Piranha fish found in River Torridge

A rare killer fish has been discovered in the River Torridge.

A dead piranha fish was spotted on a sampling trip being carried out by the Environment Agency.

The fisheries specialists said they were amazed to discover the rare fish, which at 35cm long, is more commonly found within the Amazon River basin.

It is seen as the most ferocious freshwater fish in the world and is famous for its razor sharp teeth.

Following an autopsy the Environment Agency discovered that the fish had been eating sweet corn which proved that it had been kept as a domestic pet.

The fish was found in the East Okement tributary of the River Torridge by Bob Collett, Dave Hoskin and Eddie Stevens who were preparing to carry out a survey using electric fishing equipment.

The agency said fish species which the team would commonly expect to find within the river include salmon, brown trout and possibly bullheads, stone loach and minnow.

Mr Stevens said: “What we actually discovered was something we would not expect to find in our wildest dreams. We could hardly believe our eyes.

“After completing 20 metres of the survey a large tail emerged from the undercut bank on the far side of the river.

“Our first thought was that a sea trout had become lodged in amongst the rocks and debris collected under the bank. But when it was removed from the river we were speechless to find it was a piranha.”

In shoals the piranha ambushes its prey, stripping the flesh of large animals such as Anaconda or even Jaguar within minutes. They have also been known to attack humans.

The Environment Agency said the average size of the Red Bellied Piranha Pygocentrus Natteren is 15-20cm making the fish found on the East Okement an exceptional size.

Environmental monitoring officer Mr Hoskin added: “I would say the piranha was most likely to have been placed in the river once the fish became too large for its tank, and was found dead as the fish could not tolerate the conditions in the water.

“Illegal fish movements like this can have a devastating effect on the natural environment.”

ANI