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Authorities Warn Swimmers in Scandinavia: Pacu Fish Will Eat Your Balls

By Cheri Cheng | Update Date: Aug 12, 2013 10:11 AM EDT

As fun as a skinny dipping excursion sounds for a group of friends, authorities are warning swimmers to be extremely careful when they are under the water, especially with no clothes on. According to the authorities from Scandinavia, people who are skinny dipping in these waters are risking the health and safety of their own testicles. In these waters live the Pacu, a fish that has been dubbed the cousin of the piranha. Although the Pacu can grow to be much larger than the piranha, they are not as fierce or aggressive as the little fish with razor sharp teeth. However, when tempted this species of fish will bite off a pair of testicles and thus, for men who want to keep their nuts, avoid skinny-dipping.

The Pacu is a fish that can grow up to three feet long and weigh up to 55 pounds. It has jaws that are extremely strong and can cut off a finger. The fish originates from South America but a fisherman had discovered them in the Danish/Swedish strait called Oresund. Although the fish is relatively not that aggressive, when they see a pair of nuts, they often mistaken them for something tasty and crunchy. The Pacu will then proceed and latch on to these balls, which could be extremely painful and potentially irreversible if the balls are eaten.

"Anyone choosing to bathe in the Oresund these days had best keep their swimsuits well tied," experts from the National History of Museum of Denmark stated according to the Huffington Post.

"[The Pacu's] mouth is not so big, so it normally eats nuts, fruit, snails and small fish, but human testicles are just a natural target," Henrik Carl from the Museum added.

Although people in Scandinavia appear to be unscathed by the Pacu, the fish has caused fatalities before with its ferocious bite. Based from reports by locals in Papua New Guinea, two fishermen has died after a Pacu bit off both of their testicles in the past. The fishermen had died from bleeding out. However, attacks are rare. As of right now, it is unclear how this species of fish ended up in Scandinavia. Officials believe that the presence of the Pacu could be due to illegal trading of exotic pets. 

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