14 Ft Wide Stingrays in Thai Rivers - Searching for the World's Largest Fish

Crews on behalf of the Megafish Project, financed by National Geographic, are currently combing Thai Rivers for a rare giant freshwater stingray that can weigh up to 44 pounds in order to find the world's largest fish. Although they are difficult to spot, Cambodian fishermen lore tells of a stingray of this family that weighs more than 1,100 pounds and has a wingspan of over 14 feet. The current world record is held by a 646 pound giant Mekong giant catfish.

By finding the largest specimen, the project aims to document and protect fish weighing more than 200 pounds or measure at least 6 feet in length. The crew plans to search freshwater systems on six continents including the Mekong, Nile, Mississippi and Amazon rivers. Many of these species are currently endangered and the project would attempt to remedy their situation.