Invasive South American Testicle Biting Pacu Fish Arrives in Sweden
Posted on August 12, 2013
The Telegraph reports that Swedish men have been warned to watch out when swimming off the country's southern coast after a fish known as the pacu was found in the waters. The pacu is not native to Sweden. The South American fish is a piranha relative. It is known locally as the "ball cutter."
Pacu eat nuts that fall from trees so their powerful crushing bite is perfect for breaking apart nuts. Howver, it can be extremely painful and even deadly if the pacu decides to bite down on a man's testicles. The Telegraph says, "In areas where pacus proliferate, fishermen have reportedly bled to death after losing their testicles to the fish's crushing jaws."
Pacu are found in rivers in the Amazon and Orinoco basins in South America. They have also recently been found in Papua New Guinea. Recently they have been spotted in some U.S. lakes and now in Sweden. This video from Animal Planet, called "River Monsters: Ball Buster," shows a pacu being caught in a river. Take a look: