Mississippi mystery fish is a pacu

Star Tribune ^ | 8/10/02 | Doug Smith

[NormsRevenge]

The good news is that the unusual-looking fish caught recently in the Mississippi River near Wabasha wasn't a flesh-eating South American piranha, as had been rumored.

The bad news is that it was a 7-pound red pacu, a second cousin to the piranha and a native to the Amazon basin.

[NormsRevenge]

7 Pounds!! Thats a Big 'un!

[EggsAckley]

Let's see.....diversity among humans is a GOOD thing, and diversity among animal life is a BAD thing.........I'm so confused. ;o)

[henderson field]

Why do we even allow these species in the country. You KNOW someone is going to get them, feed them for two weeks and then put them in the toilet. U.S. Customs will give someone a hard time for importing a sports car but these alien fish, well that's OK, even if they do ruin the environment. If Sierra Club was sincere, they would have said something about this long ago. We all know that they're not. And what about West Nile Virus? U.S. Customs -- keep up the good work!

[csvset]

Instead of flesh, the pacu -- with teeth that resemble human molars -- feeds primarily on seeds, nuts and other vegetable matter.

Will it eat kudzu?

[catfish1957]

Three questions though...

1. How easy does it filet ?

2. How does it taste

3. Fry or bake?

[NormsRevenge]

I'd say it fillets like a crappie and tastes like mahi mahi... Im an optimist! :-)

A nice beer batter and a cold one , Yum Yum Yum ...