Giant spectacle fish saw again after 20 years-not extinct

Giant spectacle fish saw again after 20 years-not extinct

As a scientist in 2020, reports of a large, mysterious fish heard that was caught in Cambodia, the excitement was great. Could it be the "Mekong spirit"? This hard -to -grasp fish had not been sighted since 2005 and has already been considered extinct.

The discovery of the Mekong spirit

photos of the fish and its characteristic features - an irregularly shaped mouth and an outstanding button on the jaw - seemed to confirm this. But the fish, which can weigh up to 30 kilograms, was sold before scientists were able to examine it more closely. Zeb Hogan, a research biologist at the University of Nevada, Reno, and head of the project "Wonders of the Mekong" funded by the US government, said: "It did not feel like a definitive evidence."

a positive turn

three years later they were successful. Cambodian fishermen caught two fish in the Mekong, each of which waved between 5 and 6 kilograms and two to three feet long. This time the researchers were able to buy the fish and examine them themselves. Hogan said: "Although the fishermen ... hadn't seen the fish before, they knew that they had something extraordinary and had to get in touch." When the team saw the photos, they immediately identified the fish they were looking for.

scientific progress and challenges

The researchers recently published their results in a study in the journal "Biological Conservation". This was a reason for the celebration for the team, which is committed to protecting the Mekong, one of the longest rivers in the world and the lifeline for millions of people. The Mekong, which means "mother tongue of the rivers" in Thai and Lao, crosses several countries in Southeast Asia and is extremely rich in biodiversity. However, he also sees numerous challenges, including hydropower developments, overfishing and habitat destruction.

a mysterious being

The fish that is native to Mekong has been surrounded by secrets since its formal name in 1991. Since then, fewer than 30 individuals have been documented, which makes him an extremely rare way. Hogan's research team, which also examines other types and parts of the Mekong ecosystem, is looking for the huge salmon carp by visiting fish markets and carrying out educational programs with local fishermen. Hogan himself saw the fish only once in the early 2000s.

a glimmer of hope for the Mekong

"I've been looking for it since then. I found it fascinating because it is a very unusual huge fish," said Hogan. "I thought it was probably extinct, and so it was an exciting news that he was found again - I was waiting for this message for 20 years." Bunyeth Chan, the main author of the study and research at Svay Rieng University in Cambodia, said: "The rediscovery of the huge salmon carpf is a glimmer of hope, not only for this kind, but for the entire Mekong ecosystem."

The challenges of the Mekong

There are still many unknown factors, such as the actual number of giant hardships or their distribution areas. The three fish caught between 2020 and 2023 were found outside of their normal distribution area, which indicates that either more fish live in previously unknown areas or that they are migrated from the neighboring countries of Laos and Thailand. Although it is unusual to find three individual fish after almost two decades without sightings, Hogan attributes this to close cooperation with the local communities that know that they should contact the scientists if they have discovered something unusual.

The urgency of the preservation

scientists emphasize that more has to be done because the Mekong struggles with various threats, including climate change. The region is facing more serious floods and drought every year. Human projects such as hydropower plants and sand mining have further degraded the marine habitats and disturbed life for the over 1,100 fish species in Mekong, many of which are nowhere else in the world. According to a report published in March of this year, almost a fifth of the fish in Mekong are threatened with extinction.

an appeal for action

Cambodia is also not an easy country for environmental activists. Many of them were over the years while trying to draw attention to corruption and environmental problems. This year, ten young activists from the Mother Nature Cambodia group were sentenced to up to six years in prison, which was convicted by exile politicians and the prominent environmental activist Greta Thunberg. The researchers who are behind the report hope that the rediscovery of the huge salmon carp can give the impetus for further studies and nature conservation measures-including the creation of an international team in Cambodia, Laos and Thailand for further researching the "Mekong-Speist".