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Piranha caught in Pittsburg
September 8, 2009 -- One of CSPA's readers reported that a piranha was caught in Mcavoy's Harbor in Pittsburg on September 5. The fish was brought into BS Bait and Tackle where the above picture was taken.
Piranha are native to the Amazon basin of South America and are known to be voracious meat eaters however no reports of a piranha killing a human exist. In fact, they are omniverous and eat as much plant material as protein. Much of their legend comes from a trip made by Teddy Roosevelt where natives trapped thousands of fish and held them in a small area and then threw in a lacerated cow.
Piranha are tropical fish and require water temperatures in the mid 70's. In recent cases where piranha were found in northern rivers such as the Potomac, the species died in the harsh cold winter. Although piranha are sold in some states as pets, they are illegal to possess in California.
Smit reports that the last time he saw the fish, it had been placed in the BS Bait and Tackle bait tank.
A reader that viewed the fish after reading a post on Dan Blanton's board has advised that the fish is a pacu, a close relative to the piranha but with different habits and characteristics. A close examination of the photo seems to confirm his observations.
While pacu have a good set of teeth, they are basically vegetarian. They are larger than piranha and can grow to 60 pounds. Both fish are from the Amazon basin and both require water in the mid 70's.