Which freshwater fish is called the Mekong giant catfish?

The fish called the Mekong giant catfish is Pangasianodon gigas.

This enormous, scaleless catfish is native to the Mekong River basin in Southeast Asia. Unlike many predatory catfish, adults are primarily herbivorous and feed on algae and plants. They can reach exceptional size, with documented individuals weighing several hundred kilograms.

The species is migratory and depends on connected river habitats for feeding and spawning. Dams, overfishing, pollution, and changes to river flow have severely affected its populations. It is classified as critically endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

The Mekong giant catfish is sometimes confused with the giant pangasius, Pangasius sanitwongsei, another large Mekong catfish. The scientific name Pangasianodon gigas specifically identifies the famous, mostly toothless species traditionally associated with the river’s largest fish.