Huge and Rare Mekong Catfish Spotted in Cambodia, Raising Conservation Hopes

People hold a Mekong giant catfish to release it in Mekong River in Kampong Cham, Cambodia, on Dec. 10, 2024. Zeb Hogan/USAID Wonders of the Mekong Project via AP

HANOI, Vietnam—Six critically endangered Mekong giant catfish—one of the largest and rarest freshwater fish in the world—were caught and released recently in Cambodia, reviving hopes for the survival of the species.

The underwater giants can grow up to 10 feet long and weigh up to 661 pounds, or as heavy as a grand piano. They now are only found in Southeast Asia’s Mekong River but in the past inhabited the length of the 3,044 miles-long river, all the way from its outlet in Vietnam to its northern reaches in China’s Yunnan Province.