Giant salmon carp

Aaptosyax grypus, Eng. Giant Salmon Carpist a large predatory species of carp to the monotypic genus Aaptosyax and is found only in Southeast Asia. While it is referred to in Chinese as曲 鲤and Laos Pa Pa Sanak Sanak or Gnai, called this species in Thai Pla Chanak ปลา สะ นา ก ยักษ์.

Description

Aaptosyax grypus was scientifically described by Rain Both until 1991. The Predator has an elongated body and a fatty eyelid, which covers the greater part of his eye. In its large mouth, a notch is in the upper jaw. The species can be up to 130 inches long. The largest caught in the Mekong Aaptosyax grypus weighed over 30 kg.

Occurrence and habitat

The Giant Salmon Carp is an endemic living style, which was so far only caught in the middle Mekong in Laos and Vietnam. In addition, it is found in Cambodia and Vietnam. The distribution is limited by Sambor in Cambodia to Loei in Thailand. Aaptosyax grypus preferred the main stream of large tropical rivers and adheres like in deep rapids behind rocks, where he lies in wait for prey fish swimming past.

Way of life

Juveniles of Aaptosyax grypus live mainly in the tributaries of the Mekong. In the course of their development they become big, very fast floating predators that hunt in the middle and upper water water after fish. The spawning season in the period from December to February is synonymous with the rainy season in Indochina undertakes Aaptosyax grypus followed by species such as Probarbus ssp. and other smaller species of carp long migrations upstream. It is on the one hand to a spawning migration on the other hand a persecution of the prey fish. The spawning migrations in the region of the Cambodian O Krieng up to Klong Kaem Thai Ubon Ratchathani were recorded. The actual spawning takes place in the dry season in April in deep oxygen-rich pools below rapids.

Use

Aaptosyax grypus served as food fish and game fish. Professional fishermen report that the Giant Salmon Carp has become an extremely rare species of fish. In the Mekong River on the Thai- Lao border, at the mouth of the Mun and Songkhram River, there was a long time large populations of Giant Salmon Carp, which decreases dramatically now. This is due to the construction of dams and the excessive use of gill nets for which a faster predatory fish like the Giant Salmon Carp is very vulnerable. According to IUCN, he is on the red list of endangered species.