The largest freshwater fish in the world is the Mekong giant catfish.

The giant catfish inhabits the bottom of rivers, especially favoring rocky, gravelly bottoms, and sometimes inhabiting submerged caves. It mainly feeds on aquatic plants and algae, etc. and is omnivorous. It is native to the main stream of the Mekong River in Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos and Thailand.

The Mekong giant catfish, which can grow to about 3 meters long, is now critically endangered. Overfishing, dam construction and habitat destruction are all threatening the survival of the Mekong giant catfish. Previously, fishermen once caught a huge catfish weighing 293 kilograms, which is now the record holder for the world's largest freshwater fish, the world's largest freshwater fish.

World Nature Conservation Red List Endangerment Ranking Critically Endangered, an animal on the verge of extinction:

Overfishing, water pollution, the construction of man-made dams and the destruction of wild habitats have seriously threatened their survival. Large fish with migratory behavior are the most vulnerable to extinction due to environmental factors, and the Mekong giant catfish falls into this category.

International animal protection organizations are working to save the species, but little is known about these fish because they generally live in dark, deep water in remote areas. On the other hand, enforcing fishing restrictions is almost impossible in many isolated villages along the Mekong River, so the survival of the Mekong giant catfish will continue to deteriorate further.