Cambodia is a country in mainland Southeast Asia. It borders Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, the Gulf of Thailand and covers a total area of approximately 181,035 km2 (69,898 sq mi). The country is situated in its entirety inside the tropical Indomalayan realm and the Indochina Time zone (ICT).
The Mekong or Mekong River is a trans-boundary river in East Asia and Southeast Asia. It is the world's twelfth-longest river and the third-longest in Asia with an estimated length of 4,909 km (3,050 mi) and a drainage area of 795,000 km2 (307,000 sq mi), discharging 475 km3 (114 cu mi) of water annually. From its headwaters in the Tibetan Plateau, the river runs through Southwest China, Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia, and southern Vietnam. The extreme seasonal variations in flow and the presence of rapids and waterfalls in the Mekong make navigation difficult. Even so, the river is a major trade route between Tibet and Southeast Asia. The construction of hydroelectric dams along the Mekong in the 2000s through the 2020s has caused serious problems for the river's ecosystem, including the exacerbation of drought.
The Chao Phraya is the major river in Thailand, with its low alluvial plain forming the centre of the country. It flows through Bangkok and then into the Gulf of Thailand.
The whale shark is a slow-moving, filter-feeding carpet shark and the largest known extant fish species. The largest confirmed individual had a length of 18.8 m (61.7 ft). The whale shark holds many records for size in the animal kingdom, most notably being by far the most massive living non-cetacean animal. It is the sole member of the genus Rhincodon and the only extant member of the family Rhincodontidae, which belongs to the subclass Elasmobranchii in the class Chondrichthyes. Before 1984 it was classified as Rhiniodon into Rhinodontidae.
Tonlé Sap (; Khmer: ទន្លេសាប, Tônlé Sab ; lit. 'Fresh River' or commonly translated as 'Great Lake' is a lake in the northwest of Cambodia. Belonging to the Mekong River system, Tonlé Sap is the largest freshwater lake in Southeast Asia and one of the most diverse and productive ecosystems in the world. It has been designated as a Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO in 1997 due to its high biodiversity. In the 21st century, the lake and its surrounding ecosystems are under increasing pressure from deforestation, infrastructure development and climate change.
The iridescent shark, or iridescent shark catfish is a species of shark catfish native to the rivers of Southeast Asia. Despite its name, it is not a shark. It is found in the Mekong basin as well as the Chao Phraya River, and is heavily cultivated for food there.
The Mekong giant catfish, is a large, threatened species of catfish in the shark catfish family (Pangasiidae), native to the Mekong basin in Southeast Asia and adjacent China. It is considered critically endangered due to overfishing and habitat loss.
The wildlife of Laos encompasses the animals and plants found in the Lao People's Democratic Republic, a landlocked country in southeastern Asia. Part of the country is mountainous and much of it is still clad in tropical broadleaf forest. It has a great variety of animal and plant species.
Helicophagus is a genus of shark catfishes native to Southeast Asia.
The Jullien's golden carp is a species of endangered freshwater ray-finned fish in the family Cyprinidae found in Southeast Asian river basins. Its existence is being threatened by various economic activities, such as large-scale agriculture and the building of dams for hydropower.
The beardless barb is a species of freshwater fish in the family Cyprinidae. It is widespread in Southeast Asia. It grows to 25 cm (9.8 in) total length.
Hypsibarbus lagleri is a species of ray-finned fish in the genus Hypsibarbus which is endemic to the middle Mekong basin in Cambodia, Laos and Thailand. It is fished for as a food fish and marketed fresh.
The Java barb, more commonly known as silver barb in aquaculture, is a species of ray-finned fish in the genus Barbonymus.
Paralaubuca is a genus of cyprinid fishes found in Southeast Asia. There are currently five described species in this genus.
Paralaubuca riveroi is a species of cyprinid fish from Southeast Asia.
Scaphiodonichthys acanthopterus is a freshwater fish of the family Cyprinidae. It is found in clear, fast-moving streams and tributaries of the Mekong, Nam Xam, Da and Chao Phraya river basins in Indochina. S. acanthopterus is most commonly found in waterways with a rocky bottom and under complete tree cover.
The elephant ear gourami is a large species of gourami native to the Mekong river basin in Thailand, Laos, and Cambodia.
Hemibagrus filamentus is a species of catfish endemic to Cambodia, Laos and Thailand, known only from Mekong River. It is found in still waters and moving waters although it also been found in large rivers. It feeds on fishes, crustaceans, aquatic insect larvae and plant material. When migrating, it moves into smaller tributaries and in flooded areas with rising water level; they spawn from June to July. It is listed as a junior synonym of H. nemurus and research is often confused with H. nemurus. It is fished for food by small-scale commercial fisheries but exact threats are unknown and nothing else is known about this fish thus the Data Deficient listing.
A whitewater river is classified based on its chemistry, sediments and water colour. Whitewater rivers have high levels of suspended sediments, giving the water a pH that is near-neutral, a high electric conductivity and a pale muddy, café au lait-like colour. Whitewater rivers are of great ecological importance and are important to local fisheries. The major seasonal Amazonian floodplains known as várzea receive their water from them.
Paralaubuca barroni is a species of freshwater ray-finned fish from the family Cyprinidae, the carps and minnows from south east Asia. It occurs in the Mekong and Chao Praya drainages in China, Thailand, Cambodia, Myanmar, and Vietnam.
