Several provinces on the lookout for ferocious alligator gars
An alligator gar with razor-sharp teeth.
Authorities in many Chinese places are looking for an invasive fish that preys on all aquatic species and poses a significant threat to the water body ecosystem, according to China Central Television.
Several provinces, including Henan, Yunnan, Hunan, Sichuan, and Jiangsu, have made great attempts to capture the alligator gar, a 1.5-meter-long megafish famed for its menacing appearance, crocodilian head, and rows of sharp teeth.
The central park in Ruzhou City, Henan Province, went so far as to drain its lake in order to catch the so-called "monster fish," which was eventually found and caught on August 27.
The live feed of the search attracted 30 million netizens.
Officials with an alligator gar that was caught in Xishan Scenic Area in Guiping City, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.
Originally indigenous to North and Central America, the aggressive fish has recently been discovered in China after being smuggled in as an aquarium fish, especially in south China's Guangdong Province.
When released into natural waters, they wreak havoc on the entire water ecology since they eat practically anything they can find, according to the report.
They were locally bred after the alligator gar was brought into the country. People in Guangdong Province, which has a long history of appreciating aquarium fish, consider gar as a symbol of good fortune, said Mou Xidong, a researcher from the Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences.
According to Mou, the number of alligator gar has been increasing because there is no natural predator here.
On some online marketplaces, the alligator gar is offered for sale.
Alligator gar is sold on online marketplaces, with the sellers warning buyers not to release it into the wild because it is an exotic species.
The CCTV report said some people bought the fish online but deliberately released them into the wild.
China's Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs has ordered a comprehensive census on 10 types of invasive alien species, including the alligator gar.
According to China's biosafety regulations, if the owner does not want to keep an animal, it must be handed over to specialized animal authorities if it is an alien species, rather than being thrown away in the wild, Ren Dapeng, a professor at China Agriculture University, told CCTV.
Experts warn that the alligator gar's guts and eggs are poisonous, and they appear to attack humans when scared.
A screenshot from the CCTV report shows the alligator gar.
