Two people fishing in Arkansas got quite a surprise when they pulled a catch out of Lake Benton.
Roger Headley thought that it was a large perch, but when friend Dutch-Kathy Barnett pulled the hook from its mouth, it almost bit her finger.
According to KFSM, the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission has confirmed that the fish was a piranha.
Alan Bland, an Army Corps engineer, told KFSM that it’s not unusual to find piranhas in Arkansas lakes. Even though it is illegal, aquarium owners sometimes dump the sharp-toothed fish into area lakes when they tire of caring for them, according to Bland.
Piranhas are not dangerous to the public when encountered in cold water environments, according to Bland. The cold temperatures make the fish sluggish and less aggressive. Piranhas usually die with a few days in cold waters.
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