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Animal profile

Giant Freshwater Stingray

Urogymnus polylepis

ChondrichthyesLarge lowland rivers and estuaries with sand and mud bottomsEndangered

Field profile

The giant freshwater stingray is among the largest freshwater fishes, with a disc that can exceed two metres and a long tail carrying a substantial spine. It lies buried in river-bottom sand and feeds on fish and invertebrates.

Scope note

This is an editorial profile, not a diagnostic field-identification guide or a substitute for current conservation assessments. Follow the cited sources on each fact for the evidence trail.

Published field notes

2024-11-25

Giant Freshwater Stingray

The largest freshwater fish recorded is a stingray

In June 2022 fishers on the Mekong in Cambodia landed a female giant freshwater stingray weighing about 300 kilograms and roughly four metres long. It was tagged and released, and stands as the heaviest freshwater fish ever documented.

Read with evidence →

Giant Freshwater Stingray | Daily Animal Facts