Monday October 3, 2022
The Phnom Penh Post —
An adult giant salmon carp, of a fish species known by its scientific name Aaptosyax grypus that can grow as large as 30kg, has been documented for the first time in 18 years.
The nearly 1m long fish, weighing almost 6kg, was discovered in a wet market earlier this year near the Mekong in Stung Treng province.
A joint press release by the US Agency for International Development (USAID), the University of Nevada and the Fisheries Administration (FiA) confirmed recently that “One of the world’s most threatened fish species has been unexpectedly re-discovered in northern Cambodia”.
No adult giant salmon carp has been officially recorded since 2004, until it was discovered near the Mekong, the only river system on Earth where the species lives.
The press release added that the discovery confirmed the return of the breed to Cambodian waters. The merchant contacted Chan Sokheng, a biologist with the Cambodian FiA. From photographs, Sokheng was able to identify it as a giant salmon carp based on its sharply curved jaw, a yellow stripe on its head, and a shape reminiscent of a salmon.