# Fish ID



## Miacova (Sep 1, 2011)

Got this out of Walborn, what is it? Some guy there said it looked like a golden shiner


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## Miacova (Sep 1, 2011)

Was a weird day also got this turtle.


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## lennyzrx (Dec 31, 2011)

looks like someones pet let loose to me?


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## icebucketjohn (Dec 22, 2005)

Not a native species for sure. The pelvic fin really gives it away as a species not from Ohio.

Looks like a South American Pirahnna or a cousin of it.

Contact ODNR


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## lennyzrx (Dec 31, 2011)

icebucketjohn said:


> Not a native species for sure. The pelvic fin really gives it away as a species not from Ohio.
> 
> Looks like a South American Pirahnna or a cousin of it.
> 
> Contact ODNR


 yes. theres some kind of vegetarian pirhana? that eats nuts and such. That thing looks like one


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## KWaller (Oct 3, 2010)

It is a Pacu I believe, they are really popping up around ohio lately...

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## celtic11 (Jun 30, 2011)

If it has a bunch of teeth on its lips its a red-bellied piranha. No teeth means its a Pacu. Either way, it belongs either in an aquarium or south america.

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## Crappieman420 (Apr 5, 2011)

Wow I would love to have Pacu roam these waters. They can get upwards of 55 pounds and yes they are vegetarians but they DO eat meat...saw it all on river monsters. It would be great to have them here in my humble opinion. Although someone probably did let it loose. They are natives of tropical climates so I don't know that they would survive our winters though. 

LAND BIG FISH !!!


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## squidlips2020 (Jul 3, 2012)

where the hell were u fishing? lol


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## Miacova (Sep 1, 2011)

It had teeth.










Bigger in the lower lip than the top.


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## LipRipper79 (Mar 26, 2011)

It is def a pacu, they have teeth for crushing nuts and such. People let them go all the time when they outgrow the aquariums. They could never survive our winters


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## lennyzrx (Dec 31, 2011)

LipRipper79 said:


> It is def a pacu, they have teeth for crushing nuts and such. People let them go all the time when they outgrow the aquariums. They could never survive our winters


 well let's hope they can't survive! seem's critters have a way of adapting themselves.

some of those big pet snakes let loose in florida seem to be doing well. Most folk's said they'd never survive!


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## Dan44149 (Apr 12, 2011)

Crappieman420 said:


> Wow I would love to have Pacu roam these waters. They can get upwards of 55 pounds and yes they are vegetarians but they DO eat meat...saw it all on river monsters. It would be great to have them here in my humble opinion. Although someone probably did let it loose. They are natives of tropical climates so I don't know that they would survive our winters though.
> 
> LAND BIG FISH !!!


Deep water? Survival is in us all. I love that show by the way. :B


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## Rod Hawg (Jan 13, 2011)

WOW. Thats so weird. I'd love to go down into South America and fish for them. But I don't want them here...


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## freshwaterwhale (Jul 8, 2012)

I believe your the second one to catch one of those today,I just found this site this morning morning,Great Quote Dan and Thank You for your sevice...


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## celtic11 (Jun 30, 2011)

lennyzrx said:


> well let's hope they can't survive! seem's critters have a way of adapting themselves.
> 
> some of those big pet snakes let loose in florida seem to be doing well. Most folk's said they'd never survive!


Floridas climate is much closer to what those snakes come from naturally. These fish are used to water that is never really colder than 70 degrees.

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## PolymerStew (Feb 17, 2009)

I agree, looks like a Pacu. Red-bellied Pacu would have human-like teeth, blunter and designed for crushing and chewing. Red-bellied piranha would have sharp, triangular shark-like teeth for cutting and tearing.

Either way that fish doesn't belong in Ohio lakes, you should report it to the DNR.


The turtle looks like an eastern spiny softshell turtle or a midland smooth softshell, both of which are found in Ohio according to the DNR website
http://www.dnr.state.oh.us/Home/spe...nspinysoftshellturtle/tabid/6618/Default.aspx

http://www.dnr.state.oh.us/Home/spe...smoothsoftshellturtle/tabid/6685/Default.aspx


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## Miacova (Sep 1, 2011)

PolymerStew said:


> I agree, looks like a Pacu. Red-bellied Pacu would have human-like teeth, blunter and designed for crushing and chewing. Red-bellied piranha would have sharp, triangular shark-like teeth for cutting and tearing.
> 
> Either way that fish doesn't belong in Ohio lakes, you should report it to the DNR.
> 
> ...


I called over a ranger who was taking servays and asked him what it was. The guy was just a kid he thought it was a golden shiner.


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## Miacova (Sep 1, 2011)

It had sharp triangle teeth, almost transparent.


