Bahaba Big Bucks

(Guangdong, China) A endangered fish believed to have medicinal properties has been caught and sold for more than $500,000.

The 135-kilogram Chinese Bahaba (Bahaba taipingensis), the first fish of its species caught in at least a year, was thought to be more than 50 years old.

A fishery in Guangdong Zhanjiang purchased the fish for 3.45 million yuan.

According to the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, the Bahaba's swim bladder "is highly appreciated for its medicinal properties and as a general tonic for health."

Its use in traditional Chinese medicine resulted in the species being heavily overfished, to the point where any catch is widely reported in China's media.

With the high bounty on the head of the fish, it's probably not going to survive much longer.