(CNN) A fish weighing 350 pounds was caught off southwest Florida, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said on Facebook.

The enormous fish, identified as a Warsaw grouper, was caught using a hook and line December 29 in about 600 feet of water, according to the FWC's Fish and Wildlife Research Institute.

Photos shared by the FWC on Facebook show the fish towering over a man standing beside it.

"Biologists from FWRI's Age & Growth Lab estimated the age of this fish at 50 years old, making this the oldest sample collected for our ageing program," the FWC said. "Acquiring the otolith from this fish was extremely valuable as samples from larger and older fish are rare."

Otoliths are the hard structures located behind the brain of bony fishes, according to the FWC . They help fish hear, maintain balance and orient themselves. Scientists use the growth structure of otoliths to estimate a fish's age.

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