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## FisherPro (Sep 15, 2011)

celtic11 said:


> Floridas climate is much closer to what those snakes come from naturally. These fish are used to water that is never really colder than 70 degrees.
> 
> Outdoor Hub mobile, the outdoor information engine


A show called monsterquest did an experiment to see just how cold of a climate piranha could legitimately survive in. Their results proved that they can survive in temperatures as low as the mid 50s. This means that it is within the realm of possibilities that piranha could survive in certain Ohio waters, any water that has natural spring water flow will remain around 60º year round near that spring. Probable, no. Possible, absolutely. When it comes to mother nature and the will to survive, you never really know what could happen.


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## All Eyes (Jul 28, 2004)

Ditto what everyone else said. Looks like you caught a Red Bellied Pacu, probably from someones aquarium. I'm not sure if different species of Pacu have different teeth than others, but the ones I've seen look like they literally have human dentures in their mouth. They probably develop them as they get older?


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## laynhardwood (Dec 27, 2009)

Looks like a pacu or piranha must have outgrown someone's fish tank 


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## All Eyes (Jul 28, 2004)

Miacova said:


> It had sharp triangle teeth, almost transparent.


That sounds like piranha teeth. Usually they have a very defined lower jaw and the bottom lip extends out much further than the upper lip. Hard to tell from your pics but it's possible it's a red piranha?


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## willy (Apr 27, 2007)

All Eyes said:


> That sounds like piranha teeth. Usually they have a very defined lower jaw and the bottom lip extends out much further than the upper lip. Hard to tell from your pics but it's possible it's a red piranha?


Ditto to what All eyes said, I used to raise red belly piranhas myself years ago. The lower jaw protrudes out like on a crappie and the small triangle teeth of the piranha match up top to bottom jaw, are thin and razor sharp and they take chunks out of whatever they bite. Also, contrary to the movies there teeth don't hang out like sharks teeth, actually it's kind of hard to even see them in a piranha in a tank, if i recall you can only see the very tips of them. They used to sell mounted piranha's in the tourist trade and for effect they cut the lips off the fish when they mount it - so it looks like a nasty serated bear trap of a mouth (like the movie versions), I used to see the old mounted fish at flea markets now and then over the years. 
Just imagine if you cut your lips off how terrifying you would look! lol.
Also there is a black pirahna that is alot bigger and meaner then the red bellies, if i recall they were illegal to import back when I was into tanks. 

Anyway, because of the mouth, that first pic looks just like the pacu's i've seen, and they grow fast and can get massive.

I really think the ODNR seriously needs to start raising and stocking piranha's in the river to take care of those pesky asian carp 

8)


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## icebucketjohn (Dec 22, 2005)

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/...is-lake_n_1656015.html?utm_hp_ref=mostpopular


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## lennyzrx (Dec 31, 2011)

icebucketjohn said:


> http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/...is-lake_n_1656015.html?utm_hp_ref=mostpopular


 that could ruin a mans day!


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## LipRipper79 (Mar 26, 2011)

lennyzrx said:


> well let's hope they can't survive! seem's critters have a way of adapting themselves.
> 
> some of those big pet snakes let loose in florida seem to be doing well. Most folk's said they'd never survive!


Southern Florida is the perfect enviroment for burmese and reticulated pythons to survive. You never know what is lurking in the swamps down there. They have so many reptile and fish invaders its unreal.


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## celtic11 (Jun 30, 2011)

LipRipper79 said:


> Southern Florida is the perfect enviroment for burmese and reticulated pythons to survive. You never know what is lurking in the swamps down there. They have so many reptile and fish invaders its unreal.


I would really hate to meet up with an unruly retic on my morning stroll. Those things are beautiful snakes though.

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## lennyzrx (Dec 31, 2011)

LipRipper79 said:


> Southern Florida is the perfect enviroment for burmese and reticulated pythons to survive. You never know what is lurking in the swamps down there. They have so many reptile and fish invaders its unreal.


 I work with a fella from Mississippi. He told me all the snake stories I need to know. Droppin out of trees into the boat ect.

Not a place for an old Buckey! You'd see fast action with an old Browning H.P and we'd sink in the swamp!


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## LipRipper79 (Mar 26, 2011)

celtic11 said:


> I would really hate to meet up with an unruly retic on my morning stroll. Those things are beautiful snakes though.
> 
> Outdoor Hub mobile, the outdoor information engine


That would be very scary to say the least...Very good looking snake, had one in my younger and dumber days that went from a 2 foot hatchling to a 10 foot beast in one year. Very docile but i started to fear for the life of my cat and dog, lol. luckily the breeder i bought her from took her back.


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## basshunter12 (Dec 2, 2010)

Red bellied pacu have teeth very similar to thr parhana teetg when they are young and the get human like whenn thry become mature

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## CATMAN447 (Jun 12, 2011)

Pacu look very similar to red bellies when they're juveniles. As they get older, they get darker and lose the "red belly." Both have teeth. The red belly will have small, triangular teeth like a shark. The teeth in a Pacu are much more blunt and made for crushing.


