Excited fish fans headed to a Chinese restaurant today to see a giant grouper which the owner claims is the biggest ever caught in the country. 

But they had to be quick to take their photos - the monster fish was soon diced up and served as sushi. 

The grouper from the deep weighed in at 341.5 kg and was almost 2.65 metres long. Its tongue alone measured 30 centimetres.

It was caught by fishmermen in south China on November 7, and was quickly snapped up by restaurant boss, Miss Bo Lin, whose restaurant specialises in cooking grouper.

'The grouper is a deep sea fish, there are many different types but this particular one is a fish that I rarely see in a size larger than kilogram, so you can imagine how rare this fish was,' she said.

'It was why I agreed to pay a top price for it and to have it flown here on a special flight so that people can enjoy.'

She even arranged a parade in the town so that everyone could see the giant fish. 

The fish is believed to be critically endangered. It is not clear how this fish was caught. 

Groupers lurk in caves or overhangs and lunge, using their gaping mouths to catch unsuspecting prey.

(dailymail.co.uk)

ANN.Az