When it comes to imports from South America, we like to stay on the right side of the law with the traditional staples of trade such as coffee, cocoa and sugar (among others). But as one Oklahoma boy recently learned, there’s a lot more coming across our borders than we originally thought – which is a lot.
Fishing in his neighborhood pond earlier this month, Charlie Clinton, a young angler, hooked on to something with a slightly different set of teeth than what he had been used to.
With a set of chompers designed to pick corn directly from the cob – or the skin from your bones – the young angler immediately reported his catch to the Oklahoma Department of Conservation. Following a brief investigation, authorities sent out a release about the peculiar catch, advising anglers state-wide to be on the lookout for this unique fish.
The department informed the young man and the community that the fish he caught was in fact a Pacu – a South American fish closely related to the piranha. Piranhas and their cousins are well known around the world for their bad attitudes and penchant for biting things.
Much like the burmese python crisis in Florida, the Canadian Super Pigs and many other invasive species we now have to contend with, the presence of these fish is a direct result of people releasing these animals, usually kept as pets, into the natural environment.
While the pacu are generally harmless to humans, the department advises all anglers in the state to dispose of these fish if and when they are caught. Given that these fish can grow to over 3 feet in length and weigh nearly 90 pounds, they would undoubtedly wreak havoc on the natural fisheries if left unchecked.
Authorities advise all anglers to remove these fish from the watershed and inform your local warden if one is caught.
