Fish With Human-Like Teeth Caught in Texas Lake

SANFORD, TX — A South American freshwater fish related to piranhas was reeled in recently from Lake Meredith in the Texas Panhandle.

A pacu fish, noted for its human-like teeth — though it is primarily an herbivore — was caught by an angler last week. The fish is now being housed at the Lake Meredith Aquatic & Wildlife Museum.

The fish is believed to have been released into Lake Meredith by someone who may have owned it as a pet, according to the museum.

Pacu fish can grow up to to three-and-a-half feet in length and weigh nearly 90 pounds, and they can quickly outgrow aquariums.

A pacu fish was caught in the Concho River in San Angelo in 2012, while a red-bellied pacu was caught in the San Marcos River in 2006, according to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.

Pacu mainly feed on plant material, which is why they have teeth that "look similar to human teeth," according to the museum.

An official weight and length will be verified at a later date, the museum stated.

The museum shared a video of the fish on Facebook.

Individual pacus have been caught in the U.S. since the 1960s and in Texas since the 1980s, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Most were from aquarium releases, while others may have escaped fish farms. The invader has been caught in Texas at least 29 times. However, the species has been unable to establish "reproducing populations" in the U.S.