Jacob Maslow Posted March 14, 2015 Share Posted March 14, 2015 Scientists just caught a giant, 800-pound stingray in Thailand. And according to researchers, the car-sized sea creature may just be the largest freshwater fish on record. Researchers have a nickname for the giant ray: “the big one”. The massive creature weighed roughly 800 pounds and has since been released back into the Mae Klong River. Nantarika Chansue, one of the researchers involved in the catch, said the stingray measured 4.3 meters long. Jeff Corwin, host of the television series Ocean Mysteries, says the catch was an “incredible moment of adventure”. Adding to the excitement of the event, researchers discovered that the creature was pregnant with two foetal rays after performing an ultrasound. The stingray outweighs two of the previous largest stingrays on record, which weighed approximately 693-pounds. It even beat out the Mekong giant catfish, which is listed as the world’s largest freshwater fish in the Guinness Book of World Records. Giant stingrays are a critically endangered species, so the catch brought some hope to nature conservationists. An embedded microchip in the giant stingray revealed that the creature had been caught six years ago. The fact that the creature has survived and is now pregnant is hopeful news for the endangered species. The Mekong giant catfish and giant stingrays both face extinction due to habitat destruction, oil spills, dams, and in the case of the catfish, overfishing. Thanks to Chansue, who is also a professor at the University of Bangkok, and Zeb Hogan, a biology professor at the University of Nevada, the giant stingray’s critical endangerment has been brought to light. Chansue and Hogan have been working on the program for more than a decade. The catch in Thailand marks the seventh giant stingray the two have caught. When Chansue catches endangered fish, she tags them with a microchip and releases them back into the wild. The tag allows scientists to study species growth rates and lifespan, which are both largely unknown. -- 2015-03-14 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Keesters Posted March 14, 2015 Popular Post Share Posted March 14, 2015 "Released back into the river". Good for them. At first I expected them to serve it up for lunch. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post krisb Posted March 15, 2015 Popular Post Share Posted March 15, 2015 A pic of the actual stingray would have made this story. Not the random stingray shown. 12 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post tx22cb Posted March 15, 2015 Popular Post Share Posted March 15, 2015 A pic of the actual stingray would have made this story. Not the random stingray shown. Here ya go. I trust that Mr Corwin, who seems to be struggling a bit, did not overly spook the expectant mother. The 800lb number is a guesstimate, but she measured 14ft X 8ft. 16 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post LuckyLew Posted March 15, 2015 Popular Post Share Posted March 15, 2015 Nice to read that they re-released the giant stingray but once again we are reading about more endangered species in Thailand due to lack of conservation When will the Thai people all wake up and realize once gone there is no way back 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Siamesecarper Posted March 15, 2015 Share Posted March 15, 2015 The Beluga Sturgeon is the largest freshwater fish in the world by a long way and the freshwater stingray in Thailand is third on the list. http://www.conservationinstitute.org/10-largest-biggest-fresh-water-fish-in-the-world/ A lot of people come to Thailand to specifically target this fish and Jeremy Wade on "River Monsters" managed to catch some. The Giant Mekong Catfish is stocked in many Thai fishing ponds even up here in Isaan but is certainly endangered in the wild. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tx22cb Posted March 15, 2015 Share Posted March 15, 2015 "Released back into the river". Good for them. At first I expected them to serve it up for lunch. They probably would have, but could not find a wok big enough. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ezzra Posted March 15, 2015 Share Posted March 15, 2015 (edited) Oh..... Cricky... as Steve Irwin would say.... Edited March 15, 2015 by ezzra 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maidee Posted March 15, 2015 Share Posted March 15, 2015 does that go well with somtam ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tchooptip Posted March 15, 2015 Share Posted March 15, 2015 (edited) A pic of the actual stingray would have made this story. Not the random stingray shown. OK I'll do it for you (edit had not seen someone did it already) Edited March 15, 2015 by Tchooptip 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
watcharacters Posted March 15, 2015 Share Posted March 15, 2015 (edited) Nice to read that they re-released the giant stingray but once again we are reading about more endangered species in Thailand due to lack of conservation When will the Thai people all wake up and realize once gone there is no way back I'll give it my best shot which is to say probably not in my lifetime and maybe not in yours. "When will the Thai people all wake up and realize once gone there is no way back" It all begins with the education system, which is woefully lacking here. I wish the Thai people luck and success but they have to make it happen for themselves! Edited March 15, 2015 by watcharacters 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MILT Posted March 15, 2015 Share Posted March 15, 2015 Awesome! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DiamondKing Posted March 15, 2015 Share Posted March 15, 2015 A pic of the actual stingray would have made this story. Not the random stingray shown. Its actually a Bat Ray that is pictured not a Stingray Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jackh Posted March 15, 2015 Share Posted March 15, 2015 A pic of the actual stingray would have made this story. Not the random stingray shown. Here ya go. I trust that Mr Corwin, who seems to be struggling a bit, did not overly spook the expectant mother. The 800lb number is a guesstimate, but she measured 14ft X 8ft. GiantStingRay.jpg FYI, That pic is not the one caught. This one is from a TV series and certainly is not 14' across. