Pirannah

[Rackmaster]

A buddy of mine sent some photos of a pirannah they caught in Lake Valencia in Maumalle. He said he's talked to a couple of people that have caught about five of them both large and small. Do you think they can survive winters here?

[jerry dean]

I wouldn't think that they could.

[Hudge]

Rackmaster,

I don't beleive the fish is actually a pirannah, but rather a close relative of it that is smaller and can be found in local pet stores for sale. I remember reading an article in the Dem Gazette last fall about one that was caught in the Arkansas River outside of LR. I also read about them being caught in the Mississippi River. They became a pest for the owners of them, and they dumped them out.

Hudge

[Rackmaster]

The fish looks to be a fairly good size. About the size of a good redear. I've got some photos if you want to see them.

[Wes Ramsey]

The pacu, which is that toothy fish someone caught not too long ago with teeth that looked almost human, is a close relative or even a variety of a piranha. I had a buddy in college that had one he bought at Wal-Mart, and it got up to probably 2lb before he got sick and died. I figure some locals did a "Lake Valencia funeral" for a fish that wasn't quite dead yet, or they moved and didn't wanna transport it.

[grits and gravy]

The Pacu is also a vegitation eater. It will eat worms and small insects as well, but mainly grass. And they must make it through the winter, because I have seen one that was caught in the Fayetteville area during January.

[Rackmaster]

AGFC did ID the fish as a pacu.