Eight-year-old catches red-bellied piranha while fishing in Pennsylvania lake

An eight-year-old boy named Seamus Coffey caught a red-bellied piranha while fishing with his father, Michael Coffey, at a lake in Delaware County, Pennsylvania. The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission confirmed the identification, and officials believe the fish was most likely released into the lake by someone who had kept it as an exotic pet.

According to the New York Post, the fishing trip took place on a Saturday at Ridley Park Lake. Michael Coffey later wrote on Facebook that his son had caught 'a 2lb red belly piranha out of the Ridley Park Lake.'

Both sources report that Michael initially could not identify the fish. The New York Post quotes him telling ABC he thought it might be 'a bluegill, I don't know what this is.' The Guardian reports he told his son to slow down while reeling it in, not recognising the species.

Seamus identified the fish himself as a piranha. Both sources report Michael recounting that Seamus announced the species, with the Guardian quoting Michael's explanation that his son knew 'Because I watch YouTube,' and the New York Post adding that Michael said his son recognised it from 'educational fishing videos he watches all over the world.'

Mike Parker, identified by the Guardian as a spokesperson for the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission and by the New York Post as its Communications Director, spoke to both outlets about the incident. Parker told the New York Post that such occurrences are 'a little bit more common than we wish,' adding that 'a few times each summer we get reports of something strange like this type of fish, an alligator, a caiman… some sort of exotic snake, reptile, or in this case, a fish.'

Parker told the Guardian that people who acquire exotic pets 'quickly tire' of the commitment involved and 'decide the best thing to do for this animal would be to go throw it in the river, go throw it in a pond,' describing that as 'probably the worst thing you can do for an animal that's been a pet.' He told the New York Post that releasing exotic animals into public waterways is illegal in Pennsylvania, even though state law does not prohibit ownership of exotic pets.

According to the New York Post, Parker noted other pathways by which non-native species can enter local ecosystems, including live seafood trade escapes and cultural release ceremonies. Parker also said that had Seamus not caught the piranha, it would likely have survived the summer given its adaptability but would not have survived winter once water temperatures dropped.

Parker further warned the New York Post that introducing a non-native predator 'can be disruptive to the native ecosystem' and that such animals can also spread non-native diseases to local wildlife.

Both sources report that the Coffeys did not return the piranha to the lake. The Guardian states they disposed of it humanely.

Where sources differ

• The Guardian does not name the specific lake, referring only to 'a lake near Philadelphia,' while the New York Post identifies it as Ridley Park Lake in Delaware County, Pennsylvania.
• The Guardian does not mention the fish's reported weight, while the New York Post cites Michael Coffey's Facebook post describing it as a '2lb red belly piranha.'

• The identity of the person who allegedly released the piranha into the lake has not been established by any source, and no investigation into that question is mentioned.
• No source clarifies whether any legal action has been taken or is being considered in connection with the release of the fish.
• The precise date of the fishing trip is given only as 'Saturday' by the New York Post; the Guardian does not specify a date.
• No source provides independent scientific assessment of the ecological impact, if any, of this particular fish on Ridley Park Lake.
• Whether Pennsylvania authorities plan any follow-up survey of the lake for additional non-native species is not addressed by any source.

1. The Guardian US — original — by Guardian staff reporter
2. New York Post — by Daniel Cody

Read the original at The Guardian US

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