French testicles at risk as Pacu fish makes its way down Seine River
The Pacu fish — known to locals as the “Ball Cutter” — has much more human-like teeth than this shark, but they’re just as deadly.
In a worrying find for French genitalia, a fisherman near Paris caught a Pacu fish, the cousin of the piranha also known as the "ball cutter" for its vicious bite and penchant for testicles.
The French angler told river police about the find after noticing how unusual it looked.
“He sent us an image of the picture through his smart phone and it turned out to be a Pacu,” said a police spokesperson.
“It is a fish with a very dangerous bite.”
The Pacu has found its way into European waters recently, showing up near Sweden last month.
Swimmers in Sweden and Denmark were advised to keep their shorts on until it was determined how many Pacu there were in the water.
More from GlobalPost: Testicle-eating pacu fish back with a vengeance in Scandinavia
The fish is native to the Brazilian Amazon and is considered vegetarian – that is until it sees a man skinny-dipping.
They are also found in the rivers near Papua New Guinea, where it was reported the fish had tore off men's balls.
"They bite because they’re hungry, and testicles sit nicely in their mouth," a fish expert told the Independent.
Le Monde reported that river police in Paris regularly find strange fish species and other non-native animals in the river, likely dumped by people who collect exotic pets.