THERE is something fishy going on at Bolton Market.

An enormous 28-stone fish has found a new home there — with traders believing it to be 100-years-old.

The humongous Halibut belongs to Michael Evans of MPJ Fish Supplies, who is planning to divide it into delicious steaks to sell to the people of Bolton.

The fish was caught in water off the Faroe Islands and sold to a firm in Fleetwood which supplies Mr Evans.

The 49-year-old trader, who has had a stall at the market for the past four years, said: “By the size of the fish we would estimate that it is 100-years-old.

“It also weighs 180 kilograms, which is 28-stone and it took four of us just to pick it up.”

Mr Evans, who paid £1,000 for the prize catch, is making a name for himself as a purveyor of sizeable sea life.

In August he sold a giant yellow fin Tuna weighing in at just under 27 stones, which also originated in the Faroe Islands.

But he has outdone himself with his latest catch, which he believes is the biggest sold at Bolton Market for decades.

He said: “There hasn’t been anything this big here for at least 20-years and the fact that it is 100-years-old is remarkable.

“It has taken pride of place on the stand, ousting some Salmon in the process and people have been stopping by all day to take pictures of it — they can’t believe their eyes.”

A Halibut is a flatfish, from the family of the right-eye flounders and is described as having a clean taste and a firm, meaty but delicate texture.

Mr Evans added: “We hope that this will pull the customers in, I think one or two of the other fishmongers have been getting a bit jealous looking at it.”

The individual English Halibut Steaks will be on sale from MPJ Fish, within Bolton Market, today (Thursday).