HEFEI -- Over 100,000 fish, including the rare Chinese sturgeon and mullet, were released into the mid-lower course of the Yangtze -- China's longest river -- to help restore the wild population of the endangered species.

The fish release which took place in the city of Wuhu, East China's Anhui province, aims to help restore the wild population of the endangered species. It was held under the aegis of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs and Anhui.

The Chinese sturgeon is a species under first-class state protection in China while the mullet is under second-class protection.

Among the over 200 captive-bred Chinese sturgeon released this time, the largest one has a length of some 1.75 meters and weighs over 65 kg.

In recent years, China has stepped up efforts to rescue endangered species in the river by targeting illegal fishing, closing polluting factories and releasing captive-bred fry into the wild.