Pacu Fish Back in US Waters

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Pacu fish are sometimes caught in US waters.

Pretty weird when you know they are native of South America.

pacu fish, pacu, pacu fish photo, testicle-biting fish, pacu fish testicule, pacu fish photo, The human-like teeth of the pacu fish. Photo: Wikipedia
The human-like teeth of the pacu fish. Photo: Wikipedia

US lakes and ponds normally contains trout, bass and catfish. But, occasionally, they become the dumping grounds for more exotic species such as pacu. Also known as the testicule-biting fish, pacu is native of South America, cousin of the piranha), and has oddly human-like teeth.

Every once in a while across the USA residents catch one of these freaky fish. This was the case of Susan Aavang, an Ahwatukee angler, which caught a 3.5 pounds pacu in a pond near an Ahwatukee elementary school, Arizona. Last month in Michigan’s Lake St. Claire, a woman and her husband also caught this strange looking fish.

How do they get there?

Basically, because aquarium owners allegedly dumped them for being too scary and aggressive…especially when it comes to their alleged appetite nuts (human testicles). This behavior is called aquarium dumping and getting caught in the act can cost owners their fishing license and financial damages.

But don’t worry, pacu have little impact on local fish populations, don’t ordinarily reproduce in US water habitats and don’t bite people.

Pacu fish are known for their flat, rounded teeth ressembling those of humans. They feed on vegetation, fruit and nuts. So unless your balls are made of salad, you have nothing to worry about.

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1 Comment

  1. Right, yeah, they don’t eat meat, except they are down in Papa New Guinea. They were imported there and grew quite large and are actually eating fish and other types of meat and have been known to bite humans, so the fact that they may eat only a vegan diet now, doesn’t mean they will when they eat all the vegetation which has happened in many other countries…I saw them very large on River Monsters…

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