This giant fish from the Mekong River was believed to be extinct, but it still exists (photo).

Extinct animals sometimes reappear in the sights of researchers. Among the latest rediscoveries is an extinct fish in the Mekong River. This massive fish was believed to be extinct until 2020.

The giant salmon carp is one of the symbols of the Mekong region. These fish are predators that can grow up to 1 m 20 cm in length. This fish has a distinctive coloration and a particularly notable feature — yellow spots around the eyes and humps on the tip of the lower jaw. As recently as 2005, it was thought that this species had vanished from the river region; however, in the last few years (2020 – 2023), it has been spotted three times. This gives hope that the fish is indeed not extinct, but due to its rarity, it has earned the nickname "ghost fish."

One possible reason for the decline in population is industrial pollution and overfishing. Additionally, more than 700 dams built along the river and its tributaries negatively impact the fish’s ability to migrate upstream. Scientists continue to search for evidence that the fish has not truly gone extinct and that the observed specimen is not the last of its kind.

Earlier, "Telegraph" reported that a rare fish was also caught in the Dnieper. Sturgeons have not been seen in the river near Zaporizhzhia for over 70 years.