How often does the world’s laziest turtle breathe?
To celebrate we’re looking at five more freshwater achievements, from a stingray bigger than a ping pong table to a turtle so lazy it’s broken a world record.
1. Largest Freshwater Fish
Finally making a hot debut in the 2024 Guinness World Records!
It was last year that fishermen in Cambodia made the historic catch of a giant freshwater stingray (Urogymnus polylepis) that weighed approximately 300kg (661lb) and measured 3.98m (13ft) long.
Named Boramy – “full moon” in the Kymer language – the super-sized stingray has reignited excitement for the mysteries of the Mekong and the river’s extraordinary wildlife.
2. Oldest Freshwater Fish
112 years old? Girl, you don’t look a day over 26.
The bigmouth buffalo (Ictiobus cyprinellus) is the oldest age-authenticated freshwater fish, with the oldest of them all – a female collected near Pelican Rapids, Minnesota in 2019 – found to be 112 years old.
The age cap of the species had previously been assumed to be 26 years, so researchers were stunned when a sample of 386 bigmouth buffalo across 12 different populations revealed that up to 90% of a population was aged 80 years-plus.
3. Laziest Freshwater Turtle
I love her lack of energy, go girl give us nothing!
Cambodia’s giant soft-shelled turtle (Pelochelys cantorii) is another native of the Mekong river. The species was awarded this high honour in recognition of the fact it spends 95% of its life totally motionless in sand on the river bottom waiting for prey to approach.
Twice each day, it comes to the water surface to breathe air. Sounds great, honestly.
4. Longest Freshwater Fish Migration
Over 7,000 miles? You’ll be feeling that in the morning.
The South American dorado catfish (Brachyplatystoma rousseauxii) travels 11,600km (7,200 miles) up and down the Amazon River.
This marathon migration takes the species from the headwaters of the Andes in Peru – where they spawn – all the way to Brazilian Amazon estuary – where they live a couple of years eating fish and crustaceans – and back.
5. Largest Freshwater Fish (again)
Sharing is caring.
The Mekong giant catfish (Pangasianodon gigas) shares the record for largest freshwater fish species with the giant freshwater stingray. Also native to the Mekong river, the largest specimen caught tipped the scales at 293kg (646lb) and measured 2.7m (8ft11in) from head to tail.
The species held the record by itself since 2005, and is now in a race for largest that’s too close to call.