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Swedish men have been warned to keep their swim trunks on whilst taking a dip after a fish known as the pacu, a relative of the piranha, has been seen as of late in the waters of the Oresund Strait between Denmark and Sweden.
The alert came last week when a fisherman in the area retrieved an 8 inch Pacu.
These little “nutcrackers” are found in most rivers of the Amazon and Orinoco Basins of South America. They have also been spotted in Papua New Guinea and even as far as the U.S., where in Texas, there was reportedly a $100 dollar bounty on the pacu found in a lake.
“The pacu is not normally dangerous to people but it has quite a serious bite, there have been incidents in other countries, such as Papua New Guinea where some men have had their testicles bitten off,” said Henrik Carl, fish expert at the Danish museum.
But still, fisherman have reportedly been killed after bleeding to death from the bite of the pacu whose teeth are flatter and stronger than that of it’s more aggressive cousin, the Piranha. Teeth that are perfect for crushing.
This certainly gives new meaning to “Swedish meatballs”!
“No, there’s nothing to worry about… you’re more likely to drown that have your nuts bitten off,” he told The Local (a Swedish newspaper) with a laugh.
Its food source consists mainly of nuts, soft fruit, and small fish. So naturally, it’s easy for the Pacu to mistake male genitalia as a suitable form of sustenance.
Carl admitted that the discovery of the fish, which is currently undergoing DNA tests to confirm its identity, should not keep men from enjoying the water. However, if more were to be found, it could become a serious problem.
Normally a freshwater tropical fish accustomed to warmer climates, it’s a bit odd in my opinion to be found in the icy waters of the Oresund strait. No explanation for its expansion to the far north has come to light but Carl warns that the sighting the one Pacu may not be the last.
Let’s just hope Swedish men will refrain from going “commando” next time they decide to take a swim.
Source: http://www.playwithdeath.com/swedish-men-warned-of-testicle-eating-fish