Endangered fish released into Xinjiang's major lake

URUMQI, Nov. 12 (Xinhua) -- Chinese researchers have released more than 30,000 Bighead fish into Bosten Lake in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region to replenish the wild population of the endangered carp species.

Bighead fish, also known as "Aspiorhynchus laticeps" in Latin, are endemic to the Tarim River in Xinjiang. This batch of fish measures 15 to 30 cm in length and 30 to 50 grams in weight.

They were implanted with tracking and marking tags, said He Jiangtao, an engineer with Xinjiang's fisheries science and research institute.

Bighead fish were once abundant in the Tarim River, but the species came to the verge of extinction due to harmful human activities such as excessive fishing and ecological environment deterioration. It is under first-class state protection.

In recent years, China has stepped up efforts to rescue the Bighead fish and other endangered species in the Bosten Lake, one of the country's largest inland freshwater lakes, by targeting illegal fishing and releasing captive-bred fry into the wild.