Happy Halloween! We’re getting into the spooky spirit by looking at some scary freshwater animals.
The Frankenfish (aka Snakehead Fish)
It sounds like something spawned in a low-budget horror movie: an eel-like fish with sharp teeth, the ability to breathe air and move on land, and unpleasantly aggressive tendencies. But snakehead fish are neither Hollywood nightmare nor urban legend – they’re real freshwater fish from Asia, first imported to the U.S. for food and as aquarium fish. According to the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, snakeheads can survive in water with very low oxygen levels and can survive (and slither) on land for up to three days. Snakeheads don’t attack humans, except to protect their young. There are no known reproducing snakehead populations in Georgia right now, but Northern Snakeheads have been found as nearby as North Carolina and Florida. Learn more
The Man Eater (aka Fishing Spider)
Fishing spiders, also sometimes called dock spiders, are semi-aquatic spiders found throughout North America. The most common species of fishing spider in our area is the six-spotted fishing spider. The females of this species are larger than, and have been known to eat, the males! An ambush predator, this spider hunts for insects and small amphibians, using its silk only to construct a nursery for egg hatching rather than for capturing prey. Although fishing spiders can be quite large (up to 2.5 inches in length), their venom is not dangerous to humans.
The Testicle Eating Fish (aka Pacu)
Sometimes referred to as “vegetarian piranha,” pacu are frugivore (fruit and seed eating) cousins of the infamous red piranha. Native to South America, where they are a prized catch for eating, pacu have been found in at least 25 states in the U.S., including Georgia. They are sold here legally as aquarium fish. Pacu can live for up to 35 years and grow up to three feet in length — which helps to explain why they often get released from aquariums into local waters (unwanted aquarium pacu can be disposed of properly by a veterinarian or aquarium retailer). The “testicle eating fish” name comes from a story of pacu castrating fishermen in Papua New Guinea … but experts agree that the tale sounds fishy!
