Posted on 03/20/2015 5:01:58 PM PDT by nickcarraway
A massive stingray, measuring 8 feet across and 14 feet long, could be the largest freshwater fish ever found.
Scientists working on Jeff Corwins show Ocean Mysteries
SNIP
According to National Geographic, the stingray was pregnant with two fetuses, the Huffington Post reported.
SNIP
(Excerpt) Read more at ktla.com ...
For me, the best part of the article was to read that the Stingray was released back into the water, unharmed. Leave those creatures alone, if at all possible.
That’s some big mama!
I’d have a quick heart attack just encountering that monster for real; no need to attack or sting me!
Oh I don’t know, there are some big ass catfish in the world. Sturgeon can get pretty big as well.
I know it said Thailand, but as far as I know the seas around Thailand are saltwater.
And I am NOT going to go to the Huffington Post, at least without a hazmat suit.
Quick, did they find the closest abortion clinic? I bet they hate to see that stingray burdened with a baby.
Interesting. I wonder how they determined that it was pregnant with two fetuses. I also wonder if stingray fetuses are cannibals like their shark cousins.
Sharks get pregnant with multiple offspring. However, they fight each other in the womb, and the winner eats the losers, so that the shark only gives birth to one.
Fish are brutal.
I wonder how they’re defining “biggest” here. She’s 14 feet long but half of that is probably the stinger. By weight I’ll bet there are bigger fresh water fish that have been caught.
This site ranks the species at number 3 with a top weight of 1300 lbs.
It ranks the Beluga Sturgeon at number 1. (The largest recorded beluga sturgeon was almost 20 feet long and over 7,000 pounds.)
http://www.conservationinstitute.org/10-largest-biggest-fresh-water-fish-in-the-world/
I recall looking at the Gulf Coast from a 10-story balcony. Along came a school(?) of stingrays, perhaps 6-8 of them. From the 10th -floor (and 100 feet from the water) they still looked HUGE!. They were pretty close in too - just a bit farther than where the waders were. Much larger than than the people. (The beach dropped off pretty quick). It was an amazing thing to seem them “flying” like a squadron.
Probably mantas
reminds me of an episode of River Monsters- that was a big Sting Ray as well. https://youtu.be/J7QuwVlJgWw
Oh - your right - I think I knew that at the time. They were really dark. So cool.
Yeah, me too... But apparently there are both:
From Wikipedia:
Stingrays are common in coastal tropical and subtropical marine waters throughout the world. Some species, such as Dasyatis thetidis, are found in warmer temperate oceans, and others, such as Plesiobatis daviesi, are found in the deep ocean. The river stingrays, and a number of whiptail stingrays (such as the Niger stingray), are restricted to fresh water.
Wasn’t this what killed the Croc guy?
yes
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.