A Chinese villager was completely stumped when he pulled out a mysterious creature from a small river on a regular fishing trip.

The mud-coloured beast, which was found in Tuo River in Sichuan Province, has left the fisherman and his neighbours in Jiangyuan Village near the city of Chengdu scratching their heads.

Some people think the bizarre-looking object could be what Chinese call a 'taisui', a type of valuable fungus that's supposed to bring immortality to human, reported People's Daily Online.

Surprise catch: A Chinese villager recently landed a mysterious creature (pictured) from Tuo River in Sichuan

Liang Wenjun, 45, went fishing after lunch on September 28 as part of his daily routine. He biked 2.5 miles to a popular fishing spot along Tuo River.

It was not a particularly good day for Mr Liang since he did not land any fish after waiting for an afternoon.

However, his luck struck at about 5pm when he felt that his fish hook had caught something big.

Mr Liang recalled: 'When I reeled my fish line, it felt extremely heavy.

'Then a yellow creature with a round body and a long tail came out of the water. It had a soft texture and could also move.'

Bizarre: The creature was 7.9 inches long and had black spots on its round body. It's also got a long 'tail'

The unusual creature, which measured about 7.9 inches in length and weighed approximately 14 lbs, also had black spots all over its body.

One of Mr Liang's friends who worked in a Chinese pharmaceutical company told him it could be a 'taisui', which is a rare mushroom.

It has been listed on the ancient Chinese medical compendium as a type of medicinal fungus since the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644).

Ancient Chinese emperors ate them with the belief that it would prolong their lives and bring immortality.

Mr Liang was overjoyed as he believed he could sell his surprising catch for a handsome profit.

Wild 'taisui' fungi sell for £10-46 per lb in China.