It was just another laid-back July afternoon in Oklahoma when Janna Clinton sat on her back porch watching her 11-year-old son, Charlie, fish in the small pond behind their home. The pond, a neighborhood favorite, was usually a peaceful place where families could enjoy catch-and-release fishing for bass or catfish. But on the weekend of July 14th, what started as a typical fishing trip turned into something straight out of a nature documentary—or maybe even a sci-fi movie.

Charlie, who loves to fish and had done so many times before, was casting his line with a simple piece of bread as bait when something unexpected happened. “All of a sudden, I heard him yelling, ‘Oh my God, Mom! Oh my God!’” Janna recalled. At first, she thought her son was overreacting or maybe had just snagged a big one. But as she rushed over, she saw what had him so worked up—a bizarre-looking fish that appeared to have human-like teeth.

“I was stunned,” Janna said. “We’re used to catching bass and catfish in that pond. Nothing like this. And the fish put up one heck of a fight—Charlie really had to work to bring it in. He did a great job, especially for fishing by himself.”

They took photos of the strange fish and posted them to their neighborhood Facebook group. The reactions were immediate and intense. Comments poured in: “THOSE ARE HUMAN TEETH!” and “What in the world is that? That’s terrifying!” Some neighbors even suggested contacting wildlife authorities, concerned the fish might be dangerous or invasive.

Despite the concern, the Clintons released the fish back into the pond, unaware of the potential consequences. “It’s a catch-and-release pond, and we didn’t think much of it at the time,” Janna admitted. “Looking back, we realize that was a mistake.”

After doing some research and contacting wildlife experts, the family learned that the mysterious fish was a pacu—a freshwater species native to South America and a close relative of the piranha. However, unlike the sharp-toothed piranhas that eat meat, pacus are primarily vegetarian and have square, flat teeth that resemble those of a human. That doesn’t make them any less disturbing to look at.

Wildlife officials suspect the fish was originally kept as a pet but later released into the wild when it outgrew its tank—something that happens more often than people realize. “Whoever released an entire Pacu into a NEIGHBORHOOD pond—how dare you?” tweeted the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation (ODWC). The department used the moment as an opportunity to remind the public that releasing exotic pets into local ecosystems is dangerous and can cause long-term damage.

“Charlie Clinton caught your fish,” ODWC added. “He is eleven years old. NEVER LET GO OF YOUR PETS. Pacus are an exotic and invasive species and can be harmful to native wildlife.”

Online, people were both fascinated and horrified by the pacu’s unsettling appearance. One user asked, “WHY DOES IT HAVE HUMAN TEETH?” to which the ODWC cheekily replied, “We don’t know—we didn’t make them.”

This wasn’t the first pacu sighting in Oklahoma. Back in July 2018, another 11-year-old, Kennedy Smith, caught one at Marina Cove in Ft. Cobb Lake. The Oklahoma Game Wardens issued a warning then as well, stating, “Pacus have been caught in various Oklahoma fisheries before. They are typically bought as pets and then dumped into the wild once they get too large. Pacu can grow up to 3.5 feet long and weigh as much as 88 pounds.”

Despite their mostly harmless nature, pacus have earned a chilling nickname in some parts of the world: “the ball cutters.” In 2011, a pacu was found in Sweden’s Oresund Sound, prompting officials to issue a warning. Henrik Carl, a fish expert, recalled cases in Papua New Guinea where men reportedly had their testicles bitten off by the fish—some even dying from blood loss. While such incidents are extremely rare, they’ve helped fuel the fish’s bizarre and unsettling reputation.

As for Charlie, he hasn’t stopped fishing. “He stayed out by the pond that night, hoping to catch it again,” Janna shared proudly. “If he does, we told him we’ll have it mounted. That fish deserves a place on the wall—it’s a once-in-a-lifetime catch. We’ll even have it mounted with a smile so you can see those creepy teeth!”

While the story of the pacu may seem funny or shocking at first, it highlights a serious issue. Releasing exotic pets into wild ecosystems can cause real damage. Native fish can be outcompeted, and local biodiversity may suffer.

So the next time you think of dumping that oversized pet fish into your local pond—don’t. Because as one Oklahoma boy’s wild weekend proved, it might come back with a toothy grin and a headline-worthy tale.