N.C. fisherman reels in a piranha

**BadlandsVikings** · 07-03-2007, 10:37 PM

MOUNT HOLLY, N.C. - A fisherman looking to catch a catfish for dinner instead reeled in a fish that flashed its teeth and bit his knife. Jerry Melton, 46, was fishing in the Catawba River last week when he caught what state wildlife officials later identified as a piranha, a South American carnivorous fish that lives in freshwater.

"When I got it on the bank I didn't really know what it was; I hadn't seen anything like it before," Melton said.

When Melton opened the fish's mouth with a pocketknife, he said the fish bit down and left an impression on the blade.

Wildlife officials told Melton on Saturday that he caught a 1 pound, 4 ounce piranha that was probably dumped in the river. Melton was fishing in Mount Holly, a town northwest of Charlotte.

The catch highlights the growing problem of people keeping exotic animals and fish as pets and later dumping them into local waters, said Paul Barrington, an ichthyologist with the Fort Fisher Aquarium. Earlier this year, another fisherman caught a snakehead fish Ã¢â‚¬â€ also a nonnative fish Ã¢â‚¬â€ in Lake Wylie near Charlotte.

"Releasing nonnative fish in our native waters is highly irresponsible because it could have a very adverse affect on the fish in that ecosystem," Barrington said. "Piranha and the snakehead fish have no predators in our waters."

Jacob Rash, a North Carolina Wildlife Resources biologist, said he believes the piranha was the first caught in the Catawba River and possibly the first in the region.

Melton, who is keeping the piranha in his freezer until he can have it mounted, said the experience will keep him out of the river's water.

"I've been fishing there my whole life," he said. "Catching something like that is definitely going to make me think twice about what's in that water."

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070703/ap_on_fe_st/odd_piranha_catch

**COJOMAY** · 07-03-2007, 10:47 PM

"Releasing nonnative fish in our native waters is highly irresponsible because it could have a very adverse affect on the fish in that ecosystem..."

To say nothing about some humans that may be swimming in the lake.

**BloodyHorns82** · 07-04-2007, 12:27 AM

"COJOMAY" wrote:

"Releasing nonnative fish in our native waters is highly irresponsible because it could have a very adverse affect on the fish in that ecosystem..."

To say nothing about some humans that may be swimming in the lake.

I don't think one piranha would cause any harm to humans swimming in the lake...now if it was a pregnant piranha though that was released into the lake, that might be a different story.
Can you imagine?

**ColoradoViking** · 07-04-2007, 12:40 AM

I had a pirahna for 10 years... one time, the water got down to 45 degrees and it didn't die.. another time, the water got up to 110 and it didn't die... I routinely went weeks, once in awhile a month, without feeding it. One time, the water turned black from sediment when I moved the tank.. the thing still lived!

I had to leave mine with a friend when I moved to CO and as far as I know it is still alive.. It was alive 2 years ago at 15 years old!

Could you imagine if someone let a school of those things go?
DANG

**BloodyHorns82** · 07-04-2007, 12:46 AM

"ColoradoViking" wrote:

I had a pirahna for 10 years... one time, the water got down to 45 degrees and it didn't die.. another time, the water got up to 110 and it didn't die... I routinely went weeks, once in awhile a month, without feeding it. One time, the water turned black from sediment when I moved the tank.. the thing still lived!

I had to leave mine with a friend when I moved to CO and as far as I know it is still alive.. It was alive 2 years ago at 15 years old!

Could you imagine if someone let a school of those things go?
DANG

Some people shouldn't have pets...and your one of them!
;D

**ColoradoViking** · 07-04-2007, 12:52 AM

"BloodyHorns82" wrote:

"ColoradoViking" wrote:

I had a pirahna for 10 years... one time, the water got down to 45 degrees and it didn't die.. another time, the water got up to 110 and it didn't die... I routinely went weeks, once in awhile a month, without feeding it. One time, the water turned black from sediment when I moved the tank.. the thing still lived!

I had to leave mine with a friend when I moved to CO and as far as I know it is still alive.. It was alive 2 years ago at 15 years old!

Could you imagine if someone let a school of those things go?
DANG

Some people shouldn't have pets...and your one of them!
;D

HA... At least I din't try giving him a bath in the toilet!
and when he ate,... he ate good baby! 10-15 goldfish, frogs, leftover bait.. the works

**BloodyHorns82** · 07-04-2007, 01:16 AM

"ColoradoViking" wrote:

"BloodyHorns82" wrote:

"ColoradoViking" wrote:

I had a pirahna for 10 years... one time, the water got down to 45 degrees and it didn't die.. another time, the water got up to 110 and it didn't die... I routinely went weeks, once in awhile a month, without feeding it. One time, the water turned black from sediment when I moved the tank.. the thing still lived!

I had to leave mine with a friend when I moved to CO and as far as I know it is still alive.. It was alive 2 years ago at 15 years old!

Could you imagine if someone let a school of those things go?
DANG

Some people shouldn't have pets...and your one of them!
;D

HA... At least I din't try giving him a bath in the toilet!
and when he ate,... he ate good baby! 10-15 goldfish, frogs, leftover bait.. the works

Thats probably because he learned at a young age that it could be weeks before he saw one morsal of food!

**digital420** · 07-04-2007, 01:27 AM

"ColoradoViking" wrote:

I had a pirahna for 10 years... one time, the water got down to 45 degrees and it didn't die.. another time, the water got up to 110 and it didn't die... I routinely went weeks, once in awhile a month, without feeding it. One time, the water turned black from sediment when I moved the tank.. the thing still lived!

I had to leave mine with a friend when I moved to CO and as far as I know it is still alive.. It was alive 2 years ago at 15 years old!

Could you imagine if someone let a school of those things go?
DANG

wasn't there a cheezy movie made about this?

and yeah those are some tuff fish.. a roomate had 2 and they lived through a lot..

DiGiTaL

**BloodyHorns82** · 07-04-2007, 01:39 AM

"digital420" wrote:

"ColoradoViking" wrote:

I had a pirahna for 10 years... one time, the water got down to 45 degrees and it didn't die.. another time, the water got up to 110 and it didn't die... I routinely went weeks, once in awhile a month, without feeding it. One time, the water turned black from sediment when I moved the tank.. the thing still lived!

I had to leave mine with a friend when I moved to CO and as far as I know it is still alive.. It was alive 2 years ago at 15 years old!

Could you imagine if someone let a school of those things go?
DANG

wasn't there a cheezy movie made about this?

and yeah those are some tuff fish.. a roomate had 2 and they lived through a lot..

I remember seeing that movie when I was a little kid!
I totally forgot that existed... ha ha.

**jmcdon00** · 07-04-2007, 01:53 AM

"BloodyHorns82" wrote:

"digital420" wrote:

"ColoradoViking" wrote:

I had a pirahna for 10 years... one time, the water got down to 45 degrees and it didn't die.. another time, the water got up to 110 and it didn't die... I routinely went weeks, once in awhile a month, without feeding it. One time, the water turned black from sediment when I moved the tank.. the thing still lived!

I had to leave mine with a friend when I moved to CO and as far as I know it is still alive.. It was alive 2 years ago at 15 years old!

Could you imagine if someone let a school of those things go?
DANG

wasn't there a cheezy movie made about this?

and yeah those are some tuff fish.. a roomate had 2 and they lived through a lot..

I remember seeing that movie when I was a little kid!
I totally forgot that existed... ha ha.

Yep I'm never going swimming again, thanks.