SHAH ALAM - An autopsy on three giant arapaimas that died after being caught in Masjid Tanah, Melaka, last Friday will be conducted soon.
According to a Sinar Harian report, it is understood that the invasive species, weighing between 80 and 200 kilograms and measuring approximately 1.2 to 2.5 metres each, were confirmed dead after being transferred to Zoo Negara, presumably due to age-related factors.
Melaka director of fisheries, Saufi Affandi Talib, said that the death of the foreign fish had been reported by Zoo Negara.
"However, the autopsy will be carried out this week to determine the exact cause of death for the species in question.
"After this process, the department will carry out taxidermy to preserve the animals for educational purposes and to raise public awareness," he said today.
Previously, Sinar Harian reported that five members of the Malaysian Fisheries Department (DOF) were injured when struck by a giant arapaima during an operation to capture the invasive species at a water reservoir beneath an abandoned building in Masjid Tanah, Melaka, last Friday.
The DOF director-general, Datuk Adnan Hussain, said that the five injured members, aged between 35 and 59, were rushed to Alor Gajah Hospital.
Two members suffered shortness of breath and swelling in the knee due to being hit by the arapaima's head, while three others sustained minor injuries to their knees and chests.
All the members have been treated as outpatients, except for one who was kept for further monitoring by the hospital before being allowed to go home.