Hold On To 'em Boys!

[WOZ]

Swedish swimmers warned to protect private parts after discovery of notorious exotic fish





An exotic pacu has been caught in Sweden’s Oresund Sound, and it’s cause for serious alarm–especially among human males who like to swim there.
Pacus, which are native to South America, are related to piranhas, which have sharper teeth and are notorious for how quickly then can remove flesh from the bones of their prey.
But pacus, which possess teeth that are almost molar-like and are designed for crushing nuts and fruit, boast a reputation for attacking the most sensitive area on the male human body.
Thus, the Natural History Museum of Denmark has issued a warning: “Keep your swimwear on if you’re in bathing in the Sound these days.”
The Local, an English-language Swedish newspaper, quotes museum biologist Henrik Carl as saying, “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.”
Carl acknowledged that such instances are extremely rare, and that he was having “a bit of fun” in discussing this discovery.
But such an ominous warning is bound to at least temporarily eliminate skinny-dipping in the Sound.
Meanwhile, the presence of a pacu is as mysterious as it is troubling. More than likely, someone who had kept the tropical fish in a home aquarium released it into the Sound.
Are there others out there?
People are asked to be on the lookout, while also guarding their private parts.
“They are almost identical to the piranha, you couldn’t even tell from the outside,” Carl said of the fearsome pacus. “It’s just that they have different teeth. Flatter and stronger, perfect for crushing.”
To be sure, if the pacu were a shark, it would warrant a feature on “Shark Week.”
And Carl is not unlike those “Shark Week” experts who downplay the danger without really downplaying the danger.
While he confessed that “there’s nothing to worry about” and that Swedish swimmers are more likely to drown than being bitten in a sensitive area by a pacu, he did not entirely dismiss the danger.
“It could become a problem some time in the future if it’s not the only one,” he said. “This one was the first, but who knows, it’s probably not the last.”

http://www.grindtv.com/outdoor/natur...s-exotic-fish/

[Duck]

Thats just plain nuts in my opinion. Duck

[Old plug]

We have had a couple dumped in here by summer people.they cannot survive the winter temperatures of LOZ.

[Wayne SW/MO]

I would worry more about the little fish that swims up a mans penis and then lodges itself there.

[moguy1973]

They caught a big one out of Lake Lou Yaeger in Illinois not long ago too...

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/07/07/pacu-testicle-eating-fish-illinois-lake_n_1656015.html

[Old plug]

Hmmmmmmm I can see some benefit maybe in some ways with a stiff little fish parked there.

I think there are fish enough to hurt you around here if you handle one wrong. I was taking a small channel cat off a hook a year or so ago and he caught me with a good jab in my hand. Within seconds It made my arm useless and real painful. I have also got scraped up hands from the teeth in a catfishes mouth. I thin though the worst one is a gar. Th have 4 rows if teeth on those jaws the inner stick straight up and the outer or angled outward. I have had a couple tiny pricks through a glove and it was painful so i imagine there is something on those teeth that nature put there to immobilize prey like a northern pike has. At any rate when they get between 31/2 and 4 feet they make me nervous handling them.

I would worry more about the little fish that swims up a mans penis and then lodges itself there.

[Tearin Up Topwater]

Lake STL too. Last year one was caught by a fisherwoman. I wonder what bait she used?

[dennis boatman]

...I see $$$$ here...protective fishing cups...just strap it on and fish with confidence...you'd look cool too...as seen on TV, Nutcups, but wait theirs more!!!!!

[Muddler4]

My buddy and I were fishing at Busch last year and he caught one. On a wolly bugger. It kept crunching on the hook and bent the crap out of it. Seriously lucky that he didn't reach down and try to lip it. He says "what the hell...Get over here" I ran over and got pics of it. No doubt it got too big for someone's aquarium. They would not survive the winter here unless in a spring fed environment. This one never got to find out though.

Posted here 03 June 2012 as "fish id of the day".

[dennis boatman]

All that said, to me, it still doesn't beat catching a Muskie at Caplinger....