An 11-year-old girl caught an invasive fish with human-like teeth in an Oklahoma lake on Sunday.
Kennedy Smith of Lindsay, Oklahoma, was fishing with her grandparents when she caught the fish — a pacu, which is native to South America and closely related to Piranhas.
Pacu can grow to be up to 3.5 feet and 88 pounds, the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation said in a social media post. Pacu primarily feed on plants but are considered omnivorous.
The fish Smith caught weighed about 1 pound and bit her grandmother as she removed the hook from the fish's mouth.
The woman, Sandra Whaley, said she suffered no ill effects from the bite.
"The introduction of the non-native pacu into Oklahoma waters is most likely from individuals buying them as pets and releasing them when they outgrow the tank they were raised in," the Department of Wildlife Conservation wrote.
The department said pacu have been caught in the state previously.
Smith caught the fish at Fort Cobb Lake, located about 50 miles southwest of Oklahoma City.
"I was confused because I knew that fish with teeth are not normal. It was weird. They were human-like and that made it even weirder," Kennedy told The Associated Press.
Pacu are a danger to the native Oklahoma ecosystem, the Department of Wildlife Conservation says.
The fish was taken by the department and destroyed.
Pacu have been spotted in other states, including Arizona and New Jersey.
On July 22, 2018, Caddo County Game Wardens were notified of a very unique catch!
At approximately 9:00 a.m. Miss Kennedy Smith of Lindsay, OK caught a Pacu on a night crawler in Marina Cove at Ft. Cobb Lake. She was fishing with her Grandparents on this lucky day.
An 11-year-old girl caught an invasive fish with human-like teeth in an Oklahoma lake on Sunday.
Kennedy Smith of Lindsay, Oklahoma, was fishing with her grandparents when she caught the fish — a pacu, which is native to South America and closely related to Piranhas.
Pacu can grow to be up to 3.5 feet and 88 pounds, the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation said in a social media post. Pacu primarily feed on plants but are considered omnivorous.
The fish Smith caught weighed about 1 pound and bit her grandmother as she removed the hook from the fish's mouth.
The woman, Sandra Whaley, said she suffered no ill effects from the bite.
"The introduction of the non-native pacu into Oklahoma waters is most likely from individuals buying them as pets and releasing them when they outgrow the tank they were raised in," the Department of Wildlife Conservation wrote.
The department said pacu have been caught in the state previously.
Smith caught the fish at Fort Cobb Lake, located about 50 miles southwest of Oklahoma City.
"I was confused because I knew that fish with teeth are not normal. It was weird. They were human-like and that made it even weirder," Kennedy told The Associated Press.
Pacu are a danger to the native Oklahoma ecosystem, the Department of Wildlife Conservation says.
The fish was taken by the department and destroyed.
Pacu have been spotted in other states, including Arizona and New Jersey.
On July 22, 2018, Caddo County Game Wardens were notified of a very unique catch!
At approximately 9:00 a.m. Miss Kennedy Smith of Lindsay, OK caught a Pacu on a night crawler in Marina Cove at Ft. Cobb Lake. She was fishing with her Grandparents on this lucky day.
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