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ozyjon Posted March 15, 2015 Share Posted March 15, 2015 Scientists just caught a giant, 800-pound stingray in Thailand. And according to researchers, the car-sized sea creature may just be the largest freshwater fish on record. At a wharf on Brampton Island, the ferry that was heading to the wharf to pick us up stopped about 6meters from us, turned the engines off, i saw all the crew including the captain run out of the cabin and everyone was looking down into the water,, what the <deleted> says i, as i also look into the water i see a stingray slowly glide under the ferry and slowly swim away without any fear or hurry, i congratulate the captain for his respect of the wildlife but what struck me about this stingray was the size of the animal, the size of the ferry was about the same as 2 buses side by side and the stingray was bigger than the ferry,, so it was BIG. But this was in salt water,, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beng Posted March 15, 2015 Share Posted March 15, 2015 The Beluga Sturgeon is the largest freshwater fish in the world by a long way and the freshwater stingray in Thailand is third on the list. http://www.conservationinstitute.org/10-largest-biggest-fresh-water-fish-in-the-world/ A lot of people come to Thailand to specifically target this fish and Jeremy Wade on "River Monsters" managed to catch some. The Giant Mekong Catfish is stocked in many Thai fishing ponds even up here in Isaan but is certainly endangered in the wild. Thanks for the link. Very interesting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FangFerang Posted March 15, 2015 Share Posted March 15, 2015 Holy giant shark cousin batman! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tingtongfarang Posted March 15, 2015 Share Posted March 15, 2015 does that go well with somtam ? Not sure how its eaten but am told at a local market near here mostly wednesday evenings it sold by the kilo, also some along the meaklong river believe hanging the tail above the house wards off evil spirits and ghosts, Thais have a long way to go if they want freshwater stingrays off the endangered list. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tingtongfarang Posted March 15, 2015 Share Posted March 15, 2015 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KGzFGXYcdv0 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soalbundy Posted March 15, 2015 Share Posted March 15, 2015 It's obese, probably came from Australia 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
transam Posted March 15, 2015 Share Posted March 15, 2015 Fabulous creature............ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cumgranosalum Posted March 15, 2015 Share Posted March 15, 2015 Once the dams have been built in Laos many of these giant river species will become extinct Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soalbundy Posted March 15, 2015 Share Posted March 15, 2015 Once the dams have been built in Laos many of these giant river species will become extinct If they haven't got the sense to leave where they are not wanted they deserve to go extinct Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
transam Posted March 15, 2015 Share Posted March 15, 2015 Once the dams have been built in Laos many of these giant river species will become extinct If they haven't got the sense to leave where they are not wanted they deserve to go extinct That sounds a daft comment......... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tingtongfarang Posted March 15, 2015 Share Posted March 15, 2015 It's obese, probably came from Australia They are fresh water stingrays native to the rivers and inland waterways of thailand and laos, dams block the migratory route of many fish slowing down or infact stopping them reproducing. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cumgranosalum Posted March 15, 2015 Share Posted March 15, 2015 Once the dams have been built in Laos many of these giant river species will become extinct If they haven't got the sense to leave where they are not wanted they deserve to go extinct Well done! - I'm nominating you for the most facetious post on the thread award 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CapeThai Posted March 15, 2015 Share Posted March 15, 2015 "Released back into the river". Good for them. At first I expected them to serve it up for lunch. I wish they would see potential lunch in the Soi Dogs... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soalbundy Posted March 15, 2015 Share Posted March 15, 2015 Once the dams have been built in Laos many of these giant river species will become extinct If they haven't got the sense to leave where they are not wanted they deserve to go extinct That sounds a daft comment......... It was, but to be fair i did put a smiley at the end. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soalbundy Posted March 15, 2015 Share Posted March 15, 2015 Once the dams have been built in Laos many of these giant river species will become extinct If they haven't got the sense to leave where they are not wanted they deserve to go extinct Well done! - I'm nominating you for the most facetious post on the thread award Jezus, even a smiley doesn't work with some people. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
96tehtarp Posted March 15, 2015 Share Posted March 15, 2015 A pic of the actual stingray would have made this story. Not the random stingray shown. Not the actual stingray, but a good watch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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