Swedish men are being warned against any inclination for Unclad swimming
after a new species of fish has been discovered in their waters which
enjoys biting testicles.
A 21cm pacu fish, a relative of the
piranha, was found by fisherman in the Oresund Sound off the south coast
of the country last week.
Known in Papua New Guinea as 'The Ball
Cutter', the pacu has reportedly been responsible for the deaths of two
fishermen in the Pacific nation, who died from blood loss after the
fish had bitten off their testicles.
A freshwater fish, it can grow up to 90cm long and weigh up to 25kg.
Mainly
found in the rivers of the Amazonian basin, they have flatter teeth
which are very similar to humans and perfect for crunching.
Their
diet is mainly nuts, leaves, aquatic vegetation and snails - but on
occasion they have been known to enjoy the taste of human flesh.
Keep
your swimwear on if you're bathing in the Sound these days - maybe
there are more out there!' the Natural History Museum of Denmark has
warned.
'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,' said Henrik Carl, a fish expert at the Danish museum told Sweden's
The Local.
In 2004, The Scotsman newspaper reported that an
18-month-old toddler required surgery after a pacu bit her finger at
Edinburgh Butterfly and Insect World.
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