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## celtic11 (Jun 30, 2011)

basshunter12 said:


> Red bellied pacu have teeth very similar to thr parhana teetg when they are young and the get human like whenn thry become mature
> 
> Outdoor Hub mobile, the outdoor information engine


Im not saying you're wrong, but I owned two piranha that I purchased at about the size of a dime, and you could see their razor sharp teeth at that age and I got rid of them when they were about 3" a piece and you could still see the teeth noticeably. 

I also worked in a pet store for a couple years and never once did I see a Pacu with teeth anything like a piranha.

Again, not saying you're wrong because I never paid much attention to the pacu that closely but I haven't seen what your stating. 

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## LipRipper79 (Mar 26, 2011)

I agree with celtic, i worked in a pet store also and owned both species. I wish they would stop selling red belly pacu, atleast with out a permit. they get wayyyy too big, and too many get released.


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## fishinnick (Feb 19, 2011)

> I called over a ranger who was taking servays and asked him what it was. The guy was just a kid he thought it was a golden shiner.


This is very very sad... Should not be working for the ODNR


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## Rod Hawg (Jan 13, 2011)

fishinnick said:


> This is very very sad... Should not be working for the ODNR


Amen to that... That looks nothing like a golden shiner


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## buckzye11 (Jul 16, 2009)

So what did you catch it on? I just want to know so i know what to use next time i try for Pacu


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## wedebrook (Jul 29, 2009)

fishinnick said:


> This is very very sad... Should not be working for the ODNR


Agreed. It's kind of amazing, really.


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## Miacova (Sep 1, 2011)

buckzye11 said:


> So what did you catch it on? I just want to know so i know what to use next time i try for Pacu


Minnow off the bottom.


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## BassMeister (May 31, 2012)

That is a PACU for sure.

Think I had a discussion with someone here and they said they couldnt live in these waters. However this is the 3rd or 4th I have heard this year being caught.....makes you wonder.


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## BlueRibbonTaxidermy (Feb 2, 2005)

fishinnick said:


> This is very very sad... Should not be working for the ODNR


In defense of the ODNR fish surveyor, he is probably a second year Hocking College student that is sub-contracted by the ODNR for the summer. It is considered a summer internship. Most likely hasn't even had his fish ID class yet. I was him back in '77 although I could have ID'd this fish.


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## celtic11 (Jun 30, 2011)

BassMeister said:


> That is a PACU for sure.
> 
> Think I had a discussion with someone here and they said they couldnt live in these waters. However this is the 3rd or 4th I have heard this year being caught.....makes you wonder.


If its the same discussion I'm thinking of, the topic was can Pacu survive Ohio winters. There is no doubt in my mind that a Pacu could survive in our waters in the Summer, as our summer water temps are more in line with their natural habitat. I can't sit here and guarantee they can't live through our winters, but this is a fish that requires you to put a water heater in the aquarium for it to live so while there may be one or two situations where in a very deep body of water, an especially hardy specimen might live through a less than harsh winter (such as the one we just had), the species as a whole is not going to become native to Ohio because a few are being turned loose.

Also, I think it was confirmed in the other thread that what looked like two occurances of these species being caught before turned out to be the same instance, which would make this the second known occurance. I can tell you for certain that if that Pacu that the OP caught had been living in our waters for multiple years it would be MUCH larger than that. That fish only looks to be 1-2 years old.

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## Tokugawa (Apr 29, 2008)

Don't go swimming where they live

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/...1656015.html?ncid=wsc-huffpost-cards-headline

YIKES!


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## wedebrook (Jul 29, 2009)

Tokugawa said:


> Don't go swimming where they live
> 
> http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/...1656015.html?ncid=wsc-huffpost-cards-headline
> 
> YIKES!


I'm going to go out on a limb and say that the fishermen in question, residing in Papua New Guinea, were most likely fishing "in the buff" so to speak. I highly doubt that a fish can specifically target a dude's junk through some waders or a pair of board shorts. 

Besides, it's right there in the article, so why would it be suprising to hear of a situation such as this?



> Pacus primarily eat nuts


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## MassillonBuckeye (May 3, 2010)

fishinnick said:


> This is very very sad... Should not be working for the ODNR


Thats kinda why I'm thinking this is a trolling attempt.. Can anyone else verify the scenery? Is that for sure at Dale Walborn? The last piranha post, supposedly at Mosquito Lake, had freakin palm trees in the background.. Lol!


