A fisherman holds a valuable Chinese bahaba he captured during the ongoing Spring Festival holiday. [cnsphoto]

The giant Chinese bahaba weighs 15 kilograms and has been valued at around 70 thousand yuan. [cnsphoto]

A fisherman has captured a valuable Chinese bahaba during the ongoing Spring Festival holiday, bringing him good luck and a considerable sum of money at the start of the New Year.

China News Service Wednesday reported that a fisherman in Shantou in southeast China's Guangdong Province accidentally caught a giant fish on Monday. It weighs 15 kilograms and was confirmed to be a Chinese bahaba by experts.

The Chinese bahaba or giant yellow croaker is well known for its valuable swimbladder. A swimbladder has a market price of 30 to 40 thousand yuan per 100 grams, even more expensive than gold.

The Chinese bahaba is the largest a fisherman has ever captured in the area. It has been valued at around 70 thousand yuan (about US$8,974), said the report.