A Chinese sturgeon accidentally caught by fishermen in Rudong. [Photo/Nantong Daily]

Fishermen released a Chinese sturgeon that was accidentally caught during a fishing activity in Rudong, a county-level city in Nantong, East China's Jiangsu province on Oct 13, local media reported.

Wu Jindong, a fisherman who found the sturgeon, reported the incident to the fishery administrator immediately. After confirming that it was not injured, Wu released the sturgeon to the river.

"The Chinese sturgeon is a protected creature and protecting it is our responsibility," said Wu.

Fishermen report and release protected animals as soon as they catch them, which shows their increased awareness of protecting the rare aquatic wild animals and Nantong's improvement in marine ecological environment, said Sun Bin, an official of the fishery administration in Rudong.

The Chinese sturgeon is a rare species from the Mesozoic Era (144 to 65 million years ago), and it is sometimes referred to as a "living fossil fish" or "the Chinese giant panda in water."

The Chinese sturgeon was listed as a national first-class protected animal in 2021.