A local man caught a critically-endangered 63kg Mekong catfish (Pangasianodon gigas) early yesterday morning while fishing in the Tien River in the Cuu Long (Mekong) Delta province of Dong Thap.
The catfish, which was about 1.4 m in length and 0.8 m wide, was sold as food to local residents for VND160,000-200,000 ($7.5-9.5) per kilo.
The International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) has listed Mekong giant catfish, one of the largest freshwater fish species in the world, as critically endangered.