Piranhas' secret is out: They're wimps!

interesting. i knew the small ones were little pansys. but i always thought big ones were pretty vicious

Now there's a news that seems to contradict it too.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070703/ap_on_fe_st/odd_piranha_catch_4

N.C. fisherman reels in a piranha
MOUNT HOLLY, N.C. - A fisherman looking to catch a catfish for dinner instead reeled in a fish that flashed its teeth and bit his knife. Jerry Melton, 46, was fishing in the Catawba River last week when he caught what state wildlife officials later identified as a piranha, a South American carnivorous fish that lives in freshwater.

"When I got it on the bank I didn't really know what it was; I hadn't seen anything like it before," Melton said.

When Melton opened the fish's mouth with a pocketknife, he said the fish bit down and left an impression on the blade.

Wildlife officials told Melton on Saturday that he caught a 1 pound, 4 ounce piranha that was probably dumped in the river. Melton was fishing in Mount Holly, a town northwest of Charlotte.

The catch highlights the growing problem of people keeping exotic animals and fish as pets and later dumping them into local waters, said Paul Barrington, an ichthyologist with the Fort Fisher Aquarium. Earlier this year, another fisherman caught a snakehead fish — also a nonnative fish — in Lake Wylie near Charlotte.

"Releasing nonnative fish in our native waters is highly irresponsible because it could have a very adverse affect on the fish in that ecosystem," Barrington said. "Piranha and the snakehead fish have no predators in our waters."

Jacob Rash, a North Carolina Wildlife Resources biologist, said he believes the piranha was the first caught in the Catawba River and possibly the first in the region.

Melton, who is keeping the piranha in his freezer until he can have it mounted, said the experience will keep him out of the river's water.

"I've been fishing there my whole life," he said. "Catching something like that is definitely going to make me think twice about what's in that water."

i always knew that they were sissies, but i didn't know that they had that much biting force

Piranhas face constant attack from predators including river dolphins, caiman — a relative of the crocodile — and bigger fish, such as the giant piracucu

this rocks !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Where does this leave the owners who have them just for the rep. If this gets out they'll be ruined.

Lupin;966403; said:

Now
The catch highlights the growing problem of people keeping exotic animals and fish as pets and later dumping them into local waters, said Paul Barrington, an ichthyologist with the Fort Fisher Aquarium. Earlier this year, another fisherman caught a snakehead fish — also a nonnative fish — in Lake Wylie near Charlotte.

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This makes me so angry . I dont understand why people dont take more caution when owning these pets.

Anyone that has owned on or knows someone that owns one knows they are wimps.

My friend as a shoal for a while.

They had to be the most boring fish ever. The slightest thing sended them scurrying, trying to run for cover, They would hide behind anything they could.

And even when you feed them it wasn't that impressive. They always attacked from behind, and always nibbled the fish to death.

johnptc;966509; said:

Piranhas face constant attack from predators including river dolphins, caiman — a relative of the crocodile — and bigger fish, such as the giant piracucu

this rocks !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Click to expand...

15ft piranha eater?