Piranha captured in University Lake near LSU campus

Heading into summer, keep your eyes peeled for a razor-toothed fish famous for devouring small mammals in minutes. Piranhas! In Louisiana? Let’s hope there are no more.

In 2021, officials with the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) were notified that a red piranha had been captured at University Lake near LSU. The shocking discovery sparked a massive investigation by the LDWF to ensure there were no others in the area. Their conclusion so far is that the Red Piranhas may have been a pet released into the waterway.

If this is true, we certainly don’t want any more “discharges” into the water system once the cool aspect of owning one wears off. There are around four species of these fierce fish, and although they are fierce predators, they are also essential scavengers that help clean up the aquatic environment.

For your information, it is illegal that officials with the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) were informed that a fisherman caught a red piranha at University Lake near LSU in 2021. This is a big deal because All species of piranhas are illegal to possess or sell in Louisiana. . it’s serious, these

If you have any information, or if you think you have caught a piranha, please do not put it back in the water. Please contact Rob Bourgeois, LDWF Aquatic Nuisance Species Coordinator at [email protected], 225-765-0765 or the LDWF Aquatic Invasive Species Hotline at 225-765-3977, via email at [email protected].

Because the species could theoretically thrive in the climatic conditions and habitat of the southern United States, the sale and possession of fish is banned in many states in order to prevent the pet trade from expanding. accidentally establish wild populations of fish.

According to Outdoor Life, piranhas have already been caught in other states, including Texas, Virginia, Pennsylvania, Oklahoma, Ohio, Minnesota, Michigan, Massachusetts, Hawaii and Florida, although l Breeding populations are not believed to be established in these states.