Janna Clinton spent the weekend relaxing on her porch, keeping an eye on her 11-year-old son fishing in the pond behind their Oklahoma home.
When Charlie suddenly started calling out for her, she jumped from her seat and hurried to her son, who was shocked by what he had caught on his fishing line.
Continue reading to discover more about the unusual pacu fish caught by Charlie!
The pond behind the Clinton’s house is usually teeming with perch and catfish. However, on July 14th, Charlie managed to hook a peculiar creature using just a piece of bread as bait, prompting him to seek his mother’s assistance.
“He was yelling, ‘Oh my God, mom! Oh my God!’,” his mother recalled. “I honestly thought he was just being dramatic.”
Upon closer inspection, Janna was taken aback to find that the catch had teeth resembling those of a human.
A Fish with Human-like Teeth
“We’re used to catching perch or catfish in the neighborhood pond… but nothing with human-like teeth,” she remarked, noting that the fish put up quite a fight. “(Charlie) mentioned that it was quite a struggle. He was the only one fishing there, and he did exceptionally well.”
After posting a picture of the peculiar fish on their community’s Facebook page, residents who viewed the post and images shared their astonishment: “THOSE ARE HUMAN TEETH,” one commented, while another exclaimed, “What in the world!?! That’s scary!”
Some advised the family to contact wildlife authorities. “That is definitely not a catch and release! Thank you for treating it seriously,” one neighbor remarked, while another suggested, “Maybe notify someone from the wildlife commission or similar authorities…”.
Prior to alerting animal protection about their eerie catch of the day, the family released the fish back into the pond. “It’s a catch and release pond… so unfortunately, we let it go again because we were unaware at the time,” Janna admitted. “It was a mistake we made.”
Pacu: Family of the Piranha
The family soon learned that the fish caught by Charlie was a pacu, a relative of the piranha originating from South America. Unlike its carnivorous piranha cousins with sharp teeth and an underbite, the pacu is primarily herbivorous, sporting square teeth and a slight overbite.
It remains a mystery how this fish ended up in the pond in a suburb north of Oklahoma City. Wildlife experts suspect it may have been a pet that outgrew its tank and was released into the wild.
The Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation (ODWC) directed a tweet at the previous owner of the fish, stating, “Dear individual who released a Pacu (a South American fish closely related to Piranha) into a local POND; how dare you.”
HOW DARE YOU RELEASE A PACU!
The tweet sparked a conversation within the online community, with many expressing shock over the teeth of the fish.
“WHY DOES IT HAVE HUMAN TEETH,” wondered one perplexed user.
“I DON’T KNOW, WE DIDN’T MAKE THEM,” ODWC responded. Later, they added, “Your fish was caught by Charlie Clinton. He’s 11. DO NOT RELEASE YOUR PETS. THEY ARE AN EXOTIC, INVASIVE SPECIES THAT CAN HARM OUR LOCAL ECOSYSTEMS.” Such actions could lead to grave consequences that may severely impact the environment.
Interestingly, this was not the first pacu caught in Oklahoma. In July 2018, 11-year-old Kennedy Smith reeled in a pacu from Marina Cove on Ft. Cobb Lake, located less than two hours away from the Clintons.
During that time, the Oklahoma Game Wardens issued a cautionary post on Facebook: “…Pacus have been caught in a few Oklahoma fisheries before. The introduction of the non-native pacu into Oklahoma waters is likely due to individuals purchasing them as pets and setting them free when they outgrow their tanks. Pacus can grow up to 4 feet in length and weigh 88 pounds.”
DISTURBING NICKNAME
While these odd-looking fish are generally not harmful to humans, pacus have gained a chilling nickname: “the ball cutters.”
In 2011, a caution was issued to Swimmers in Sweden when a pacu was discovered in the Oresundsund.
“There have been incidents in other countries like Papua New Guinea, where some men have had their testicles bitten off,” mentioned fishing expert Henrik Carl. He shared that there were reports of fishermen bleeding to death after being bitten in that manner.
Carl further explained: “They bite because they’re hungry and testicles just happen to be in their way”. He added: “Normally, they eat nuts, fruit, and small fish, but human testicles are just a natural target.”
Meanwhile, Charlie keeps an eye on the pacu in the pond, hoping to lure it one more time.
“He stayed quite late at the pond that evening, hoping to catch it again,” Janna shared. Her son spends his entire day fishing from dawn till dusk in the pursuit of a prized catch. “If he manages to catch it again, we’ll have it preserved. I believe it’s a great souvenir he deserves… I told him we’ll display the fish as if it’s smiling so its teeth are visible.”
The pacu is undeniably a frightening fish! However, we sympathize with the creature taken from its natural habitat and released into a new setting when its owner could no longer care for it. This practice poses risks for various reasons, especially the harm it can cause to the ecosystem.
What are your thoughts on the “ball cutter”?
