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  • River Wonders
  • Animals & Zones
  • Giant Freshwater Stingray

Giant freshwater stingray

Find me in
Mekong River
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Quick Facts

Lifespan

LifespanUnknown. Due to its elusive nature

Fish

DietSmaller fish, crustaceans and mollusks

Habitat

HabitatLarge rivers with a muddy or sandy bottom

range

RangeMekong and Chao Phraya River Basins

Giant freshwater stingray

swimming stingray

Big but unknown

Most likely the world’s largest freshwater fish, the giant freshwater stingray can weigh up to 600kg and grow to a length of 5m from nose to tail. Males are smaller than females, which can be eight times bigger. Despite its size, it is very elusive and very little is known about this mysterious fish.

It was first scientifically described in 1990 and up till now, next to nothing is known about this species, its numbers and behaviour. The population in the wild is dwindling due to pollution, habitat destruction and overfishing. Dams block their migratory routes.

Adapted for the river

"flying" in river

Short-snouted and long-tailed, the flattened body and fins of this fish help it glide smoothly along the river bed. Patchy patterns on its back resemble sun-dappled river beds.

To avoid detection by predator and prey alike, it buries itself in sandy or silted river bottoms, breathing through holes, or spiracles, located on the top of its body. This laidback lifestyle gives even small individuals protection from larger predators.

Spiky ordeal

Spiky ordeal

Stingrays will not attack unprovoked but they are one of the few megafishes that pose a real danger to humans. Each ray has a deadly barb at the base of its tail. Coated with poisonous mucus, this large venomous stinger can be 28-38 cm long.

Much like a hunting arrow, it easily penetrates human skin and even bone, introducing toxins to the victim's wound strong enough to knock out an adult human.

This species is ovoviviparous, which means it bears live young. The mother carries her young inside her body, each nourished by egg yolk. Babies are born with a mucous plug at the end of their barb to protect the mother during birth!

Lashing out in defence

Lashing out in defence

Renowned conservationist and TV star, “Crocodile Hunter” Steve Irwin, was killed while on a shoot when a large bull ray attacked him with its barb. He was stung in the heart and died soon after the attack.

While stingray attacks are rarely fatal, they leave behind serious and painful wounds. In the attack on Steve Irwin, his death too was probably due to blood loss rather than the effects of the venom. Stingrays are usually shy animals and do not attack unless they feel threatened.

Together, We Protect Wildlife

Tagging and tracking wild stingrays

Tagging and tracking wild stingrays

Together with Veterinary Medical Aquatic Animal Research Centre (VMARC), Chulalongkorn University, we started a pioneering project to tag and track giant freshwater stingrays in the wild.

River Wonders staff Chow Hon Yien visited the research site in the Amphawa district by Mae Klong River in Thailand. He assisted with the capture and release of four stingrays and learned to perform blood draw, ultrasound, and collection of venom.

The IUCN Status

EN

Endangered

At very high risk of extinction in the wild

The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species

The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species

The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species is widely recognized as the most comprehensive, objective global approach for evaluating the conservation status of plant and animal species.

DD

Data Deficient

Unknown risk of extinction

LC

Least Concern

At relatively low risk of extinction

NT

Near Threatened

Likely to become vulnerable in the near future

VU

Vulnerable

At high risk of extinction in the wild

EN

Endangered

At very high risk of extinction in the wild

CR

Critically Endangered

At extremely high risk of extinction in the wild

EW

Extinct in the Wild

Survives only in captivity

EX

Extinct

No surviving individuals in the wild or in captivity

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