Enormous 14ft stingray found in Thailand

A huge 14ft stingray found in Thailand has broken the record for the largest freshwater fish to be caught by rod and line.

The creature measured 14ft long and 8ft wide and weighed almost 57 stones, or 800lbs.

According to the Express, the catch and release was carried out by Jeff Corwin, an American TV nature conservationist, on the Maeklong River in Thailand, with the help of UK-based fishing guidelines from Fishsiam Ltd, which carries out catch and release fishing trips for tourists.

According to the National Geographic, Fishsiam's guides measure rays that are caught and attach tags and microchips, which are used to track growth rates and movements. It adds: "The company uses a special net and cage to keep the animals in the water and to reduce stress while they are being studied."

Nantarika Chansue, a veterinarian and professor at Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok, helped catch and measure the animal before it was released.

Ocean Mysteries posted pictures of the find on their Facebook page, writing: "What a MAJOR find! This week, Jeff Corwin and the Ocean Mysteries team stumbled upon a massive freshwater stingray- measuring 14ft long and 8ft wide! Our trip to Thailand is shaping up to be one for the WORLD RECORD books!"

Post by Ocean Mysteries with Jeff Corwin.

They also uploaded their own video of the catch.

Post by Ocean Mysteries with Jeff Corwin.

It took two hours to reel it in, and seven men to get the stingray out of the water to measure it.

The catch will be featured on the ABC show Ocean Mysteries with Jeff Corwin in the US later this year.

According to the Daily Telegraph, Corwin said: "According to National Geographic, Fishsiam and Dr Nantarika Chansue, a leading stingray expert, this is likely to be the largest fresh water fish ever caught with a rod and reel.

"The battle to bring this giant fish to the boat was epic and it took many hours and multiple guys rotating off and on the reel.

"The experience was a true highlight of the series."

And, according to the Mirror, Rick Humphries, of Fishsiam,said the stingray was pregnant, which was good news for the species: "We have caught over 450 different stingrays and our estimations have been proved highly accurate on the rare occasions we have weighed this species.

"The larger specimens are always female and quite often pregnant, as was the case with this capture.

"The latest capture indicates that these stingrays are growing at a fast and healthy rate."