In the stuff of nightmares, a Texas angler reeled in a South American piranha relative with “human teeth” on Sunday.
Videos by Suggest
The fish, identified as a pacu, was caught at Lake Meredith in Sanford. It’s now being housed at the Lake Meredith Aquatic & Wildlife Museum. The museum shared a video of the fish on Facebook.
The pacu, as noted in the post, originates from the freshwater habitats of South America.
However, despite the human-like teeth, this gilled critter is strictly in the soy boy mold.
Although it is closely related to the carnivorous piranha, the pacu is, in fact, a vegetarian.
Still… creepy.
The red and silver pacu thrives on a diet of nuts and berries, which is why its teeth “resemble human teeth,” as noted in the post. Staff at the wildlife museum suspect that the pacu was released into Meredith by someone who may have previously kept it as a pet.
Why These Swimming Nightmares (Fish with Human Teeth) End Up in Bodies of Water in the United States
However, there’s a reason a lot of these guys end up in unexpected places. This species, reaching lengths of up to 6.5 inches and weighing as much as 88 pounds, can quickly outgrow aquariums, leading owners to release them into the wild.
The pacu was initially introduced in the 1980s through aquarium releases, according to the US Department of Agriculture. The agency also notes that some fish may have escaped from aquaculture facilities.
Texas Parks and Wildlife has referenced pacu fish in several posts. This includes a notable 7.95 lb pacu captured in the Concho River in San Angelo in 2012. They also noted a red-bellied pacu caught in the San Marcos River in 2006. The 2012 post highlights that the pacu was probably released from an aquarium, an act that is illegal and detrimental to native fish populations.
Fortunately, the species has not formed any reproducing populations in the United States. The complete impact of pacu release remains uncertain.
Nevertheless, the finned creature has established itself in Malaysia, Indonesia, Taiwan, Mexico, China, the Philippines, and various other regions of Asia.
However, the Lake Meredith Aquatic & Wildlife Museum reminded followers not to release such creatures into the wild.
“Please always keep in mind invasive species are harmful where they are not native,” the museum stressed in their post.