UPI – While fishing in a Maryland creek in the United States, angler Jeremy Cooper hooked an unexpected catch: a fish with a set of human-like teeth.
Initially believing it to be a sunfish in Conococheague Creek at Kemps Mill, Cooper was surprised to discover the fish’s unusually toothy grin.
Cooper sent photos of the fish to the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, which identified it as a red-bellied pacu, a South American fish related to the piranha.
Pacu fish aren’t native to Maryland waters, but have been spotted in the state’s waterways seven times since 1995. The Department of Natural Resources said pacu are frequently kept in private aquariums.
“We never encourage people to release their pets to Maryland’s waters because of the threat of introducing a species that could establish itself or the threat of introducing disease,” a spokesperson told WMAR-TV.