RENO – It’s all in a days work for Zeb Hogan, traveling 150 miles up a river in the Australian outback on an expedition to find the elusive and highly endangered freshwater sawfish.

Hogan, a researcher with the University of Nevada, Reno and a National Geographic explorer, circles the globe as part of his five-year Megafishes Project to find, study, and protect the largest freshwater fish in the world. His efforts are chronicled by the National Geographic Channel, which premieres the first new show on Monday, “Hooked: Monster Fish of Australia,” and the second new episode on Nov. 2.

Together with local scientists, Hogan takes a dangerous journey 150 miles up the Fitzroy River, encountering saltwater crocodiles, bull sharks and giant stingrays along the way as they seek to tag, study and protect this bizarre-looking predator that is nearly extinct in many parts of the world.

His work with the University of Nevada, Reno’s Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Science has taken him to locations around the world. About half of all megafish species are in Asia, but Hogan’s project also includes those in Australia, the Middle East, Europe, and North and South America,such as the Mekong River in southeastern Asia, the Mississippi River, the Nile in East Africa and the Amazon in South America.

The megafish episodes scheduled to air are:

Monster Fish of Thailand - tonight, 10 p.m.

Monster Fish of Australia - Monday, 10 p.m.; Sunday, Oct. 25, 7 p.m.; Friday, Dec. 25, 8 p.m.

Monster Fish of Mongolia - Tuesday, 9 p.m.

Hunt for the Monster Fish (compilation) - Tuesday, 10 p.m.

Monster Fish of the Amazon - Monday, Nov. 16, 8 p.m.

Monster Fish of the Mekong - Monday, Nov. 16, 10 p.m.; Sunday, Nov. 29, 7 p.m.

Monster Fish of America (Sturgeon) - Monday, Nov. 2, 10 p.m.; Sunday, Nov. 8, 7 p.m.; Friday, Dec. 25 9 p.m.

For more about Hogan and the megafish project, visit http://www.cabnr. unr.edu/NAES/Research_Details.aspx?GrantID=583.