On the Mekong River in Cambodia, locals caught a stingray that measured 661 pounds, which scientists claim is the largest freshwater fish ever recorded (about 300 kilograms).
Twelve guys were needed to pull the enormous fish to shore.
The four-meter (13-foot) female was given the name Boramy, which translates to "full moon" in Khmer. She was electronically tagged so that researchers could keep track of her whereabouts and behavior.
"This is very exciting news because it was the world's largest
(freshwater) fish," said biologist Zeb Hogan, ex-host of the "Monster
Fish" show on the National Geographic Channel and now part of Wonders of
the Mekong, a conservation project on the river.
"It is also exciting news because it means that this stretch of the Mekong is still healthy.... It is a sign of hope that these huge fish still live (here)."
Boramy took the record from a 645-pound (293-kilogram) giant catfish that was caught upstream in northern Thailand in 2005.
After a fisherman hooked the stingray (an endangered species), he contacted Wonders of the Mekong, which helped tag the ray and release it back into the river.
The Mekong has the third-most diverse fish population in the world, according to its River Commission -- though overfishing, pollution, saltwater intrusion and sediment depletion have caused stocks to plummet.
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