Giant fish thought to be extinct is spotted

Scientists opportunity a elephantine food successful nan Mekong River thought to beryllium extinct has been spotted 3 times successful caller years

WASHINGTON -- A immense food successful nan Mekong River thought to beryllium extinct has been spotted 3 times successful caller years.

“The elephantine salmon carp is for illustration a awesome of nan Mekong region,” said Chheana Chhut, a interrogator astatine nan Inland Fisheries Research and Development Institute successful Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

The predatory food tin turn up to 4 feet successful length, and has a conspicuous knob astatine nan extremity of its little jaw. A striking spot of yellowish surrounds its ample eyes.

With nan past confirmed sighting successful 2005, “this type of food seems to person vanished from nan Mekong region for decades,” said Chheana, who is simply a co-author of a study published online Monday successful nan diary Biological Conservation that documents nan caller sightings.

Since 2017, biologists search migratory food type successful Cambodia person developed relationships pinch section sportfishing communities, asking them to alert immoderate different sightings.

That's really nan 3 elephantine salmon carp recovered successful nan Mekong River and a tributary successful Cambodia betwixt 2020 and 2023 came to nan attraction of researchers.

“I was really amazed and excited to spot nan existent food for nan first time,” said Bunyeth Chan, a study co-author and interrogator astatine Svay Rieng University successful Cambodia.

Researchers opportunity nan sightings springiness them caller dream for nan destiny of nan species. One nickname for nan type is “ghost fish.”

“This rediscovery is very exciting, affirmative news,” said Zeb Hogan, a food biologist astatine nan University of Nevada, Reno, who was portion of nan team.

But nan plight of nan food besides spotlights nan perils facing each migratory type successful nan Mekong, which faces business contamination and overfishing.

More than 700 dams are built on nan stream and its tributaries and location are very fewer functional “fish passages” to thief type navigate obstructions, said Brian Eyler, head of nan Southeast Asia Program astatine nan Stimson Center successful Washington, who was not progressive successful nan research.

The biologists said they dream that moving pinch section communities successful Thailand and Laos will alteration them to corroborate if nan food still swims successful different stretches of nan Mekong River.

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The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from nan Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group. The AP is solely responsible for each content.