Freshwater Fish in the Zeitgeist

Giant freshwater fish are in the zeitgeist, people.

Say hello to a new member of the Ugly Overload family. The Mekong Giant Catfish is the largest freshwater, scaleless fish on the planet. They reach 10 feet and up to an amazing 650 lbs. They can live for 60 years. They were once very common in Southeast Asia (the lower half of the Mekong river), but are now on the brink of extinction. Some experts (citation needed) believe that only a few hundred adults may remain in the wild.

This is the catfish you sometimes see being held by a group of fishermen or children. Thank you National Geographic for bringing us a photo of a rare living one.

Thanks for the link, Ida.

Photo source: Zeb Hogan via National Geographic