Giant Catfish Faces Dam Risk in Asia

Giant Catfish at Risk in Asia
Giant Catfish at Risk in Asia
Giant Catfish at Risk in Asia
Giant Catfish at Risk in Asia
Giant Catfish at Risk in Asia
Giant Catfish at Risk in Asia
Giant Catfish at Risk in Asia
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Giant Catfish at Risk in Asia
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April 8, 2008—Children pose with a Mekong giant catfish caught at Khone Falls in Laos, near the border with Cambodia, in August last year.

While the weight of the fish in the photo is unknown, the species holds the world record as the largest freshwater fish ever caught, weighing in at 646 pounds (293 kilograms).

The Mekong giant catfish is listed as critically endangered by the World Conservation Union.

But a new dam project planned for Khone Falls threatens the migration of this so-called megafish, according to Zeb Hogan, who heads the National Geographic Society's Megafishes Project.

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—Photograph by Suthep Kritsanavarin
 

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