Mekong region.
Earlier this year, large runs of endangered Mekong shad were reported from the area, and in June scientists and local community members tagged and released a 661-pound (300 kilograms) giant freshwater stingray, which was confirmed as the world's largest freshwater fish by Guinness World Records.
“This year has been a grand slam for wildlife surprises on the Mekong, but the game is far from over and victories for biodiversity are still hard to come by,” Hogan said.
The discovery preceded a workshop convened by the Cambodian Fisheries Administration and the Wonders of the Mekong project, and attended by local community representatives and other partners, to map out future research and conservation actions for many of the Mekong’s endangered fish. These activities will include expanded community involvement in fisheries data collection, telemetry research to better understand fish ecology, and eDNA sampling in an effort to better document rare species.
