All articles tagged with #pacu
A new species of piranha-like fish, Myloplus sauron, has been discovered in the Amazon River, named for a stripe resembling the "Eye of Sauron." This pacu species, often mistaken for piranhas, has human-like teeth for a mainly plant-based diet. Genetic analysis revealed it had been masquerading as another species for nearly 200 years.
An 11-year-old boy in Oklahoma caught a pacu, a relative of the piranha, in a neighborhood pond while fishing. The pacu, known for its molar-like teeth, was released back into the water but was later recognized as an invasive species. The Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation blamed a pet owner for releasing the fish into the wild and warned about the harmful practice of dumping unwanted pets in waterways. Pacu have been caught in Oklahoma before, and while they are generally harmless to humans, they can grow to large sizes. The pacu's nickname, "the ball cutter," stems from its purported habit of attacking men's testicles, although this behavior is rare.