Pacu caught in lake

This article is from last month.  I feel so sorry for pacu.  I wish they wouldn't sell them at fish stores.  They are so tiny and cute and people don't realize what they are getting into when they buy them. [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

Yeah that's unfortunate. I wish the article had touched on the damage they can do. 1 Non native fish from a summer can wipe out a population of native fish to that lake. They can just devour eggs and fry etc.

The fact that it was feeding was a good sign it was comfortable and thriving. They say it would die out during our winters.....

WOW,   They adapted to the cold waters? Interesting.. 

I wouldn't want to see that thing on the end of my line!!

I'm guessing they dive deep during the winters. I know back in Ohio they've caught Piranha before in some lakes, and it gets a lot colder there.

Those pacu caught here this year spawned a big internet hoax about the risk men have skinny dipping in a lake with Pacu lol

Gryphon wrote:Those pacu caught here this year spawned a big internet hoax about the risk men have skinny dipping in a lake with Pacu lol

River Monsters started all that. I think it was in Papua New Guinea where these Pacu instinctively use their nut cracking techniques on.... um... other nuts. These kind  

Yeah that information went viral all over the world, I found it quite funny.

I still don't believe that they could over winter in our lakes to truly establish themselves here..... Granted, like mentioned above they can do a lot of damage in just a month or so during summer

"In 1994, an 18-inch pacu was pulled out of Silver Lake in Everett."

That's a big fish! Either someone had a HUGE tank but didn't want it anymore, or they really can overwinter here and grow

Sounds like good sashimi to me.

Ive noticed the South Hill Petsmart stopped carrying these, have not had them in some time. Good to see them practicing a bit of responsible selling. Some of these big boys really need to be only a special order item so that these issues stop. One time I stopped in at the Asian fish store of 38th street in Tacoma and the guy had at least a dozen red tail cats..... another example of a fish that should be a special order item, not readily available to purchase.