Rare Half-Ton Sturgeon Caught in China's Black Dragon River

Fishermen on the Heilongjiang River, which means Black Dragon River, caught quite a beast earlier this week.

According to Central China Television, it took 11 men to bring in the sturgeon weighing more than a half-ton from the river near Tongjiang, which is close to the Russian border. More specifically, the fish is a Kaluga, a type of predatory sturgeon that is considered endangered from overfishing for its roe.

(Related: What is the monster-like creature that washed up on this S. Carolina beach?)

The Daily Telegraph posted footage of the men bringing in the fish:

Chen Lin, who initially snagged the fish, told Central China Television it was the biggest he had ever seen.

Breeders are pleased with the catch, as it is a female with about 1.2 million eggs that will be harvested and artificially fertilized with the hope of adding some to the dwindling population.

According to a Russian government website, the fish generally weighs between 330 to 880 pounds. This one weighed about 1,360. But it's not the largest Kaluga caught by a long shot. It is estimated the largest weighed a full ton.

Just last week, the host of the Discovery Channel's River Monsters, Jeremy Wade, explained the traditional technique fishermen used to use to catch the once abundant Kaluga (even though he wasn't given permission to catch one himself because they are so rare):

[H/T Daily Mail]