Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
Fish With Teeth Return To NJ Just In Time For Testicle-Chomping Season
By
Ben Yakas
Published Jun 24, 2015
Modified Jul 24, 2017
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
Ben Yakas
Published Jun 24, 2015
Modified Jul 24, 2017
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
This has all happened before, and it will happen again: a New Jersey father and son were throughly freaked out after they found a fish with teeth in South Jersey this weekend. It turns out this was the same variety of "testicle-devouring" fish that was found swimming just 15 miles outside of NYC two years ago.
Ron Rossi caught the pacu, a fish with teeth that is native to South America, Sunday at Swedes Lake during a fishing excursion with his family. "I've never seen anything like that before in the lake. It was different," Rossi's son Frank told ABC.
Officials believe that the rare Amazonian fish, which has the nickname of "Nutcracker," was likely in someone’s exotic aquarium before being dumped in the lake. A spokesperson from the DEP said in a statement, "Many times, these fish are deposited into lakes by pet owners. These fish do not survive in colder water, so we encourage people not to release it into the wild but to humanely destroy the fish."
The pacu made headlines in 2011—and gained its reputation for testicle-chomping— when one was blamed for the death of two New Guinea men who allegedly died from bloodloss after the fish bit their testicles. Then in 2012, they allegedly attacked swimmers' coin purses in coastal waters between Sweden and Denmark. "They bite because they're hungry, and testicles sit nicely in their mouth," Henrik Carl, a fish expert at the Natural History Museum of Denmark, told The Local at the time. (The fish were also found in Chicago that same year.)
Experts later clarified that their comments about the giggle berry biting was "half a joke," since it's highly unlikely there are more of these fish in local lakes: "We did say that we recommend men to keep their swimsuits tied up until we know if there are more pacus out there in our waters," Moller told CNN, referring to the a tongue-in-cheek Scandinavian warning. "Of course, this is half a joke since it is very unlikely that you would actually meet one here and that it would bite you. It's up to people themselves how careful they want to be. I'll keep my shorts on, though."
HAVING SAID THAT, the US Geological Survey has documented a total of 114 sightings since 1970. Half a joke is no joke for the family who found the pacu this time (via ABC):
But their lingering concern is that more Pacu remain in Swedes Lake.
Their concern stems from the fact that, while rare, there have been reports of Pacu attacking people.
"A lot of residents swim and then there's the marathon people that swim the length of this lake just about every day," said Ron.
If you're really concerned about pacus, you could always invest in chastity belts.
Tagged
balls
fish
new jersey
nightmares
nj
pacu
pacu panic 2015
terrifying
Testicles
Ben Yakas
Ben Yakas is a former Gothamist reporter.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
Early Addition: New Jersey considering a ban on chewing gum because of microplastics
Because New Jersey is just trying to keep its people safe, here are your early links: Early voters get a spooky sticker, Tom Hanks returning to Broadway, a time capsule letter to the NYC mayor in 2026 and more.
By
James Ramsay
Published Oct 23, 2026 at 8:48 a.m. ET
Queens mother charged with murdering her son after failed suicide attempt, NYPD says
Sukken Wong, 62, allegedly stabbed her nonverbal son, Byran Wong, 25, to death.
By
Brittany Kriegstein
News
Queens mother charged with murdering her son after failed suicide attempt, NYPD says
Sukken Wong, 62, allegedly stabbed her nonverbal son, Byran Wong, 25, to death.
By
Brittany Kriegstein
Your guide to voting in New York's 2026 elections for governor and Congress
By
Walter Wuthmann
,
Jon Campbell
and
Brigid Bergin
Forest Hills Stadium can keep its concerts under deal with neighbors
By
Ryan Kost
NYC Council to grill Mamdani officials on collapsed Hunts Point Produce Market deal
By
Elizabeth Kim
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .