Catching a rare and strange fish with human teeth in America + photo

The catch of a paco fish with human-like teeth by a young fisherman in Oklahoma has attracted media attention. But what species is this strange and rare fish and what are its characteristics?

A young boy in Oklahoma caught a strange fish with scary, human-like teeth hidden behind its lips. This fish is very similar to the piranha, except that its teeth are surprisingly similar to human teeth.

According to a Facebook post from the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation (ODWC), Charlie Clinton caught the exotic fish, known as a pacu, in his home pond on July 15.

Pacu is the name given to several species of fish in the Serrasalmidae family. Paco fish with human-like teeth is native to South America and is a relative of the piranha. The body shape of these strange fish is similar to their razor fish relatives.

Piranha is classified as a carnivorous fish that lives in freshwater, especially in South American rivers. This type of fish is very wild and has very sharp teeth. This species as a group can eat a cow in 15 minutes and leave nothing but its bones! They feed on creatures such as capybaras, birds, monkeys, black caimans, anacondas, and sometimes even humans.

Pacos enter freshwater ecosystems in the United States when people keep them as pets, but then irresponsibly release them into nearby ponds and rivers to raise on their own, ODWC officials wrote.

This species is virtually unknown, but the group is known to grow up to 3.5 feet (1 m) in length and weigh 88 pounds (40 kg). Despite its piranha-like appearance, paco with human teeth is a harmless creature and does not harm humans.

In 2018, Kennedy Smith, then 11 years old, caught a paco with human-like teeth weighing about 1 pound (0.5 kg) in a lake in Oklahoma. The fish bit off Kennedy’s grandmother’s finger while the Kennedy family tried to unhook it. He told reporters at the time: “I was confused because the fish had strange teeth and I was surprised by the similarity of their teeth to humans.”

According to the American Museum of Natural History (AMHN), the species’ smooth, human-like teeth likely resulted from their varied omnivorous diet, which included small fish, crustaceans, fruits, and freshwater plants.

Paco feces also help fertilize freshwater plants and disperse their seeds. This issue has made these organisms a key species in their native ecosystems. However, like many other invasive species, the paco with its human-like teeth can have a negative impact on the ecosystems in which it is introduced.

ODWC representatives wrote in their Facebook post:

Leaving pets in waterways can be extremely harmful to native wildlife. They are an exotic and invasive species that can damage local ecosystems. As a result, fishermen are requested to remove them from rivers and ponds by catching these fish as much as possible.

Paco isn’t the only fish with human-like teeth to appear in US waters. In 2021, a sheepshead (Archosargus probatocephalus) with a much larger set of pearly whites was caught off a jetty off the North Carolina coastline.

Sheephead fish is a type of ray-finned fish found along the eastern coastline of North America and South America. These fish are famous for their teeth, which bear an uncanny resemblance to human teeth.