Pacu:
Juvenile:








adult:


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## celtic11 (Jun 30, 2011)

MassillonBuckeye said:


> Thats kinda why I'm thinking this is a trolling attempt.. Can anyone else verify the scenery? Is that for sure at Dale Walborn? The last piranha post, supposedly at Mosquito Lake, had freakin palm trees in the background.. Lol!
> 
> 
> Pacu teeth aren't pointy.. If he is saying the teeth are pointy and translucent, thats a piranha.


Its funny... I went back and looked at the photo again and I think it could be a photoshop.

Edit: I could be wrong about this and my apologies if I am, but something doesn't look right where fish meets stringer.

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## fishinnick (Feb 19, 2011)

> Thats kinda why I'm thinking this is a trolling attempt.. Can anyone else verify the scenery? Is that for sure at Dale Walborn? The last piranha post, supposedly at Mosquito Lake, had freakin palm trees in the background.. Lol!


About that.....that actually was Mosquito. I live like 5-10min from there and they have fake palm trees at the marina bait shop/store for decoration.


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## MassillonBuckeye (May 3, 2010)

fishinnick said:


> About that.....that actually was Mosquito. I live like 5-10min from there and they have fake palm trees at the marina bait shop/store for decoration.


Oh dayum. Well then. Waders beware. Cups are no longer optional..


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## fishinnick (Feb 19, 2011)

> Oh dayum. Well then. Waders beware. Cups are no longer optional..


LOL


I was just looking at some PA fishing reports and apparently a pacu was caught in a lake in the SE part of the state only like a week or so ago. Seems to be a lot this year.....


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## louisvillefisherman (Jun 9, 2012)

I can absolutely verify that the background in the OP's picture is IN FACT Walborn. You can see the bridge under construction (the crane) in the background. 

All though I did not witness the event, I was there that morning. I saw the young man who does the fish survey who was also there (he surveyed me for the 3rd time). In fact, I think I saw the OP on the fishing dock that morning (were very few people on the docks that morn) he may have been wearing an orange shirt. I thought I saw him on the ground below the dock taking pictures, perhaps of the turtle.

I have no doubt at all this was taken at Walborn. (the reason I even jumped in here was because of the debate whether the other Pacu post was taken at Mosquito or not cuz of the Palm trees).


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## Fishman (Apr 5, 2004)

Black crappie, you can tell by the number of spines.


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## Miacova (Sep 1, 2011)

louisvillefisherman said:


> I can absolutely verify that the background in the OP's picture is IN FACT Walborn. You can see the bridge under construction (the crane) in the background.
> 
> All though I did not witness the event, I was there that morning. I saw the young man who does the fish survey who was also there (he surveyed me for the 3rd time). In fact, I think I saw the OP on the fishing dock that morning (were very few people on the docks that morn) he may have been wearing an orange shirt. I thought I saw him on the ground below the dock taking pictures, perhaps of the turtle.
> 
> I have no doubt at all this was taken at Walborn. (the reason I even jumped in here was because of the debate whether the other Pacu post was taken at Mosquito or not cuz of the Palm trees).


I don't remember what shirt I had on, but I was on the side of the dock taking a picture of the turtle. It was too heavy to hoist on to the dock. So I landed it on the shore next to the dock. Say hi next time you see me, l am usually on the dock Saturday and Sunday mornings early, at least until I get a boat next year. And almost always have a blue baseball cap on. AKA Jerry.


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## steelhead steve (May 5, 2012)

i thought the turtle was a leatherneck but not real sure


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## celtic11 (Jun 30, 2011)

steelhead steve said:


> i thought the turtle was a leatherneck but not real sure


Leatherback.. but yeah it is. 

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## dreinhart (Aug 3, 2010)

Last year I was in the Pantanal in Southern Brazil for my retirement trip and my daughter and I were fishing for Golden Dorado which is one heck of a game fish. No peacock bass that far south. We could not keep red belly piranha off the lures or bait. I was reeling a small catfish in and they took the back end of it off before I could get it out of the water. Thats probably why the Golden Dorado jumped so much, they were like a river smallmouth on steriods. Up to twenty pounds and shaped like a salmon with gold coloration and a bright red tipped tail. They would drive baitfish right up on to the bank. The teeth in the piranha were definately more visible than on that fish in the picture and very white and razor sharp. They cut our lines several times. The fish looks like the coloration but you would definately see the teeth if it was one in that picture. There are several types of piranha some are not the predators like the red belly but probably mimic it in looks. Some are aquarium fish. We went fresh water snorkling in the hills near Bonito and in the river saw Pacu. They were dark in coloration blue black and large fish. They have teeth almost like human teeth. You fish for them with a cane pole and slap the water with the bait. Rather than scaring them it attracts them , its like the sound of fruit or nuts falling in the water.


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## Fishaholic69 (Apr 6, 2007)

If it has flat teeth Its called a pacu. Its a piranha lookalike. if the teeth are sharp like razors then its a piranha!


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