Experts believe the lake monsters in Kanas Lake in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region are probably huge cold-water fish called Hucho Taimen.

Yuan Guoying, a researcher with Xinjiang Environmental Protection Bureau, said only huge Hucho Taimen can grow to 10 metres long. People have spotted the creatures in the lake, which was formed of melted ice.

Yuan has participated in scientific research projects at least a dozen times at the lake, and witnessed the legendary monster twice.

In earlier June, a group of tourists caught sight of the lake monster and recorded the scene with video cameras, Xinhua News Agency reports.

(China Daily July 1, 2005)