'Only Those Chosen by Yongwang Can Catch'... Giant Dotdom Caught in Jeju

A "legendary deep-sea fish" caught off Jeju
A 183 cm longtooth emperor, weighing 140 kg, landed after an hour-long struggle
Only about 30 caught annually, known as "a fish only blessed by the Dragon King can catch"
Expected to set a new domestic record, rare for this season

A giant longtooth emperor fish exceeding adult human height was caught in the waters off Jeju.

According to Yonhap News on the 18th, citing the fishing industry, Captain B of fishing company A in Jeju caught a large longtooth emperor while fishing for red sea bream on the 16th. The caught longtooth emperor measured 183 cm in length and weighed about 140 kg.

Giant Spotted Knifejaw. Photo by Yonhap News Agency, provided by a reader

This longtooth emperor was caught after a battle lasting over an hour in the sea between Udo, Jeju City, and Haengwon-ri, Gujwa-eup. It was too large to be scooped up with a landing net, so it was barely lifted aboard using a hook on the boat. Using a regular fishing rod to lift the longtooth emperor often results in the line breaking. Only a heavy-duty rod designed for large fish like yellowtail is safe.

The longtooth emperor is known to have been sold to merchants in other regions. It is called the "legendary deep-sea fish."

The longtooth emperor inhabits rocky seabeds at depths of 400 to 500 meters or more. Occasionally, it comes up to shallow waters near the shore and gets caught in fishing nets or by anglers. The annual catch is only about 30 fish. Because of this, it is called "a fish that only those blessed by the Dragon King can catch."

Giant Spotted Knifejaw. Photo by Yonhap News Agency, provided by a reader

Meanwhile, this giant longtooth emperor is expected to be a record-breaking catch in the official domestic records. The longtooth emperor caught in Gageodo in 2013 measured 2 meters in length and weighed 150 kg. That fish was taxidermied and is displayed at the Gageodo Marine Exhibition Hall.

The domestic longtooth emperor appearance areas number about five, including Yeoseodo in Wando-gun, Jeollanam-do, Moseulpo in Jeju Island, and the distant East Sea. The longtooth emperor usually comes up to shallow depths during the spawning season from May to July and is caught by fishing or nets, so catching one in February is unusual.

In Jeju, a large longtooth emperor measuring 1.5 meters and weighing 100 kg was caught in April 2015. On November 11 and 13, 2020, one was caught each in Busan. The longtooth emperor caught in Busan measured 175 cm in length and weighed 110 kg.