This is Meko the Mekong Giant Catfish. Meko lives in the Mekong River and travels between Laos, Thailand and Cambodia. Mekong Giant Catfish have the distinction of being the largest freshwater fish in the world! They can grow up to 10 feet long and weigh a whopping 650 pounds! How many of you would it take to weigh as much as the biggest Mekong Giant Catfish?
Mekong Giant Catfish grow in Cambodia’s Tonle Sap Lake, and travel to Thailand and Laos to reproduce. They are migratory fish that travel long distances, but spend their entire lives in fresh water, which means they are potadromous.
Luckily, Meko is a very unusual Mekong Giant Catfish. Like Stan the Salmon, she’s flat, so she’s much lighter than a normal Giant Catfish and can travel places most other fish can’t. Meko is getting ready to visit some classrooms in Vientiane, Laos, with Sam from FISHBIO. And she just might make some other unusual migrations…stay tuned to follow her adventures!
FISHBIO's Three Rivers Education Program 