220-pound fish caught in the Hudson River

ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) – Talk about the catch of the day. According to the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYS DEC), Hudson River Estuary Program fisheries staff members caught a 220-pound fish measuring over six feet long.

The NYS DEC says the fish, an Atlantic sturgeon, was caught last week. It was captured under a National Marine Fisheries Service endangered species research permit. The NYS DEC states that the Atlantic sturgeon is an endangered anadromous fish species that spends most of the year in the ocean, but adults move to the Hudson at this time of year to spawn.

This capture was part of an annual survey, which began in 2006. It is conducted in May and June to track trends in the Atlantic surgeon population.

Staff caught the net containing fish, measured it and scanned it for a tag. After taking a piece of fin for genetic analysis, it was weighed and released into the water.