"The red-bellied pacu（麻醉后恢复室） is the cousin of a very well-known fish that terrorizes swimmers in made-for-TV movies and on the big screen: the piranha," notes the Discovery channel. "These family members sure know how to use their sharp teeth to make their prey¹ scream for mercy."

 

Although the pacu normally stick to a fruit, nut, and insect diet, they have been known to eat other fish as well as human flesh. In 2001, two fishermen bled to death after being bitten in the genital（生殖的） region. The Illinois Department of Natural Resources has assured residents that it is safe to swim in Lake Lou Yaeger and that attacks by the pacu are extremely rare.

 

The pacu are native to the Amazon, and it is believed that any found in the lake are former pets illegally dumped into the water. Anyone found guilty of dumping the fish could face charges. Thankfully, no one was injured by the pacu in Lake Lou Yaeger.

 

Piranhas have long terrorized American audiences, with their ferocious² appetites and need for meat. The fish were featured in a Bond film, "You Only Live Twice," as well as their own films "Piranha" and "Piranha II: The Spawning³." In these films, the fish have an insatiable appetite for human flesh exclusively.

 

In 2010, "Piranha 3D" was released, allowing for a new generation of audiences to be horrified⁴ by the fish. It is more likely, though, that piranhas will eat smaller fish or their own if desperately⁵ hungry.

 

The Department of Natural Resources has stated that if there are more pacu in the lake, they are not a threat to residents.

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