| T.R | Title | User | Personal Name
 | Date | Lines | 
|---|
| 1486.2 | A small animal for bait??? | KAHALA::PRESTON | Between Iraq and a hard place... | Thu Aug 23 1990 11:17 | 15 | 
|  |     Unconfimed, but of interest:
    
    Heard yesterday that a girl in Merrimack NH caught a :
    
    
    15" Piranha !!!
    
    Yup, that's right! She didn't know what it was right away, but it bit
    her when she tried to take it off the hook (didn't break the skin,
    though). 
    
    This was related to me by a guy in the office who heard it on the
    radio. They think the fish was discarded by the former owner...
    
    Ed
 | 
| 1486.3 |  | BUNYIP::QUODLING | Innovation, but no Momentum | Fri Aug 24 1990 10:43 | 7 | 
|  |    Piranha normally don't grow anywhere near 15" long, Their teeth are razor
   sharp, so it would have broken the skin...
   
   Sounds like a crock to me...
   
   q
   
 | 
| 1486.4 |  | RANGER::MACINTYRE | Terminal Angler | Fri Aug 24 1990 11:33 | 4 | 
|  |     The other day I heard a NH station (WGIR) say that it was a nice day
    for piranha fishing... made me curious...
    
    donmac
 | 
| 1486.5 | PACU pirahna | CHET::BEAUCHESNE |  | Fri Aug 24 1990 12:45 | 10 | 
|  |     
    	RE: last few.  It was a "PACU", a species of pirahna which feed on
    	vegetation and rarely eat meat.  There teeth are only "stubs" which
    	explains why the skin was not broken.  Yesterday's paper had the
    	length as 12", not the 15" originally reported.
    
    	It'll be tough to beat that catch in the state's Trophy Fish
    	program!
    
    	Moe
 | 
| 1486.6 | say cheese... | MFGMEM::MROWKA |  | Fri Aug 24 1990 13:42 | 10 | 
|  | >    	RE: last few.  It was a "PACU", a species of pirahna which feed on
>   	vegetation and rarely eat meat.  There teeth are only "stubs" which
>    	explains why the skin was not broken.  Yesterday's paper had the
>    	length as 12", not the 15" originally reported.
    
 
	If it is Pacu they have what looks like human teeth. In fisherman
rag had pic'sa year ago when Toad went to Brazil
	JR
 | 
| 1486.7 |  | WAHOO::LEVESQUE | Better by you, better than me | Mon Aug 27 1990 11:01 | 6 | 
|  |  re: size of piranha
 In their native waters, piranha can indeed exceed 15" and several pounds.
(According to Jacques Cousteau, a reputable source. :-)
 The Doctah
 | 
| 1486.1 |  | XCUSME::WATERS | The Legend of the Lakes | Wed Aug 29 1990 15:17 | 9 | 
|  |     Mr. Projects, this has been discussed in another note.....about two
    weeks ago!!!
    
    Don Mac, please direct my friend, Mr. Projects to the note mentioned
    above.
    
    Thank you,
    
    Legend
 | 
| 1486.8 | ofishal parahna topic | RANGER::MACINTYRE | Terminal Angler | Thu Aug 30 1990 09:19 | 7 | 
|  |     The previous discussion about the paranha took place in the 'register
    your hawgs' topic, rather than redirecting further discussion there, 
    I moved all the 'parahna' replies here. 
    
    donmac  
    
    
 | 
| 1486.9 | New Hampshire fish are larger | WJOUSM::BOURGAULT |  | Thu Aug 30 1990 12:46 | 3 | 
|  |     Just this past weekend in Mass some young kid fishing with marshmallows
    caught a 5" pirahna. I believe it was in Doug pond in Swanze.
    
 | 
| 1486.10 | Named... | DELNI::O_ONEIL |  | Thu Aug 30 1990 13:07 | 1 | 
|  |     Doug or Dinsdale, no doubt...
 | 
| 1486.11 | correction | LUDWIG::KERSWELL |  | Thu Aug 30 1990 13:24 | 4 | 
|  |     RE;9
    It was DUG pond in natick?
    
    a little correction.
 | 
| 1486.12 | No skinny dippin' in the Merrimac! | NAVIER::YELINEK | WITHIN 10 | Thu Aug 30 1990 22:55 | 20 | 
|  |    Anybody ever seen the movie "Attack of the Killer Pirhanas"?? This
    was a wild film where the government was experimenting with these
    fish and breeding them to be extremely aggressive.  Then of course
    the sequel followed with "Attack of the Killer Pirhanas II". (I
    may be in error of the exact name of the sequel) but in this flick
    those government experimenters spliced the genes of the flying fish
    with the pirhanas.., made them real aggressive and eventually entered
    into this feeding frenzie and chased a bunch of people around biting
    them on the face whilst they were having a party on the beach.  
    You won't want to miss these two movies! I couldn't resist. So much
    for cult films.
    
    /MArk
    
    BTW: A Pirhana(sp?) most closely resembles a tropical fish called
         the silver dollar. 
    
    
    hana
    
 | 
| 1486.13 | Sure the waters fine.Jump in! | XLIB::ALLINSON |  | Fri Aug 31 1990 08:24 | 16 | 
|  |     
    
    
                  Yup,Dug pond in Natick was where the kid caught
                  that Lunker Pirhana.
    
                  What will these fish do to other populations of
                  fish in a pond/Lake?? I know they're suppose to 
                  die if the water temp. goes below 65 degrees but
                  what happens in the meantime?
    
    
                                               The Keg
    
    
                  
 | 
| 1486.14 | Hey baby, wanna try something different? | DONVAN::T_THEO | You don't know me, I live in the woods | Fri Aug 31 1990 11:14 | 18 | 
|  |     
    Back a few...
    
    The fish caught in the Merrimack was indeed a Pacu. The Manchester
    Union Leader had an interview with the girl that caught it. 
    
    Back one...
    
    As for affect on other species, a spokesman from fish and game said
    the fish was undoubtedly a pet that had outgrown it's tank and had
    been released. He went on to say that the species would NEVER have
    survived tha winter and was surprized it was still living. Tropical
    fish (like the pacu) need intensive care in captivity (certain PH
    levels..etc). 
    
    My own 2 bits... It takes two to tango and unless this Pirahna/Pacu
                     could sweet talk his way into a lady smallie's pants
                     or fins, he would have died of blueballs. :)
 | 
| 1486.15 | illegal to sell in MASS. | NAVIER::YELINEK | WITHIN 10 | Mon Sep 10 1990 17:34 | 14 | 
|  |     My Dad sent me the newspaper article printed in the Springfield
    Daily News.  It was caught in what is referred to as the cove at
    the southernmost end of Dug Pond in Natick.  It was reported that
    this was the third piranha found in MA. in recent years. It was
    also reported that a women in NH. caught one a couple weeks later.
    Like the last note said, the piranha will most likely die with the
    onset of Winter.  They are from the tropical fresh waters of Central
    and South America and WILL NOT reproduce in New England waters.
    The article went on to say that the piranha caught in Dug pond did
    not have the gaping saw-like teeth of the infamous black piranha
    that appeal to producers of horror flicks.  There are roughly 20
    species, some are vegetarian, some omnivorous, and some carnivores.
    
    /MArk
 |