‘Gruesome’ piranha-like fish caught in Rohnert Park

A bizarre fish with teeth resembling those of a human baby and a bloodline tracing to the flesh-eating piranhas of South America has turned up in a Rohnert Park lake.

California Department of Fish and Wildlife officials confirmed a photo submitted to The Press Democrat by angler Geoffrey Arend was that of a rare pacu, a freshwater fish originally from the Amazon that is known for its crushing jaw.

Arend said he landed it Aug. 14 at Roberts Lake. He took its picture before the fish slipped from his hands and he kicked it back in the water.

He didn’t realize what he had until he hopped on the Internet and found similar photos. Coincidentally, another pacu was caught two days later near Stockton in the San Joaquin Delta.

“I’m hoping to catch it again,” said Arend, a 35-year-old glass worker. “But now that I know what it is, I don’t think I’ll be sticking my finger in its mouth anymore.”

Pacu, a relative of the carnivorous piranha, are sold at pet shops in the United States but are illegal in California.

Fish and Wildlife spokesman Andrew Hughan, who identified the fish in Arend’s photo, said people bring them into the state and dispose of them in lakes and rivers.

“They get tired of taking care of them or find they are just ?too gross to look at,” Hughan said.

Pacu are considered an invasive species but don’t yet have a foothold in California. He advises people to avoid throwing them back in the water if they find one.

Hughan said his agency won’t investigate the Roberts Lake fish but he would forward the picture to the local game warden.

“There’s really nothing we can do short of draining the lake,” he said. “It’s kind of one of those things we have to live with. It’s not a threat.”

Pacu are omnivorous and use their square, molar-like teeth to crush nuts and seeds. Contrary to published reports, pacu do not attack male testicles. The false notion was the result of a joke after a pacu was found in Denmark in 2013.

Their teeth are not pointed like their cousin the piranha.

“They look pretty gruesome but they are not going to chew your arms off,” Hughan said.

But most agree the fish are odd. The one caught in Rohnert Park had a strangely human mouth and crooked, yellow teeth. Pictures of the fish caught in Stockton went viral.

“It’s a one-off, weird, disgusting thing,” Hughan said.

Meanwhile, Arend, a Rohnert Park resident, went fishing again Friday night at the five-acre reservoir near Highway 101 but caught only a few bass. He expected news of the pacu would generate interest.

“I’m sure we’ll see a few more people fishing here on the weekend,” Arend said.

You can reach Staff Writer ?Paul Payne at 568-5312 or ?paul.payne@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @ppayne.