Sailors on Yunchan Lake will claim: 'Gar! Here be monsters!'

Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water, a "monster "has reared from the depths to terrify us all－the ravenous alligator gar.

The fish was first sighted in the calm waters of Yunchan Lake in the city of Ruzhou in Central China's Henan province in mid-July, leading to a frantic mission to capture it that captivated the nation.

The species, native to parts of North America, is named after its resemblance to an alligator with its broad snout and nasty, pointy teeth. This particular specimen was only 80 centimeters long, but rumors have spread that they can grow as big as 3 meters. It has a voracious appetite and will gobble up anything as soon as look at it.