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River - Freshwater
Fish of the Mekong River
Southeast Asias great river - biodiversity second only to the Amazon among freshwater systems, home to the giant Mekong catfish and Irrawaddy dolphin.
Continent: Asia Area: 795,000 km² Max Depth: 100m Climate: Tropical
📖 Overview
The Mekong flows from Tibet through six countries to the South China Sea, supporting 60 million people directly. Its Tonle Sap floodplain is the worlds largest freshwater fishery by biomass yield. The Mekong Giant Catfish (Pangasianodon gigas) - up to 3 meters and 300 kg - is critically endangered, killed by dams and overfishing. Chinese hydropower on the upper Mekong threatens the entire downstream ecosystem.
🐟 Notable Species
Mekong giant catfish, giant freshwater stingray, Siamese giant carp, Irrawaddy dolphin, pangasius catfish (basa), snakeheads.