Mekong Giant Catfish

Mekong giant catfish

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Mekong River

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Quick facts

Lifespan

10 to 15 years

Up to 35 years under human care

Diet

Plant matter

Habitat

Freshwater

Range

Mekong River Basin

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The Mekong giant catfish

Catfish without whiskers

Catfish are named for the whisker-like barbels around their mouth. Unlike other catfish, Mekong giant catfish lose these barbels in adulthood. This isn’t the only change that comes with age. Young fry cannibalise one another and feed on zooplankton (tiny animals in the water), using three different types of teeth. But by the time they’re a year old, they resorb their teeth and become completely toothless herbivores.

Food from the pipe

Our catfish are fed pellet balls are made from herbi-pellets, herbi-gel and oats. Flaxseed is added to hold them all together. This mixture is pushed into PVC pipes and then left in the freezer overnight. The hardened mixture is pushed out from the pipes, sliced and moulded into shape. 30 to 45 minutes are spent on the preparation of these balls and our aquarists have exacting standards – each perfectly-shaped ball is almost the same size.

One fish from another

Our giant catfish may all look the same to you but our aquarists can differentiate them by their colour and size. One is totally black. Another has a black spot on its stomach. A third one has a break in its dorsal fin. Can you tell them apart?

When they first arrived, our catfish measured 1.6 to 2 metres and weighed in at 20 kilograms. They're now almost double their weight. In the wild, Mekong giant catfish have been reported to grow up to 3 metres in length and weigh over 300 kilograms.

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The aquarist

Dona Loh

Aquarist

So, how long have you been working at River Safari?

Dona Loh

Aquarist

So, how long have you been working at River Safari?

I’ve been with River Safari for a year. Previously, I was working with the land animals. I was with the primates for half a year, then moved to the jaguars, under the carnivores section. I’m happy to move around as I get to see and work with different animals!

Dona Loh

Aquarist

What’s the difference between working with land animals and fish?

Dona Loh

Aquarist

What’s the difference between working with land animals and fish?

The biggest difference is in the behaviour. With fish, you cannot know how they're feeling as they have no expression. You only know if they have injuries on their bodies. Or if you notice that they're not eating for a day, and that their movement is slow.

Dona Loh

Aquarist

What do you do when you observe abnormal behaviour?

Dona Loh

Aquarist

What do you do when you observe abnormal behaviour?

Problems are usually caused by the water, so we have to check the water and make sure the pH level is within acceptable range. Every day, we do a backwash to discard dirty water and fill the tanks with clean water. Most of the work is done in the morning so that we can observe the fish throughout the day and ensure they're behaving normally.

Together, we protect wildlife

The disappearing giant

Mekong giant catfish grow continuously given ample food and space. Over time, they've evolved to reach massive sizes in the food-rich waters of the Mekong.

Though abundant in the early 1900s, their population in the wild has decreased by more than 80 percent since 1990. Mega specimens are rarely sighted now.

The IUCN Status

Critically Endangered

At extremely high risk of extinction in the wild

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.

Data Deficient

Unknown risk of extinction

Least Concern

At relatively low risk of extinction

Near Threatened

Likely to become vulnerable in the near future

Vulnerable

At high risk of extinction in the wild

Endangered

At very high risk of extinction in the wild

Critically Endangered

At extremely high risk of extinction in the wild

Extinct in the Wild

Survives only in captivity

Extinct

No surviving individuals in the wild or in captivity

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