Weird: This fish was not seen for 20 years, scientists had assumed it was extinct, then the picture was seen for the first time, found after 3 years

Ordinary fishermen do not always know how different the fish they catch is and how special it is to scientists. A strange case came to light in Cambodia in 2020 when some fishermen caught a type of fish and posted their pictures on social media. Scientists had assumed that this type of fish had become extinct from the world. After seeing the picture, scientists also felt that what is being said about these fishes is that they are the same Mekong ghost fish which was declared extinct in 2005.

The story is not that simple
This story of this mysterious fish is quite strange. By the time the scientists were able to obtain and test it by looking at the photographs, the fish had already been sold and eaten and the scientists were left with only the photographs. It was clear from the mouth of the fish seen in these pictures that it was the same fish.

Hope arose after three years
Jeb Hogan, head of the US government-funded Wonders of the Mekong project and a research biologist at the University of Nevada, Reno, was not satisfied with this. Three years after that incident, a Cambodian fisherman caught two fish from the Mekong River. They weighed around 5 and 6 kg and were 2 to 3 feet long. And this time the researchers were successful in purchasing these fish and investigating them.

Fishermen’s activism worked
Hogan says that these fishermen had never seen this kind of fish before. But they definitely understood that this was an unusual fish. He felt that contacting scientists would not go in vain. The person associated with this investigation, who saw the pictures, understood that it was the same fish.

Challenges of Mekong River
This study has recently been published in Biological Conservation Journal. The Mekong River passes through many South Asian countries and is a very rich river in terms of biodiversity. But it has to contend with the problems of hydropower development, overfishing and habitat degradation. This is why scientists were so worried about the Mekong Ghost. That this fish was not even visible for such a long time.

The Mekong ghost fish is still a mystery in the Mekong River ecosystem. (Symbolic photo: Canva)

This fish started appearing 33 years ago
This fish found in the Mekong River has been mysterious ever since it was given this name in 1991. Since then there is record of less than 30 such fish. Hogan’s team kept an eye on the fish markets. Hogan himself had seen this fish only once since 2000. Hogan says that he had a special attraction towards this fish because of its huge size. They thought it had become extinct but it appeared again.

many mysteries remain
The lead author of this study and Bunyeth Chan of Svay Rieng University in Cambodia also holds similar views. He said that this giant salmon carp is a reason for hope and also a reason for hope for the entire Mekong ecosystem. Researchers do not yet know how many of these fish are there and where they live. Three such fish have been seen from 2020 to 2023.

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Hogan finds the conservation work here a very challenging task. Cambodia is not easy for environmental activists. Due to climate change, problems like floods and drought are creating different types of challenges. Not only this, earlier this year, 10 workers of Mother Nature Cambodia were sentenced to imprisonment for up to 6 years. Each was accused of conspiring against the state. The researchers behind the new research are hoping that this discovery of the Mekong Ghost will give impetus to its conservation efforts.

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