Two fishermen brothers from Maharashtra's Palghar district made a catch that has grabbed headlines. They netted a ghol fish which is a delicacy and known for its medicinal properties. The fish weighing around 30kg fetched them Rs 5.5 lakh and thus became the costliest fish to be caught along the Mumbai-Palghat coastline.

Mahesh Meher and his brother Bharat went to the sea in their small boat, Sai Laxmi on Friday. They caught their regular pomfret and other varieties and were returning when they caught the ghol. As the news of the brother's catch spread, traders reached the coast in no time. After 20 minutes of an auction, the just the fish's innards were sold to an exporter for Rs 5.5 lakh. The Meher brothers said that they have only heard of the ghol fish, but never seen one themselves until they caught.

Particularly in East Asia, the fish's internal organs are used for the preparation of medicines. It is also used in the manufacture of cosmetic products and functional food. Pharmaceutical companies used its fins in the production of dissolvable stitches and in wine purification. Rare 10-Foot-Long Squid Washes Ashore on Cannon Beach in US' Oregon Coast (View Pics)

The scientific name of the fish is Protonibea diacanthus and is known as the 'the fish with a heart of gold. The fish comes in varying price ranges with the smaller ones generally ending in local markets. The one like the fish caught on Sunday, is generally exported to Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Hong Kong and Japan. A smaller fish of the same breed can fetch Rs 8,000 to 10,000. A fisherman in Bhayander had caught a similar fish which earned him Rs 5.16 lakh.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 07, 2018 08:04 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).